Bucket List's.

G'day and welcome to my September update.

The month started with me departing the Holbrook NSW area that I talked about in my August Update. I hooked up the aluminium tent and headed slightly north again with Young NSW in my sights.

After a mid-morning departure from Holbrook I headed up the Hume Hwy and hanging a left just after Gundagai then a slight turn to the right further along, I travelled through the country side finally joining up with the Olympic Hwy and into Young. I arrived at my destination about 15 mins later and was greeted by Garry and Roxanne and after a chat I unhooked the aluminium tent and set it up for a month-long stay as I was there to look after my mates Ruby, Annie, Cloe and Bob the bird, also keep an eye on things while Garry and Roxanne went off for a long-deserved break around the middle of the month.

I was going to put the awning up but where I was set up I got the morning sun on the awning side when it decided to appear so didn't bother, the sun was lovely coming through the windows early on the cold mornings.

Speaking of weather, we had an improvement in that department. I had to go ask a good friend Mr Google what this big warm bright thing was up in the sky? He told me it is called the sun and it is what keeps planet earth warm. I did like it though after a long cold winter. But I am not really complaining as I was able to help good friends out while they travelled a little to get away from their usual grind. There were still cold nights though, ranging  -2c - 6c but the days stepped up to the plate and gave a good performance most of the month with temps ranging from 15c - 25c yep, you read that right, 25c with a nice warm sun and little wind in the first half of the month. Some winds rolled in around the middle of the month and some cold and strong, very strong. As far as rain goes none in the areas travelled and stayed. Not good for the farmers at all and it would be good to get some rain where needed but good for a GN I spose. A nice month really, for me anyway and put a spring in ya step. No complaints from my camp.

I don't really have a bucket list so to speak but If I did I would have ticked of a couple of items in the first couple weeks as I wanted those out of the way before I started my house-sitting duties as I never stay away at night while doing a house sit. You see, I have always wanted to go to Bathurst and see Mount Panorama where the big V8 Supercar race is held every October not so much while the race is actually on but just to a have a sneak peek. Well it happened, read on.

During my first week at Young and before Garry and Roxanne headed off on their adventure I made arrangements to go visit friends near Penrith, an outer western suburb of Sydney, so off I headed up the Hume and after arriving had a great catch up with Adele who had ventured down from Port McQuarrie to stay with her daughter Mandy for a while. After a few hours chatting it was time to head back to Young but in my wisdom decided a different way back was what the doctor ordered so headed across the Blue Mountains and onto Bathurst. Arriving there at 5.45pm with still over a two hour drive in front of me and getting dark, again in my wisdom decided to prop the night so found somewhere to do that propping and settled in for the night. Gee, I am finding all this wisdom I didn't know I had.

The next morning, I was up bright and early, had some breaky and made a move. Yep, you guessed, Mount Panorama was in my sights. On my arrival I was met with signs everywhere and this race track that you can actually drive around so not being one to be left behind, did just that.

Wow! There I was sitting in the Collie on the starting grid at Mount Panorama in pol position. Vroom, Vroom, the smell of, well diesel anyway in the air and the green light came on to GO. It did, really, well in my eyes anyway. Off I went reaching the high speed of 60kmh at the first turn and down the short strait stretch then up the hill and around the S bends at the top of the mountain adjusting the speed between 25kmh and 60kmh as I went around the track. Finally finishing my first lap in about 20 mins and sweat pouring out of me. Down the main strait reaching a top speed of 60kmh again with the crowd yelling and screaming to continue on the second lap and finally finish the race. FIRST OF COURSE! I must have left the other cars somewhere in my dust as I never saw any other car behind me finish the race.

Going around those S bends up on top of the mountain doing a maximum speed of around 25kmh was scary stuff and I felt like my hero Dick Johnson and I tell you that for free. I follow Craig Lowndes these days though. Yep another thing off the bucket list that isn't. I did enjoy my drive around Mount Panorama though and I have a greater respect for the drivers that do it much, much faster than I did. 60kmh is max speed allowed by the public.

