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Post by biteybird on Jul 4, 2015 5:19:33 GMT -5
Here is a photo of Bonnie with Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the background. This is the closest we were allowed - although we had permits for her for the Northern Territory, Uluru is under Commonwealth Law and they categorically state "no pets". So we had to do a U-turn at the gate to the National Park. Not to worry, we thought that would happen and were happy seeing it from a distance.
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Post by easttex on Jul 4, 2015 6:13:24 GMT -5
That's a really nice picture, though it kind of looks like she's been abandoned by the side of the road. There should be a caption there, but I can't think of one right now.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jul 4, 2015 7:53:11 GMT -5
Hope Bonnie is enjoying the sightseeing
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Post by aaron on Jul 4, 2015 11:55:22 GMT -5
Haha wow Bonnie, that's quite a view you've got there!
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Post by julianna on Jul 4, 2015 16:51:07 GMT -5
Haha ha easttex... Wonderful photo. I can't wait to be able to take Oscar with me on vacation. He looks like this Is fun.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jul 5, 2015 2:55:32 GMT -5
I remember taking Shah everywhere with me. Once he gets better, I must start taking him out again. Dog in back of car - bird in front
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Post by biteybird on Jul 5, 2015 4:07:19 GMT -5
Easttex, you have no idea how tempting it was ...Bonnie has been in fine 'vocal' form on several occasions. The other day we did a 3.5 hour walk at Kings Canyon and my brain thought it could hear Bonnie squawking every 2 seconds from the car park (3km away)! Hi Jan, I read your posts about Shah's problems - a medical reason for his behaviour would explain a lot! I hope he goes OK at the vet next week. If I have some decent photos I'll post them when I get back home and have a reliable internet connection. We are at Alice Springs right now and didn't have phone reception or internet for about 4 days prior. Tomorrow we are going to Coober Pedy. I am glad we could take Bonnie with us & on the whole she has been pretty good! Lots of people have been asking what sort of bird she is (quakers don't seem very well known in Australia yet).
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jul 5, 2015 6:59:13 GMT -5
I remember Coober Pedy well. Hated the place. The dust is so fine that it gets everywhere. And the underground houses were a new experience is claustrophobia. We had to buy water. But I had the best pizza I have ever eaten from a pizza place there Hope you are enjoying your trip. I bet it was Bonnie that you could hear. It is amazing how far their screeching carries.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jul 8, 2015 4:54:07 GMT -5
How did you find Coober Pedy? How is Bonnie travelling? How about some more photos?
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Post by biteybird on Jul 9, 2015 5:16:13 GMT -5
Coober Pedy was interesting (in a way). Being winter, the dust wasn't too bad and we had sunny days of about 17-18 Celsius with no rain.
I was kind of shocked at how the entire landscape has been altered by the Opal mining. They just dig all these mine shafts and leave huge mounds of dirt/rubble behind - now picture piles of this stuff (interspersed with mining machinery and red dust) non-stop for about 35km from the centre of town & you have a pretty good idea of what Coober Pedy is like. Another thing I couldn't help noticing is there are lots of rusted hulks just lying around on people's properties (stuff like old cars, machinery, etc.). I guess it's too expensive to get it shifted out.
I was also a bit surprised that the people serving in the shops were nearly all Greek, Italian, Indian, Pakistani or Asian (I really expected to see some Aborigines in a lot of those local jobs). Possibly I'm a bit naïve and obviously I don't know much about the local socio-economics.
I bought a didgeridoo (which I can play, kind of, but haven't got the circular breathing sorted out yet) and an Aboriginal painting and a solid opal for my mum. The underground houses were interesting (I didn't get claustrophobic).
My husband's only comment about Coober Pedy was "You can't go fishing" (FYI, overseas people: there's no water anywhere there). We left there this morning and are now in Port Augusta.
Bonnie is fine, but she did a horrible, rasping scream in the car for about half an hour. It turns out that she doesn't mind Creedence Clearwater Revival, but HATES Elton John (go figure). As soon as we turned the music off she stopped screeching and went in the bottom of her cage to make little laughing noises.
I'll post some photos when we get home - too hard at present (have to put them in Photobucket first, etc.) and my internet is patchy.
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Post by Jan and Shah on Jul 10, 2015 2:58:36 GMT -5
That's interesting about quakers' taste in music. I have never really given it a second thought. Maybe I should. I am glad Bonnie is enjoying her travels. If you ever get to Lightning Ridge, it is a different landscape to Coober Pedy. There is grass and trees! But where they mine the opals is like Coober Pedy - shafts everywhere so it is quite dangerous if you are stumbling around at night. I look forward to seeing your photos when you get home.
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Post by easttex on Jul 10, 2015 3:30:15 GMT -5
I look forward to seeing your photos when you get home. Me, too! Speaking of music, I put on Glenn Miller yesterday, and that seemed to go over well. Actually, Peppy's interest was mostly engaged by my clumsy but enthusiastic clod hopping. Allie flicked her wings in time to In The Mood and they both liked the whistling in Chatanooga Choo Choo. Interest waned after that.
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