A sea of flowers @ Floriade Commonweath Park Canberra with the famous Csptain Cook Memorial water spout from Lake Burley Griffin in the Background.
Friday I was working out at Balmain and thought I could make it to either a ballet beginner class or Lyrical Jazz beginner class straight after work being closer to the city but no I still could not get to SDC in time or within 15 minutes into when classes commenced at 6.30 pm. Very disappointed therefore I checked into YHA Sydney Central. Repacked for the weekend and prepared my lunch for tomorrow to grab and run and something for dinner. I then headed out to Chinatown to the Friday Night Markets.
I visited some of my old hang outs such as the Sussex Street Centre in the middle of old Chinatown (the original half of Dixon St) which boasts it has the Best Asian Food Court - umm unsure about this as it was never the best but it does have a bar and there are not many food courts that are licensed!
Then across the road the new Chinatown commences on Dixon Street with serviced apartment blocks and my old rowing club CYL (Chinese Youth League) which has been there since the beginning of time from when my father was on the comittee and I was a Dragon Boat Rower.
CYL Headquarters
The street that divides Old Chinatown from New Chinatown
New Chinatown on Dixon Street - the famous N2 Extreme (yes that liquid nitrogen ice cream) store is located on the left hand side of Dixon Street in New Chinatown - very popular with queues stretching down the street at times.
The Chinese version of Deliveroo or Uber Eats!
This is the other end of Dixon Street full of new Chinese shops restaurants and cafes. The sign actually says Darling Harbour but it is actually an extension of Chinatown! Darling Harbour is still a walk away and has been since the beginning of its redevelopment.
Popular restaurants such as Mamak have queues down the street to get in on Friday nights although these restaurants tend to be in the streets off Dixon Street eg Sussex Street. Then there is the famous Golden Century Chinese Restaurant and East Ocean also off Dixon Street. Dixon Street in old Chinatown is reserved for market stalls and traditional Asisn resturants that have been there for years all trying to hawk diners into their indoor outdoor dining areas with wait staff standing outside spruiking menus.
2 old favouites are the pub on the corner in Chinatown and Emperors Garden which was once a resturant decades ago but now looks as if it has downsized to Emperors Cafe but it also has a busy concession tuckshop like window that serves takeaway puffies (Asian style mini waffles filled with cream or custard or other types of fillings ) - very popular although I don't like them.
Let's now talk about the market stalls. A mixture of mixed goods such as drink bottles clothing trinkets jewellery etc and food - lots of it!
Amongst the favourites Mamak and Lamb and Cumin.Then there is potato on a stick but not just potato on a stick - how about potato intertwined with pieces of sausage or whole flattened deep fried cuttle fish - it looks as if Asians love anything on a stick - fish balls , chicken skewers, tofu, rice noodles Korean style, even cows throat- what the? That is what the sign said! Then there were the beef squares - haven't had any of these for years because they are not too good for you but so yummy - too much fat and sugar mixed in with the beef. Then there is the famous Dragon Beard Candy - I have tried this centuries old sweet which is white and stringy in HK but didn't really rate it. A thicker Asian version of fairy floss perhaps??? Coursely spun sugar????
Have no patience to queue up to get into their main restaurant cafe off Dixon Street? - no problem try their food from their pop up market stall - umm Roti!!!! (Opps spelling)
Sorry I can't show you what beef squares are like - yummy fatty sweet goodness! Above photo more stuff on sticks bbq and those yellow things on sticks sure aren't corn!
Things on sticks Asian take away style deep fried potato on a stick, deep fried potato on a stick interwined with deep fried sausage pieces and deep fried whole flattened cuttle fish on a stick
Photos still to be uploaded ( all on my new Samsung Note 8 - great night to test out the camera on it)
The beginning of Dixon Street Old Chinatown with Emporers Garden on the left corner and the pub on the right corner
This dome like structure hanging above is the centre point of Dixon Street Old Chinatown
Tbc .......
Arrive in Canberra at the Jolimont Centre Coach Terminal around 10.26 am - ahead of schedule!. Use my GPS to find my way to Canberra YHA - unsure where it is somewhere on Akuna Street. I have only stayed there once before.
