Author Archives: fordhampr

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE, PT. XVII – A VISIT TO THE MUSEUM/ART GALLERY IN PERTH

Wherever I travel, I always make a point of visiting the museums and art galleries to get a better understanding of time, place, culture, history…and back home in Perth was no exception. I grew up and was educated there in the 60s under the old colonial school system that had been so white-washed as to obscure any references to the first Australians, the aboriginal guardians of the land, sea and sky. This was a civilization that was over 50,000 years old and when Capt. Cook and the first fleet sailed into what is now Sydney harbour on August 22nd 1770, that culture immediately became endangered – the original Australians were vulnerable to European diseases as well as being easy prey for slavers and target practice.  It was a history that had been wiped from the pages of our school history books…but thankfully, no longer are white Australians ignorant to the facts of conquest, settlement and stolen lives and land. I’d learnt a lot over the past 5 years, all the way over here in Canada – another land conquered by Europeans. When my sister Jenny and traveling companion, Suzi, visited the museum, we saw an amazing collection of indigenous art and stories from more current times that illuminated the culture, life and legends …the spectacular canvas and bark paintings caused one to stop, stand and stare for a long time, taking in all the colours, textures and lines.
We checked out several of the other galleries and floors and of course, we had to play with the dinosaurs (Jenny, below) and the giant blue whale skeleton that I actually remember from the early 80s when visiting the family for Christmas. ….and what’s an Aussie museum without a great white?Another display that caught my eye featured stories and ephemera from the post-WWII immigration push that my family was part of…yes, we were “ten pound poms” – British families who emmigrated to Australia under a programme that required payment of 10 pounds per person (I got to go for free) and you got practically free passage Down Under, with basic accommodations upon arrival which were nasty, cold nissen huts on mud floors with wooden slat flooring, and communal baths, laundry and dining – awful things that we fortunately only had to stay in for a month or so before getting a nice little house in Melbourne. We sailed from England in 1959 on the Fair Sky, one of two Sitmar line ships that had previously been used as troop ships in the early 40s. The Gibb family (i.e. the BeeGees) came out about the same time on sister ship the Fair Star. Lots of posters, recruitment info and other bits and bobs from that time were on display and they brought back memories from my early childhood. Wow, what an adventure I had at age 5! The museum also had a thylacene (Tasmanian tiger) in a glass case. They had been killed off back in the 20s and 30s and although there have been many recent “sightings” (just like Big Foot) there is no proof that the poor wee beasties still exist. I felt so sad looking into those glass eyes….There were also meteorites I could touch as well as displays of rock formations, precious gems and night skies…what an amazing visit I had! If you ever find yourself heading Down Under, do visit Perth’s museums and art galleries…you’ll see things you’ve never witnessed before.

https://visit.museum.wa.gov.au/

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE, Pt. XVI – PERTH’S RAAFA AVIATION HERITAGE MUSEUM

Some of you may know that I am a history junkie…my father was in the RAF just at the close of WWII – he worked on engine maintenance and was stationed in the middle east incl. Palestine and Cyprus. As a little girl he used to show me his book on enemy aircraft recognition (silhouettes of planes) as well as British and Allied planes; I learnt to tell the difference between a Spitfire and a Junker at an early age. This past September, my sister Jenny took me to Perth’s amazing aviation museum where I geeked out on all the aircraft displayed in the huge hangars, as well as all the exhibitions on the history of Australia’s air force, outback transportation and flying doctor service. I was in my element, as was my young nephew Maclean, who has already started flying lessons at 16yrs old.

