The House(s) of Fran_mart

 This is basically a set of photos I took, being passenger, as we came back to Mallacoota.   I began as we passed Michelago  with the Tinderry Range in the background. This closer view just about shows the amount of bare rock still visible. I suspect the area is still recovering from the fire which went through the area in 200 9.  (We could see the fire from Carwoola, 25km North, at a community Christmas party!) Communications towers are now a common sight along the way. I think this straight, at Billilingra, is about 6km long.  It has unusually light traffic.  The length is the same as the Mulsanne Straight used to be in the Le Mans race: the top speed recorded there (before chicanes were inserted) was 405 kph - that would mess with the average speed cameras! Irrigation at Dromore. When we had a weekender at Kalaru (near Tathra) we used to pass through Cooma about every 3 weeks on our way.  We felt very clever avoiding central Cooma by cutting along Polo Flat Rd.  The servo there als

This covers our visit to the main Enlighten Festival site in the Parliamentary Triangle (or whatever the stupid NCA want to call it now).  At first it will just be my photos. We had intended to park at the Royal Canberra Croquet Club but some friends we met there with croquet in mind said that there was parking very close to the site.  So after a couple of good malleting efforts (winning my first game 7-6 with a jump shot!!!) we took the Pajero over to the National Library carpark.  As it was not yet dark (1915 hours) we had time to assess the food carts ... ... and put ourselves outside some very good prawn dumplings.  We strolled up to Old Parliament House (aka Museum of Australian Democracy) noting en route that the rose garden is totally buggered: I don't think it has been weeded, watered or pruned for at least one year and possibly more.  Shime NCA, shime.  Some of the few roses had been repositioned on the statues   of  Dame Dorothy Tangney and Dame Enid Lyons , two courageo

 We often use Cowper St when travelling between EPIC and Civic.  Close to the Limestone Avenue end of that street is an attractive looking Church: All Saints Anglican .  Frances had wondered about walking there one morning, and we decided the time (and weather) was right on 5 March.  On the way out we used the route suggested by Google Maps in a string of blue dots.  Coming back we used the red arrow route (mainly to revisit Ainslie School which one of our grand daughters attended when living in Canberra. The main road North was Torrens St, through Braddon.    Looking at all the new apartment blocks in the street I commented to Frances that all thoughts of the heritage precinct had vanished, Then I came across the pictured paving stone which IMO counts as heritage. Simon and Garfunkel sung that in New York "the words of the Prophet are written on the subway wall." In Braddon they are in the sidewalk. Here is the church.  There were a lot of signs explaining the history of

 Frances has been spending some time in Glebe and become interested in the behaviour of the clan(s) of White-winged Choughs ( Corcorax melanorhamphos)  which hang out there - and nearby.  I joined her there on the afternoon of 3 March to see what we could see.  This image, based on Google Earth, summarised where we (and the Choughs) went. We began at point 1, in the shady corner near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi where we found 4 Choughs drinking.  They then flew to a lawn under the elm trees (point 2) joining another 5, presumably part of the same clan.  I am unsure - at this time what the wing spread behaviour means but will consult HANZAB online to find out. Here is the whole clan of 9. A second group of 6 appeared from the direct of the toilet block, being harassed by an Australian Magpie ( Gymnorhina tibicen).  Eventually all 15 birds flew off towards Bindara St.  Some of them went into the casino car park (3A) - this one seemed to be getting rather hot. Others scrounged for food i