Where were you 12/12/12 12:12:12?

Perfect, Last In A Lifetime, Repetitive Numbers

One of the towns we passed through on our zigzag east, west, and south in New South Wales was the little town of Armidale.  This is the home of the New England University, several private schools, and numerous churches.  The architecture looks very New Englandish.  To enhance this New England beauty, deciduous trees with fall colors (April) have been planted throughout the town.

New England University

The city council offers a free 2 hour bus tour of Armidale which we thoroughly enjoyed and saw sights we may have not seen otherwise such as the insides of churches, and administration (chancellors mansion) of NEU, and railroad buildings.  Truly, this town was lovely in so many ways.

Our guide told us of a progressive pipe organ concert.  There are six churches with large pipe organs within 2 1/2 blocks of one another.  A couple of years ago, a progressive concert was given, 20 minutes at each venue.  That would have been something we would have enjoyed hearing.

Many buildings are decorated with iron lace with rounded tin roofs.  English gardens, cottages, and vine covered buildings lend charm to the town.

The shopping area of the town has been refurbished with arcades, bricked zig zag, one way streets, and no car mall.  Very attractive.

Plazas where the street used to be

Zig Zag - narrow one way streets with gardens and nested parking

Shopping Arcades built in Old Buildings

We even had the opportunity to go to a horse race while we were here.

Once we left Armidale, we went to Apsley Falls where we took a few walks following the rim of the steep slate gorges.

Campsite on the Edge of the Cliff

Lions Club Overlook

Gouged Shale Gorges

Happily we were also able to see some kangaroos 

and an echidna in the wild.  He or she was quite large and wobbled along with her broad body swaying from side to side as she walked.

See her nose in the lower left corner?  Echidnas have long sticky pink tongues.

Upon leaving Apsley Falls on 12/12/12, we headed up to Carson Memorial Overlook, but decided to take a few minutes to top off with gas.  We didn't really need it, but decided to get some anyway.  Took us only a few minutes of our time......Lucky, lucky.  That short stop may have saved our lives.

As we climbed the grade to the lookout, a large gum had just fallen across the highway.

We were the second car to arrive after the crash.  The first car had just passed us a mile or so behind.  So maybe 12 is our lucky number.  Had we been sooner, who knows.  Fortunately, a road crew nearby was summoned and with no time they bulldozed the tree to the side of the road so that we could pass.

Laughing Kookabura

When we reached the top of the grade at Carson's Memorial Lookout, we had a magnificent view as we ate lunch and memorialized the day at 12/12/12 at 12:12:12.  Where were you at this time on this day? We will never see numbers again like this in our lifetime.

We are now on the edge of the Blue Mountains and within hours of Sydney.  Cheers!

All is Well with the 2 Sail R's in Waltzing Matilda.