Saranac Lake & Lake Placid

Breakfast at the Village Diner - $15 including tip - where all the locals are curious about the smart car.
Drove to Saranac Lake where I bought a fleece hoody as the weather was a chilly 9 C. We checked out the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, which unfortunately only runs on weekends at this time of year. Quick tour of Lake Placid, which seems to have been invaded by aging bikers, and stop for a lunch of homemade soup and sandwiches at Saranac Sourdough.
To Karen & Pete's house, just outside of Lake Placid village and a delicious salmon supper. Slept in a comfy cabin with a wood fire in the stove and an incinerator toilet.
Next morning we take a tour of John Brown's farm and grave in North Elba where our guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about her subject. Antislavery activist, and some would say martyr, John Brown was born at Torrington, Conn., on May 4, 1800. " He said later that he had realized the sin of slavery, "the sum of all villainies," at 12, and that seeing an African American boy mistreated had "led him to declare, or swear: eternal war with slavery." He also developed a great interest in military history, especially in the guerrilla warfare of the Napoleonic Wars and in the Haitian slave rebellion. According to family testimony, he finally concluded that slavery could be destroyed only by atonement in blood, deciding in 1839 that the South, "Africa itself," should be invaded and the slaves freed at gunpoint. If he actually made such a plan, he kept it to himself for another decade, meanwhile trying and failing at a number of business ventures, always in debt. He moved his family 10 times until in 1849 he settled on a farm at North Elba, N.Y., that was part of a project financed by philanthropist Gerrit Smith for the training of free African Americans."
In the evening we drive to Bluseed Studios in Saranac Lake for a concert by banjo veteran Danny Barnes and singer/songwriter Kris Delmhorst. The gig is a sell out - they turn about a dozen people away. The packed house is a very appreciative audience.
We stay overnight in a spacious townhouse at Lake Placid Club Lodges.

Credit Valley Explorer Train

Saturday 12 May, 2007
We arrive at the station in Orangeville in time for some photos before the 11 o'clock excursion train departure. " Tours travel along a route that was completed in 1879, known as the Credit Valley Railway. The rail line travels from Orangeville south through the Hills of Headwaters region, through the Caledon Hills and the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, then through the Peel Plains region to Brampton and on to Streetsville in Mississauga. Passenger tours travel as far south as Snelgrove in north Brampton. Our busy freight service connects Orangeville and Brampton with the Canadian Pacific Railway main line in Streetsville."
On our way home we stop at the Canadian Tire Store parking lot for the first Street Classics Cruise of the season. The warm sunny weather has brought the classic cars and their fans out in droves.

Guelph via VIA

I take the subway to Union Station and line up to buy a one-way ticket to Guelph, a stop on the Toronto-Sarnia line. There are six employees behind three wickets but only one person is serving folk in the increasingly long queue. I'm wondering if I should have stuck with Greyhound, my usual mode of travel.

With my $24.38 ticket in hand, I go in search of coffee. We board promptly at 10:40 and depart on schedule at 10:55.

I've never been on this particular line and struggle at times to pin point where exactly in the city we are until I catch sight of a familiar bridge or other landmark.

It goes without saying that you've got more "personal space" on a VIA car than the on the "hound". You also get views of city and landscapes you don't get blatting along the 401. One can even purchase drinks and snacks on board, although when a fellow passenger pays $1.75 for a bottle of water, I'm glad I bought my coffee at Union Station.

After a brief stop at Brampton, we arrive at Guelph Station 7 minutes ahead of schedule.

I walk across the street from the station to meet my daughter at the Cornerstone Cafe. I'm sipping a ginormous cup of green tea when she arrives. We both opt for their signature vegan Cornerstone Club sandwich which I , once again, vow to replicate at home. Although the food is great the service could best be described as quirky. Read reviews here.

The Honkers-Kiwi-Aussie Tour: Day 33 Atherton, Queensland, Au

After an excellent scrambled egg breakfast at a gas station restaurant, we hit the highway for Atherton.

Stopped at Ravenshoe and chatted with Grahame West at the Ravenshoe Railway where they are busily preparing for the launch of their tourist season at Easter time. "In 1990, a group of steam railway enthusiasts formed RailCo to begin operating a 1925 D17 Ipswich-made Tank Engine they’d restored on the 100 year old Ravenshoe to Tumoulin line." It was named “Capella” after the town near Brisbane where it had stood idle for 25 years. Capella’s carriages, mostly made from cedar, are from the 1930’s “Sunshine Express” which ran on the main line from Brisbane to Cairns."