I remember learning about aviation hero Charles Kingsford Smith, above, for whom Sydney airport is named and it was cool to see/touch his belongings. If I remember correctly, I wrote an essay on him in primary school that scored me an A. I stood in front of the Spitfire and read all the details for quite some time before I was drawn over to the spectacular Lancaster bomber, one of the planes that flew the legendary dam buster raids over Germany in WWII. Maclean joined me in front of the giant plane (below) and one of the knowledgeable guides kindly explained the mechanics of the “bouncing bombs”. I was thrilled to be invited to climb up into the belly of the beast…the guide was kind enough to explain what it was like inside for the crew (bloody scary and very uncomfortable)…
Earlier that same day, I received a “butt dialed” call from back in Toronto from my friend, Christopher, whose stepdad, famed Hollywood director, Michael Anderson, had directed the award-winning “The Dam Busters” movie (1955)…what synchronicity, eh? So I made a video for Christopher which I’ll share here so you can see just how huge the plane was.

I was amazed to see how many women were involved with the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) during the war…and pleased to see they got the recognition they earned.
So many incredible artifacts are on show and Maclean loved his experience in a virtual reality simulated bomber flight, courtesy of Aunty Glenda! I encourage you to explore the museum’s website for lots more info as well as visiting hours & directions – this is a not to be missed tourist attraction when visiting my home town of Perth, WA.   https://aviationmuseumwa.org.au/

BIG IN BADEN-BADEN

Each year end, as I approach my Boxing Day birthday, I’m reminded of all the wonderful things I’ve experienced throughout the year and my life as a whole. For instance, this year I’ll be thinking about my 2 months back home in Australia traveling to all the towns and outback outposts I had only dreamed about as a kid – Alice Springs, Darwin and Broome. Now I can add the town of Winton in Queensland as my new favourite spot in Australia.

Much like a Facebook memory popping up each morning, today I suddenly remembered an encounter on the Toronto subway back in the 90s that put a smile on my face and made me feel like a big time celebrity.  Back in the mid-80s, there was a popular yet silly game show called “Jackpot” where multiple players attempted to solve riddles and win cash. I was asked to be on the show along with other interesting people from all walks of life. At the start of each show – we taped an entire week’s worth of shows in one day – one of the contestants would jump up out of his/her seat and yell “Jackpot”. We were each told to bring 5 different tops to wear, changing prior to each episode taping so it looked like 5 different days. Apparently only one contestant did that – me.

The director instructed the cameramen to focus on me as I would be the only person jumping up and yelling Jackpot; I wore a variety of sweaters, each fitting my then-curvy bod perfectly. Imagine Suzanne Summers as Chrissy from Three’s Company jumping up and jiggling – that was me! Back in the 80s, there were no concerns about young women being exploited for their looks or physical attributes and, of course, we all bought into it anyway.  I ended up winning a little less than a thousand dollars on the show, which was a lot back then; I could go buy a whole bunch of new sweaters for that amount…LOL

Skip ahead to the late 90s and I was riding on the Bloor-Danforth line of Toronto’s subway system one day. I noticed a young man staring at me – I ignored him and dropped my eyes so as not to make eye-contact with him. He moved towards me…oh dear, I hope he’s not some sort of masher or perv. He got up close then said “you’re the Jackpot girl, aren’t you?”  What?  “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude but you ARE the Jackpot girl…from the tv show, right?” I felt slightly embarrassed and not sure what he wanted…an autograph or maybe he wants me to jump up and down and yell Jackpot for him. “Yeeeees” I answered cautiously. “Did you know that Jackpot is very popular on Canadian Forces tv? My brother is stationed in Germany and he told me how all the guys replay the Canadian TV shows over and over again as it reminds them of home. They loved it when you jumped up and down…” I think he suddenly realized what he said and stopped, looking rather sheepishly at me and blushing bright crimson. “Oh how wonderful,” I replied, not wanting to hurt his feelings or draw attention to the obvious sexual implications – he must have been all of 20 or 21. “ummm…my brother sent us photos of his buddies all watching the tv and you’re on the screen doing your jump up….” I nodded and smiled. Then he said something I will never forget: “You’re big in Baden-Baden!”