After all that excitement I headed to Orange, just cos I could but was disappointed as I was expecting it to be, well, orange but it wasn't, oh well! A turn left and heading back to Young and after about a two-hour drive was back at my Aluminium Tent after a good couple of days.

You might remember I mentioned in the last update I was having trouble with the rear tail lights on the aluminium tent, well, the day arrived to sort that out. Garry and I attacked the old lights that for some reason only known to Chief Caravans (who have now disappeared off the planet) the old lights were glued on with silicone and heaps of it. After much huffing and puffing we had to finally break the lights off carefully not damaging the aluminium. Those successfully removed and a quick clean up the two new ones slowly were fitted. We had heaps of problems locating the correct colour wires to join into as there were so many wires for some reason, it was a long process of elimination. When is earth, earth? When it is earthed. With all the wires here there and everywhere what was thought to be or should have been earth wasn't and so on it went. Finally, all sorted, fitted and tested, three times even, all was finished. Gee happy hour was good that night. Thanks for all the help Garry.

A few days later and before Garry and Roxanne left I did something else that would be on the bucket list that isn't and that is visit Parliament House in Canberra and sit in on Question Time, not once but twice. I sat in on the House of Representatives and the gallery was full of likeminded people wanting to see the new PM in action on his second day although in my case I had planned my visit months ago so I spose it was sort of a bonus, or not. Before that I went and sat in on the Senate and watched them in action but there weren't as many people in Gallery there, in fact not many at all. You have to book for the House of Representatives but not the senate and there is no charge. Struth! A freebie from the Government.

The thing that stood out like a sore toe was the Security around the place, security officers everywhere you looked and Federal Police here there and everywhere as well. To get into Parliament House is like boarding a plane as you have to put wallet, keys belts, bags and anything metal in a tray that goes through and x-ray machine and you walk through a metal detector opening as well. Beep, beep, beep and you get pulled to the side and checked by a hand-held detector. All going well, you are allowed in. I got in.

Once in you can walk around allowed areas to suit yourself or tag along on a free tour. I just did my own thing. I decided to check out both chambers prior to question time as once they start you cant take photos etc. Again, you go through security check points like the front door just to go into the empty chambers.

Question time is near and I had to go to the Cloak Room to collect my pre-booked ticket for the House of Reps, hand in anything with you except your wallet then again through the same security checks while at least a dozen Security Officers watched on and 6 Federal Police Officers to the side, all armed and two with big German Sheppard Dogs. The dogs were scary looking and were just sitting there looking around and watching everyone's every move. Once through all that you enter the Chamber and take your seat ready for the big kids to start arguing. There was plenty of that on the day and I tell you that for free.

Yep, another thing ticked off that list that isn't, or is it two things? Did I enjoy it? Yes, I did because I do a have a small interest in how Parliament is run. Must be from my many years working in Local Government I reckon.

Yeh, I can hear ya down the back, Glutton for punishment.    

Once again, I decided to stay overnight and do a bit of night photography but due to heaps of road works and construction just about every where you go it was difficult getting around Canberra so I gave up in the end after only a few pics. The locals probably know how to get around it all without any problems. Back to my accommodation and settled in for the night.

The next morning, I ventured to Tidbinbilla to check out the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. I had been there 45 years ago but didn't remember any of it and due to six coaches full of school kids being there and speaking with the drivers they told me they were booked in there for two hours, I decided to give it a miss after viewing the big Telescope Dishes from the car park.

After all that I headed to a shopping complex to get a few things I had been trying to get for a while and with success I headed back to the aluminium Tent in Young via Yass.

Another couple of very enjoyable days to the tally.    

The rest of the month was spent pottering around and doing a few maintenance items on the aluminium tent while looking after the property and animals.  

So, there ya have it, my September and a very enjoyable one at that. I hope yours was as good or better. With all that said I will disappear into the dust created by me or someone else.

Keep safe out there everyone.

Some pics below as usual.