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San Diego Children's Choir, Australia Tour Place your mouse over any photo to see caption (most photos) and click on photo to view a larger image |
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Puffing Billy In our little cot-like beds many of us began to toss and turn in the early morning hours, lying in our dark cozy rooms. (A good night's sleep, but still not adjusted to the time change!) If we wanted breakfast we were supposed to get up by 6:30 a.m., and most people did, despite the urge to keep sleeping and slapping the snooze button. There was a gigantic selection of food; cereal, an nifty toaster, eggs, bacon, oval hash brown patties, and really good mango juice. We left the hotel around 8:30 to go to Puffing Billy's. The wild birds flying all around are worth hundreds of dollars when imported to America; but here they fly free (loudly and annoyingly.) We arrived at the Puffing Billy station; it was really cold. The "Puffing is a train line that started operating in 1900. It is a popular Australian tourist attraction, with lost of signs boasting about it around the town. Frantically frigid choristers bought scarves, hats and gloves in the gift shop before our ride. The conductors let us sit on the side rail of the open car dangle our legs out of the car, holding on to bars across the top where windows would be. We serenaded our fellow passengers, the conductors as well as Aussie drivers and pedestrian, as we rolled through the countryside in "little Puffing Billy." We sand a summary of all the choir songs we've ever know with surprising organization. The Australian landscape was beautiful! It is lush with dense forests, rolling fields of soil with grazing bovines, horses and the occasionally goat. Unlike California suburbs the houses and neighborhoods each have a hint of individualism. They seem peaceful, each house with its own personality. There are however, many brick houses. After 45 minutes of singing and dodging soot from the engine we posed for pictures then ran to the bathroom to thaw out our hands under the hot air hand dryers. (The bathroom had tiny sinks; the size of a small shoe box or casserole dish!) We took pictures in front of Billy's engine. Mrs. Shirley posed with the engineer, standing in the cab by the fire box. We are now on the bus… going to each lunch…must eat.. to weak to write (to be continued.) Respectfully submitted by Wendy Tuner, Katherine Stephens-Doll and Katie Rehm Return to Australia Tour Itinerary |