Arrive and check in - room was ready so dumped my wheelie bag left my drink bottle full of water on a top bunk (only bunk made up which I assumed was mine only to return later from Floriade and have someone else remove it and take my bunk but I got a bottom bunk in the end which worked out fine as I didn't have to climb a ladder) and walk to Floriade @ Commonwealth Park - totally lost but didn't take the free shuttle as planned - I just followed the signs and walked. Got there and there were thousands of people and it became quite hot towards the afternoon. I took several hundred photos (around 4 hundred) . It definitely had the WOW factor! I think I saw all of it and purchased a few souvenirs. After all Floriade is celebrating it's 30 year!
Follow the signs throughout the city and you will eventually get there. If all else fails follow the locals. Walking across the overhead bridge above a main road towards one if the many entrances to Commonwealth Park where Floriade is. Ferris Wheel in the distance.
This is the map of Floriade and I hope I covered everything on the map
The Ferris Wheel a lot closer up means I have found the entrance to Floriade in Commonwealth Park
Who's that sneaky bird hiding behind the marid of painted garden gnomes? - Is that a brush turkey? - I told the reception staff at Canberra YHA that brush turkeys in Canberra are a little skinny compared to their cousins in Sydney. One lady taking a look at the gnome garden saw the lonely brush turkey walking amongst the hundreds of painted gnomes foraging for food and makes the comment to it "That's right pick up your feet!" as not to step on the gnomes present - some of which were freshly painted!
This has to be my favourite floral display. The reflection in the glass ball was just magical of the lake and surrounds
Every floral display at Floriade was just postcard perfect - no wonder the visitors I spoke to took several hundred photos during their visits to Floriade!
There were barrels of kitchen gardens similar to the ones above on display jam packed with leafy greens and a diverse variety of herbs - I was so tempted to knock off a few bunches of silver beet and dill sprigs along with some other herbs from them to accompany my poached salmon and butter I was planning to cook for dinner that night but I wasn't sure if the plants had been sprayed so left them in peace!
Yep there was even a chicken coup where I counted 7 chickens in it that laid fresh eggs and fed by kids with the kitchen garden scrapes daily.
Picnic shelter at Foriade complete with lots of hanging flower pots
The Floriade train turning around the corner of my other favourite floral display above and below.
Floriade's 30th Anniversary as depicted in this floral display. Interesting enough when I took this photograph I didn't even realise what this floral display was - looking at the photo I took I can now see the big "30th" amongst the floral display.
The Floriade Ferris Wheel in the background amongst one of many floral displays - the sun was definitely out!
It became really hot during the day and I was getting tired as I had been up since 5 am that morning and thefore needed a sugar boost. Instead of a bottle of soft drink I found this honey drink which was just what I needed - with its natural sweetness and coldness straight from the fridge it was just refreshing to drink
A zoo keeper with her elephant - I was tempted to offer my empty bottle of honey drink to it - that would have been a great photo opportunity if it actually took it with its trunk!
Ice cream, a giant blow up slide and a ferris wheel what else would a kid want?
Each floral display had a name.
Some of the many cafes and food stalls where you could get a bite to eat within Floriade
And what's an event without a "PUB" or licenced area for a drink?
Wheel burrow floral displays were also on show
The Floriade Main stage - 1 of 2 present within the grounds of Floriade.
This looked like a lot of fun - I wish I was in one of these bubbles as it was stinking hot that day.
Yes there was even shopping with stalls selling food products charities gardening tools cosmetics outdoor furniture floral arrangements jewellery and fashion just to name a few
Workshops and even a live artist!
Pots of flowers were also on display around Floriade above and below
Ever wondered where the sculptures from Sculpture By The Sea, Sculpture At Barangaroo & Sculpture At Scenic World end up? THey get recycled in Canberra at Floriade - do any of these Sculptures look familiar? Above and below?
Passed Canberra City Centre and decided to find an Aldi and Coles for some ingredients for dinner. Salmon spinach potatos with mixed herb butter was on the menu. Amazing the things you can cook up in a youth hostel's kitchen!
Came back to the YHA Canberra at around 3.45 pm and was dead tired! Queues of people were still waiting for the next shuttle bus to Floriade outside Canberra City Centre.
Had a rest and part recharged my phone. Time to plan for tomorrow. Left again around 6 pm and walked back to Floriade for one last look. Most things were closing or closed. Took some final photos as I thought as daylight fades so do the flowers.
Back to the YHA cooked and ate dinner as well as cleaned up my pots plates cutlery used etc.
Continuing to recharge my phone and blog.