Booked into the Hinterland Motel in Atherton, which is under new management. The service was wonderful and the rooms have been updated with new tvs etc. Drove down to Platypus Park to view local wild life. There were many ducks, turtles and yes a platypus or two in the pond.

Picked up a pizz and some cold drinks and chilled in our motel room watching hit Aussie gameshow "The Rich List"on tv.

The Honkers-Kiwi-Aussie Tour: Day 25 Sydney, New South Wales, Au

Day trip out to the Great Zigzag Railway: built between 1866 and 1869, and acclaimed a major engineering feat of its time. It was constructed to enable produce to be taken to Sydney from the prosperous farming areas beyond the Blue Mountains and to develop the coal and iron ore deposits found in the Lithgow Valley.
The prodigious feat of bringing the railway from the top of the mountains to the valley below was accomplished by John Whitton, Chief Engineer of the NSW Government Railways. At the time The Great Zig Zag was regarded as one of the engineering wonders of the Victorian age.

The Honkers-Kiwi-Aussie Tour: Day 21 Melbourne, Victoria, Au

To Belgrave for a half-day trip on the Puffing Billy steam train: "The railway was originally one of four experimental narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways opened around the beginning of the 20th century. It runs through the southern foothills of the Dandenong Ranges to Gembrook. Being close to the city of Melbourne and with a post-preservation history spanning over 50 years, the line is one of the best known preserved railways in the world, and attracts tourists from all over Australia and overseas". Source: www.answers.com . We bring a picnic lunch and enjoy watching the birds, including a very friendly pukeko at Lakeside. A flock of gallahs have a loud conversation in a nearby tree. All in all - a grand day out.
After a quick freshen up we're off to John & De's for a lovely dinner. De explains that dozens of flying foxes swoop over their house daily at dusk to gorge on Moreton Bay Figs in a nearby park. As we leave to go back to our hotel, De gives us a very ripe pear to feed the possums in the same park. I was thrilled to see the large fruit bats in the trees and to feed the possums by hand.

The Honkers-Kiwi-Aussie Tour: Day 19 Melbourne,Victoria, Au

With the help of friendly Aussies, figured out how to use the extensive tram system and found our way to the very impressive Southern Cross Railway Station. Took Vlink train to Geelong ( pronounced jil-long) and were met by Col Hibberd, aka the Colonel.

Amazing day's drive through Torquay, Bells Beach and along the Great Ocean Road to the 12 Apostles. Stunning scenery and interesting conversations along the way. "The Twelve Apostles are a collection of natural limestone stacks standing just off shore in the Port Campbell National Park, on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. Their proximity to one another has made the site a popular tourist attraction. Originally the site was called the Sow and Piglets. The name was changed in the 1950s to the more majestic "The Twelve Apostles" to lure more visitors even though there was only nine left." Source: answers.com

Excellent dinner at Sinan's Cafe Restaurant (649 Rathdowne Street Carlton, VIC) after free use of internet at local library 2 blocks from our accomodation. We got used to paying anything from $1 - $2 NZ for 15 minutes internet use.

The Honkers-Kiwi-Aussie Tour: Day 13 Alexandra, NZ

We head for the magnificent railway station in Dunedin, reputed to be the most photographed building in the country, for the 9:30 excursion train on the Taieri Gorge Railway.

"The Taieri Gorge Limited train is Dunedin's prestige tourist train operating from the historic Railway Station. Departing daily (except Christmas day) it takes you on a journey through the rugged and spectacular Taieri River Gorge, across wrought iron viaducts and through tunnels carved by hand more than 100 years ago. With full commentary, photographic stops, comfortable heating in winterand on board refreshments the train offers year round, all-weather entertainment."

Photos just can't do the scenery justice so we opt for buying a dvd.
Next through the village of Lawrence, where we make a quick photo op stop, to Alexandra where we camp for the night.

The Honkers-Kiwi-Aussie Tour: Day 11 Ashburton, NZ

Taxi to Wellington Airport which wins for most scenic and user-friendly airport. Forty minute flight into Christchurch where we taxi to the campervan depot to pick up the vehicle that will be our home for the next week.

Grocery shopping at New World is a fun experience and we head out to Ferrymead Heritage Park. Ferrymead Heritage Park features an Edwardian Township complete with Picture Theatre, School House, Church, Bakery, Jail and Railway Station as well as a fascinating array of museum and heritage collections. There are tram rides on weekends and trains running first Sunday of month and every Sunday December to February . When operating, unlimited tram and train rides are included in the entrance price.

Camping in Ashburton is quiet but average.