So now, whenever I’m feeling down or lacking respect from others, I remember that encounter – no matter how small and insignificant I may feel here in Toronto, I know I’m a big star in Baden-Baden…and just maybe I’m still jumping up and down for a new generation of military folks in reruns on Forces TV?

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all our military men and women serving overseas – wish I had a video of the show but consider yourselves being Jackpot’d.

Not my episodes but this will give you an idea of how cheesy it was!

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE, Part XV – Yes, you can go home

My final 10 days in Perth included a visit to my childhood home in Lesmurdie, up in the hills overlooking Perth that, in the 60s, were considered “the bush” but now is very much a bedroom community for the city. My parents designed our house up on top of the big hill (my father was a draftsman so it was easy for him to create the blueprints), it was set in a half-acre lot filled with gum trees and wild shrubs. There were incredible stone walls along the boundaries built by a hard-working Italian stonemason, and our house soon became well-known as the house behind the great wall, and was considered a landmark for locals and visitors on their Sunday drives in the country. It was here that I experienced the frightening Meckering earthquake in 1968, and the birth of my kid sister, Jennifer, who was now my tour-guide on this outing. I had planted a beautiful magnolia tree in the front garden in 1965 or 6 and was hoping it would still be there – it surely must be at least 60ft high by now?! We drove the back way, down Shasta Grove, and saw the overgrown back/side garden…sigh!It was so overgrown and I could barely see the house which had been so altered and expanded over the past 5 decades – all the beautifully groomed wildflower beds and lawns were unrecognizable. Jenny drove around the corner of Basildon Rd and pulled up in front… Here, I could see all the “improvements” previous owners had made, completely changing the integrity and beauty of the building. The wall had fallen into disrepair and only a few sections were still there. My heart was heavy…  BUT the lovely new owners who had just moved in were in the garden so I decided to put on a smile and go introduce myself. What a lovely welcome – we spent about 20 minutes chatting about the house’s history, and I got shown around inside to see what has been change…OMG, the beautiful Toodyay stone fireplace was gone (stunning sparkly stones from Toodyay, north of the city), and the kitchen had been reconfigured (much better) but my bedroom was still there – I took a photo of bro-in-law Geoff from the window.Sadly, as you can see, my magnolia tree was long gone. It would have been right there in the middle of the grass. The greenbelt across the street was still there, though, and I remembered fighting a huge bushfire there along with my parents and neighbours in 1969 (I think it was) – with water-soaked hessian sacks, beating the ground and scrub, trying to damp down all the vegetation so it wouldn’t catch fire. The flames rolled in across 2 valleys to the left of this photo…we saved the house and our neighbours’ homes along the street but all around us, the devastation could be seen for a couple of years with burnt tree stumps and blacked ground.

We then drove into Kalamunda, where I went to school (primary and high), about 5 miles from home. Yay, the old Kalamunda Hotel was still there so we went in for a nice pub lunch.The toilets were a treat – they still had the old dispensing units hung over the sink. Aaah, I think I’ll take some “vanity mints”.Next door to the pub, we found The Cheese Shop of Perth Hills, a wonderful cheese emporium where we all picked up cheeses for the night’s dinner. OMG, yum yum yum…I discovered cheeses I had never seen or tasted before. And the cheese mongers were all so friendly, making suggestions to suit all our varying palettes. So deelish! The store has since moved around the corner to the main Kalamunda drag to Haynes Street. Congrats, mates.  https://www.thecheeseshop.com.au/ 

Jenny then drove to the famous “zig-zag” road that winds its way down the hills from Kalamunda and although the road had definitely been improved and paved over, the thrill of seeing such beautiful views of the city in the distance as well as seeing all sorts of wildflowers was so exciting for me….weeeeeeeee.

I hope you enjoyed my visit home to the hills…it was quite the emotional rollercoaster for me. Next blog or two I’ll share my visit to the big museum & art gallery of Western Australia as well as the awesome aviation museum where I had the privilege of climbing up inside a Lancaster bomber that flew in the Dam Busters’ raids over Germany in WWII. Yeah, you’ll see me geek-out on all the RAAF memorabilia!

