Tuesday 6th April - Acclimatisation

Waking up on Tuesday was much harder for Rosena than Dave, but by 10.00 a.m. we were on the terrace having breakfast and watching the rainbow lorikeets and crested pidgeons snatching seeds from each other. A walk round the garden with Anne and John showed us mango, papaya and mulberry trees. Kookaburras sat in the trees above and around us making loud screeching laughs, flying off in a flock to do a circuit from time to time. We managed to hang the washing out just in time for the day's only rain shower. It's just like being in Scotland.

After a fairly easy morning and a good lunch we set off to The Workshop Rail Museum in Ipswitch, where we wandered around the exhibits before noticing the two workshop tours. The first of these showed the four of us round the Blacksmith's shop where our guide, Phil, explained some of the processes used to manufacture tools and carry out repairs whilst his colleagues demonstrated these amid showers of sparks and hot metal.

After this first tour Dave was allowed through the fence to take photos of a very sorry looking Hunslet WD 4-6-0T that was lying at the back of the yard. We then joined the other train geeks for a trip round the main shed where a number of mainline steam locos are kept and maintained for use on steam specials. One of them was an enormous Beyer-Garratt, originally built in Manchester, and used to haul coal trains in Queensland. It was a very interesting and enjoyable visit (Rosena said).

Back at John and Anne's we had a glass of very acceptable Aussie fizz before a home cooked chicken dinner and mulberry crumble. Nummy. And so to bed.