Floriade rating 9/10. Loved it but spend a whole day there as I did - lots to see. Great for kids and adults. Must bring your camera type event. No more then a 15 minute walk from YHA to Floriade. On until 15th October 2017 I believe between 10 am and 7 pm daily weather permitting.
YHA Canberra Rating 8/10 not my favourite hostel but better then Sydney Central YHA. Lift works, locker storage on most floors, no usb chargers next to your bed in rooms but sheets dumped into laundry bags on each floor rather then having to carry them down to receprion upon checking out along with all your luggage! , within walking distance to buses, shopping centre around the corner and other attractions including Floriade close by. I had a room on top floor (3rd floor)
Murrays Coaches Rating 7/10 a little better service this time especially customer service YHA discount available on top of sale fare price! Bargain cheaper then train sale fare price online! If you recall there was no YHA discount on day trips to the snow offered.
YHA Sydney Central Rating 5/10 - not my favourite hostel and I only stay at it when I have to ie because it is across the road from Murrays Coach departure point. Old and a little dirty. Major construction work going on on the 1st floor where the kitchen and common areas are located. One kitchen has been completely demolished and there was only a small area used as dining and common room. A separate side area was put aside for lounging reading etc. One lift out of order and remaining lifts extremely slow which is not good when your room is on the 8th floor!!!! Some nights it can get quite noisy as there is a bar next door . Luckily Friday night was quiet. Be aware of your food being stolen this is where my new unopened and labelled 1 L tetra pack of non lactose milk was stolen as soon as I put it in the common fridge during my stay one year. Now there are chains that you can padlock your food bags with put in place on shelves. I don't think anyone bothers to use them. Just get what I have a rip proof keep fresh mesh bag which has a built in combination lock! I love these so much I purchased 2 different coloured ones. I forgot to mention being told off by staff at reception on the ground floor when I dragged my sheets with me all the way down from the 8th floor with my luggage at 6.30 am in the morning (because there are no laundry shoots or bags on each floor) for dumping them in one of 2 laundry trolleys instead of placing them in one of 2 small and partially filled laundry bags hanging off the trolleys - where was I suppose to dump them? There were no signs to indicate these 2 laundry trolleys were not for dumping your used sheets in! This is what you do at Railway Square YHA around the corner!
Tbc .......
Sunday 8th October - slept in had a shower packed and made myself some breakfast of coconut yoghart oats and a banana then filled up my Contigo with boiling water and an earl grey teabag. Ready for another big day out. Checked out and walked to the city bus stop but silly me I went to the wrong bus stop - crossed the road to bus stop # 8 and realised I had missed the bus therefore had to wait another hour for the next bus to the Old Bus Depot Markets from bus stop # 9 . I board the 980 hourly bus but not before having a McMuffin with sausage egg lettuce tomato but no cheese from the conveniently located McDonalds just behind bus stop # 9. Bus arrives at 10.12 am and quite a few people are off to the markets.
Arrive at the Old Bus Depot Markets and begin looking around but do not realise I have missed a whole section of the markets oops. I continue to walk around and find some interesting food products. Lots of free samples to taste. I ended up purchasing a rather large loaf of woodfire fetta and spinach bread, baklava and turkish delight tray and a chai chocolate bar with a single banoffee chocolate ball (which I immediately scoffed down).
After visiting the Old Bus Depot Markets and Glassworks I knew there was a shopping area nearby in Kingston so I took a walk hoping to find a supermarket of some sort to pick up some snacks for my 4 hour or so train trip back to Sydney. Very disappointing not a supermarket in the entire area - lots of cafes but no supermarket so where do the locals shop? - there was a rather large liquor store though - maybe Kingston has a drinking problem!
I walked all the way back to the Old Bus Depot Markets to see if I could scrunge some snacks but everything was sold out by 3 pm. Lots of cakes left but not much take away savoury food. I purchased a small freshly squeezed orange juice and decided to save my cash for when I got to Kingston Railway Station although I knew there was no shop in the station only vending machines with junk food. I had my loaf of bread, a lemon and my block of butter in my bag plus some chocolate and 1 snack pack of cheese and biscuits left so think I could survive.
I walked from the Old Bus Depot Markets to Kingston Railway Station which is only a km away. It is not named Canberra or Central Station for a reason - it is a little out of the way from the city centre of Canberra. You can't walk there and buses are limited and not very frequent out to Kingston especially on the weekend.