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE, Part XIV – and on to Perth!

Suzi and I were sad to say goodbye to Broome…we’d had so much fun on our adventures with pearls, crocs and art. So along with Eduardo we flew down the coast of Western Australia to Perth, my home town where I grew up, went to school, got my first job and had my first kiss (thanks, Alan Mitchelmore).

My sister Jennifer picked us up (with lots of hugs and kisses) at the airport and drove us to the hotel/motel on the South Perth shore – 2 blocks away was the magnificent view of the city across the Swan River (pictured above). Our first sight-seeing trip was to Fremantle, the world-famous seaport for Perth where we had the most delicious lunch at Cicerello’s – when I was little, this was a small family seafood diner/shack on the fishermen’s jetty but now…OMG, it’s a huge dining and entertainment centre, out front of which there’s a big bronze statue of the late Bon Scott of AC/DC fame. Suzi was thrilled to touch the figure and take lots of pics…yes, she’s a huge fan. We took a walk around the city centre with its historical buildings, and just about every small side street had wine bars, cafes and boutiques. What a difference from my childhood days when Freo (as it’s known to locals) was a rough and tumble area that wasn’t too safe after dark. The Fremantle Market has been around since the 1800s and has become a must-see tourist attraction. It sells all sorts of touristy things as well as yummy foods like this awesome fudge. Being diabetic, I had to walk past…but not before taking photos of the deelish treats. Jenny then drove us up the coast to visit my favourite beaches including Cottesloe where we stood overlooking the surf and even saw lots of container ships and other cargo vessels waiting to get into port. Along the way, we passed an iconic image – the Dingo Flour silo. Every true-blue Aussie knows this one!Back to the hotel to relax before a wonderful dinner with the family. More adventures ahead including an emotional visit to the family home (below) up in the hills of Lesmurdie and a visit to the neighbouring town of Kalamunda where I went to school in the 60s.

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE, PT. XIIID – I am the crocodile whisperer!

My final story on my visit to Broome, Western Australia, and I maybe saved the best and scariest to last?! Am sure most of you are familiar with the late legendary croc wrangler Steve Irwin – he was a hero to the animals indigenous to Australia and created his Australia Zoo park to preserve hundreds of species and educate people on the importance of the tiniest or even the most vicious and terrifying beasties.  This day, Suzi and I experienced the wonder of Down Under’s fiercest critters – the crocodile. The entrance hinted at things to come….off you go, Suzi, you first!About 15 minutes outside of Broome is the Malcolm Douglas Croc Sanctuary and Animal Refuge where we experienced this up-close-and-personal encounter with the crocs and oh my, was it ever exciting! I turned into a little kid, running from enclosure to enclosure ahead of the guided tour, seeing all the big and small reptilians and watching as the keeper (with several fingers missing!!) feed them.

I was just ahead of the crowd when I saw this monster…

The famous daily feeding tour showcases some of the largest crocodiles on display in Australia – you get to see both fresh water and salt water crocs who live behind safety barriers and chain link fences.  Best thing was when Suzi and I got to hold a baby croc – even though he was tiny, his bite could take off several fingers, hence the elastic band around his snout. If you want to visit, check out the website for details, hours and directions. It really was a brilliant afternoon, never to be forgotten!  https://www.malcolmdouglas.com.au/crocodile-park/

 

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE, PT. XIIIC – Arts & entertainment in Broome

Broome may have the feel of an outback or frontier town but it’s full of art and entertainment to be envied by any big city. One of the first places in the historic Chinatown centre Suzi and I visited was the famous Sun Pictures movie house.
Inside the front doors, we found a number of museum displays including the old projectors and the outdoor seating for screenings under the stars – very similar to Winton’s Royal Cinema. Next was the beautiful Short Street Gallery which looks modest but it holds so many treasure….hundreds of world-class contemporary indigenous artworks… https://www.shortstgallery.com.au/  

