Travelling Tuesdays
by Lucy Graham
Travelling Tuesdays - Australia
Travelling Tuesdays – Australia
My first visit to Australia was a family event.
My younger sister, Ruth, had a posting to Canberra and was working at the Canadian High Commission.
My Mom always wanted to travel to Australia, so I arranged the flights for Mom and Dad to fly from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Vancouver and I would join them from Lethbridge, Alberta.
Mom didn't want my older sister to be left out so Harriet and her two kids, Averill age 7 and Patrick age 9, flew from Halifax too.
Feeling like a travel agent, it was my job to arrange flights, hotels, tours, and oversee the travel arrangements since everyone had their own thoughts of what we should do and see on our family adventure overseas.
For the purpose of this story on Traveling Tuesdays, I want to tell you about getting my ears pierced in Australia!
I mentioned earlier that Ruth was working at the Canadian High Commission and she wanted to show us her workplace and introduce her family to the Canadian High Commissioner. We were getting ready my sister's home and Mom was putting on her clip earrings. Ruth was helping Mom get ready and she suggested that she should get her ears pierced. I happened to be close by and Ruth looked at me and said, “Lucy, you should too!”
I figured I was safe and replied, “I will if Mom does.”
To my horror, Mom said, “Ok. Let’s do it while we are here.”
I was doomed.
Ruth immediately got on the phone and made appointments for both of us to get our ears pierced.
We had our visit with the High Commissioner which was quite an honor. Prior to his appointment to Australia, The Right Honourable Edward Richard Schreyer was the Governor General of Canada from 1979 to 1984.
My memory of that day was my Mom and I getting our ears pierced. We both bought earrings as souvenirs of our travels and Mom wore her Aussie earrings a lot! When she passed away several years later I found those earrings amongst her jewellery.
After her passing, I selected several pairs of earrings from her collection and carried them with me when I travelled to Kuwait. The pair she bought in Australia that time we had our ears pierced, are the colored stone ones near the stem of the flower embroidered on her handkerchief.
While on the same trip with the family to see my sister in Australia we all met in Sydney. Of course we had to see the Opera House up close and we booked tickets to a performance of The Mikado.
We sat in the front row and could see into the orchestra pit. I remember one of the kids pointing out Santa Claus in the orchestra pit. If my memory serves me correctly, it was Mom who called the musical director Santa Claus and the name fit because of his white hair and beard.
The Mikado is a Gilbert and Sullivan musical. The music, the songs, the costumes, and choreography are amazing. My Mom bought a video or CD copy of the show, and the music was played over and over again back home in Nova Scotia.
You can read more about my travels to Australia in my Travelling Tuesdays book.
Grab an autographed copy of my book by clicking on the link here.