Because I arrived at Kingston Station really early there were only a few other people there - a mum and her toddler who was a cutie and a very old man dressed in his tartans. He was a little strange therefore I kept away from him. But after 4 pm people started arriving to catch the NSW Trainlink coach back to Bega - mostly mums dads and kids all returning home from their school holidays. Then a train full of mums dads and kids arrived again all returning to Canberra from their school holidays
While the train was emptied and cleaned and restocked, I took the time to recharge my phone (at least there were power points at Kingston Station). I sat on the floor and continued to blog and recharge my phone as well as taste some of my goodies from the Old Bus Depot Markets I had purchased.
After getting on the Canberra to Sydney train and being one of the first people on, I found my seat 26 in Car B after placing my wheelie bag in the luggage rack. The train was quite full back to Sydney again full of parents and their kids returning to Sydney from their school holidays. I sat next to another weirdo man who introduced himself and advised me that I didn't have to speak to him again for the duration of the train trip. Did I really care ? No! The train departed on time at 5.20 pm arriving in Sydney at 9.25 pm - that is a trip over 4 hours, the express bus takes a lot less time. In the good old days it was only a 3.5 hour train trip - this really shows the aging 1980's XPT trains! Remember no power points, usb chargers or wifi on board these trains - it is byo!!!!!
Now lets talk about the food available on board the train. It is really weird how the carriages are lettered. Car A and Car B are connected with the "Buffet" located in Car A or first class. However Car B is then connected to Car D. Car B and Car D are both economy class. Make sense? All food and beverage is purchased whilst on board it is not included in your train ticket and cannot be pre ordered. Cash or card is accepted onboard - yes there is a eftpos terminal at the buffet! However this does not mean you can get cash out nor does it mean it is always functioning. If you want a proper hot meal you have to order it at the beginning of your trip as it takes about an hour to prepare - (I mean heat up). I have held off ordering any hot meal on board any train trip I have gone on as I know how bad they would be. They sound delicious and look delicious on the menus in your seat pockets but what you order and what you get are totally different. I braved it this time (because I could not find a supermarket in Kingston) and ordered a roast chocken dinner. You get a little voucher when you preorder at the beginning of your trip and they make an announcement when the hot meals are ready to pick up.
An hour or so into my 4 hour or so train trip back to Sydney from Canberra, I take my voucher and cash and walk to the buffet to pick up my roast chicken dinner.
My hot meal is served to me in a collapsible cardboard box to reuse if I have to at a later date.
I walk back to my seat in Car B and am quite curious to see what my hot meal of roat chicken actually looked like.
Oh dear exactly what I expected. I recommend everyone BYO their own food onboard a long haul train trip whenever possible. All hot meals are served with a bread roll - yep well so are all aeroplane meals! In my little cardboard box I take out my prepackaged roast chicken dinner and yes it was hot (you wouldnt want to get salmonella poisoning would you?) served in a sealed plastic tray (just like a frozen tv dinner from the supermarket!) , my packet of disposable plastic cutlery and serviette and my prepackaged bread roll and sachet of butter.
Time to open the roast chicken dinner - The packet didn't exactly say "Bon Appetite!" but it did say something such as "Yummy" in big letters across the plastic seal. Onto the big reveal - I pull back the plastic seal and inside I find a piece of chicken thigh deboned - OK it did not look roasted but was a recognizable piece of "protein" . There was a lot of liquid which was I assume a very runny "gravy" (a closer inspection of the plastic packaging indicated this was a gluten free meal hence the way it was prepared) and then the vegetables were a vey small serving of very overcooked green string beans and a lot of potato wedges although these were baked not fried. Now the taste - it was OK edible but nowhere near the quality of the worst airline food I have had and absolutely no comparison to the first class meal I had on my 5 hours or so train trip between Toronto and Montreal. My recommendation always BYO food and this will be my first and last hot meal purchase on board a train trip in Australia.
Is the buffet licensed? Yep but remember to leave alcohol consumption on board the train. Obviously there is absolutely no smoking on board the train.
Old Bus Depot Markets Rating 8/10 . No comments really just don't get there after 2 pm food stalls sell out of stuff. On every Sunday in Kingston Canberra between 9 am and 4 pm.
Kingston Station & XPT Train Canberra to Sydney Rating 7/10 - Station too far from Canberra City Centre. No cafe at train station only vending machines inadequate as no supermarket in near by suburb of Kingston. No wi fi or usb chargers on board train - get with the times NSW Trainlink!!!!! Meals need to be improved onboard regional and interstate trains greater then 1.5 hours long.
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