The gallery’s director (sorry, I cannot remember his name just now) was so knowledgeable and shared the artists’ stories and backgrounds with us. He also directed us to their bigger storage facility (they rotate the artwork on a regular basis to keep visitors updated with new paintings). It was just 10 minutes’ drive away so Suzi and I popped over there for a visit…so glad we did. WOW! There are numerous galleries around town plus many of the restaurants and cafes display local artists’ works but after the Short St Gallery experience, my head hurt from being visually bombarded with colour, energy, stories and history. Time for a rest so Suzi and I hopped on the Broome Tramway bus for a touristy experience viewing buildings and historic places with someone else doing all the driving! Fun as well as educational…definitely recommend that. Next time, we visit the crocodile sanctuary for a full-on reptilian adventure where Suzi and I get up close and personal with hundreds of crocs!

 

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE, Pt. XIIIb – PEARLS, PEARLS, PEARLS!

Ever since I was a little girl, I was fascinated by pearls, and after a school project on Broome and the early pearling industry, I vowed that one day I would own one. It’s taken me several decades to get there, but the #1 must-do for me in Broome was…buy a beautiful pearl. So I went on my own grail quest to find the pearl that would be mine. First thing was to learn more about how pearls were harvested, where they were found, how to tell a good pearl from a great pearl, how to listen when they “talk” to you. Your pearl will choose you!  Suzi chatted with the lovely lady at Broome Pearl Merchants store who shared all she knew with us. I checked out all the display cases (below) and although the jewellery was stunning, no pearl called out to me…. All around the shopping precinct, we found historical references to the industry from back in the last century and 1800s. It took a couple of shopping expeditions until I found MY pearl. I finally found it in the Pearls & Boheme store (pearls-boheme.com) – I saw the pendant in one display case then walked around the store a couple of times, but I kept coming back to that one big, bright shiny pearl. I told the lady working that day that I was interested and would come back for it. I needed time to decide whether I was going to spend a little more than I had planned. That night, I tossed and turned and all I could think of was that one pearl. So the next day, Suzi drove me into town to complete the transaction – I walked in the store to be met by owner and jewellery designer Brigitte Hoesl-Lindenberg. Yes, the pearl had been put aside for me…yaay!
PS: yeah, as you can see there was no make-up for me to look pretty. Would you wear it in 35degree heat? Naaah. The pearl sparkled enough for both of us…LOL. Pearl is now with me here in Toronto and all I need is a special event to wear it. But as Brigitte said “every day is a special event – wear your pearl”. So I sometimes sit and watch tv with it, I’ve even gone grocery shopping wearing it. And I’m wearing now as I write this blog.
Next Broome story will be on the fabulous old Sun Pictures outdoor cinema and the art galleries featuring the works of local indigenous artists. And after that….we go croc hunting!!

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE, Pt. XIIIa – THE BEACHES OF BROOME

What can I saw about the beaches around Broome? I don’t think “fantastic” or “extraordinary” says enough.  The most popular and famous one is Cable Beach – 22kms long and bounded by red ochre cliffs and sand dunes, the wide expanses of white sand offers great beach combing and walks, especially at low tide. There are numerous resorts and caravan/camping grounds along the length of it, and Cable Beach has first-class dining venues, lots of parking lots…perfect for family activities as well as romantic strolls. Lifeguards are on duty at the beach from May to October and it is advisable to swim between the flags. Suzi and I had several enjoyable visits….

Cable Beach is famous world-wide for two things: the sunsets and the camels. Camels? Yes, there are 2 camel ride companies who take tourists up and down the beach atop the friendly beasties – Suzi and I decided to pass on that (the rides are pretty expensive) – but we enjoyed the sunsets every night, driving 5 minutes down to the main viewing area and along with hundreds of sun worshipers, watched as the sun dropped below the horizon. So beautiful and exciting…people would cheer and clap each time.

There are several more fab beaches around Broome, such as Roebuck Beach and Town Beach (below) with its long fishing jetty and a history that included WWII bombings and strafings that killed hundreds. But beware, there are salt water crocs, jellyfish and sharks that can kill ya! No swimming or paddling for me! Overall, it’s pretty safe on Broome’s beaches, just read the signs and know your seasons – when we went, it was not jellyfish season and the crocs were pretty scare. You’ll get the best view of the beaches flying into the town…when I looked out the window and saw this, my heart started pounding….get me to the beach! Next blog….I hit the Broome pearl boutiques and buy my fantasy pearl!

 

MY AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE, Pt.XIII – SWEPT AWAY IN BROOME!

Apart from Perth, Suzi and I spent the longest time in the beachside town of Broome, located up the top of Western Australia. As a kid, I remember doing a school project on Broome, all about the pearl industry that thrived up there in the early 20th century that continued through the 60s and 70s when the Mikimoto cultured pearls from Tahiti took over the market (thank goodness natural pearls are back and Broome rules once again). I thought no more about Broome until a few years ago when I discovered Aussie actor Aaron Pedersen’s body of work shot on location up there in The Circuit tv series (pictured below) and most recently Mystery Road II; once the decision was made to come home for a long visited, a stay in Broome was set!Flying in from Darwin, the expanse of beachy coastline was extraordinary….so exciting to land in such a remote town that’s full of history. Eduardo got a special welcome (above) aided by the flight crew who helped him down…yes, my little emu was treated to 1st class service on board. Once we touched down and checked into our lovely holiday cabin less than a mile from the spectacular Cable Beach, we started checking out all the attractions and activities – wow, so much to do and see in Broome. So I’ll be splitting the Broome blog into multiple parts to focus on the town, the beaches, the pearls, the red dirt roads and the crocs! So first, let’s go shopping…..

Our camp ground was so pretty and filled with birds and trees and leafy shrubs. It felt like we were in the jungle…but thankfully there were no spiders or snakes.We were only about 10 minutes from the downtown shopping precinct and thanks to beautifully maintained roads, the daily ride in was smooth and comfortable. Many of the shops were once pearlers’ huts that have been converted and upgraded, or new buildings that kept the feel of last century’s vibe.  Johnny Chi Lane (shown above) is a walkway between the two main streets and is lined with groovy boutiques and cafes. We stopped in at the Green Mango Café (below) which was once a big hippy hangout and has now morphed into a renowned café featuring organic handcrafted foods. It’s not air conditioned but well-worth the sweat! Check them out on Facebook.We then popped into the Broome Gallery owned by artist James Down. Loved his colourful work (originals, prints and souvenirs). I bought a couple of emu-themed postcards and enjoyed browsing the poster displays – oh if only I had more suitcase space! Although Broome is a very hot region, the streets were lined with beautiful tropical trees and flowering plants, as well as some sculptural installations showing of the culture and art that can be found here.
 Suzi suggested visiting the Saturday craft market so off we went to the old court house that was actually featured in The Circuit tv series which filmed there 2007-2009. Sure, things had changed a bit it was still recognizable and I got a thrill walking around where Aaron had trod – yeah, I had a real fan-girl moment there….LOL. We pulled into the parking lots across the road and when I looked up, I saw this…we were at the local jail!So many wonderful friendly vendors with food, art, jewellery…like the lovely ladies from Magnolia Designs (below) who specialize in local pearls. I fell in love with these two prints (above) from www.kimberleyart.com.au, and they are currently being framed back here in Toronto. Can’t wait to hang them on my wall. Emus and brolgas are native to the region so these are perfect Broome memories for me.

Whew, what a full day we had so with a great big BBQ grill across from the cabin, Suzi decided it was a lamb night for us. And I found my favourite soft drink to enjoy with the chops! Next blog will feature the beaches and the magnificent sunsets that have made Broome so famous around the world. And camels…lots of camels!