I really did want to go to Goulburn as guess what?  There is another Aussie Icon there and this one is BIG!  The big merino ram is in Goulburn and it was looking as though it would be one, that we would miss.  The ram in Wagin is one of 'W.A.'s BIG Icons' in the little book.  The book is very much becoming an 'Icon' in itself of this trip!  I thought the Wagin one was pretty big, but once we saw this ram, I think Wagin's is a lamb!   Anyway there was no way I would have got Peter to travel 80kms to take a photo of a 'Big Ram', without another reason for the trip.   But he was pretty impressed with this Aussie Icon when he did see it!  There were two reasons to make the trip to Goulburn.  Firstly we have been signing with the Rabobank credit cards and come the 1st August we will no longer be able to do that!  Just like everyone!  So we need to change the pin numbers.  Why?  Because we can't remember what the pins are!!  We only use the card for the fuel, and it sure makes a difference when you are travelling to have the farm paying for fuel!  Opportune time to say "Thank You Boys".   When I was speaking to a Rabo representative he told me there was a branch in Goulburn, and you do have to go to a branch to change your pin with Rabo.  You can't do it online.  Was that a good enough excuse to go to Goulburn?  Peter sort of agreed, but I think he would have talked me into trying to do it while we were in Sydney.  Anyway that became one reason. The other was my damn Drivers Licence!  What a drama that has been.  I could have renewed it before we left, if I knew then, what I know now!  You can renew your licence within 6 months of it falling due.  No sooner though.  Fiona had scanned the renewal and emailed it to me when we were in the Lake Macquarie area and on the bottom was 'New Photo Required'.  Great!!  I went to the Post Office to make some enquiries and of course was told they couldn't do anything there.  You have to do that in WA.  I then needed to find out if the scanned copy I had printed, was okay for me to sign.   I rang the Department of Transport and Yes!  Hung on forever!!  In fact we travelled from the Caravan Park to the shopping centre and were on our way inside, before I got anyone to talk to.   It was a fair way to the shopping centre too!  Not just down the road! I got my instructions and felt this was all do-able!  Well it should have been!  Sent it off from Moss Vale after the Post Master begrudgingly filled in her details as my witness and signed the photo etc.  I think she was having a bad day!  She put a paper clip on the photo though and when it got to Perth, the photo was damaged.   So they sent everything back to Geraldton and I have had to start again.  In the meantime we have checked out Peter's licence and it needed to be renewed in July, photo as well!  Fiona was over all this and suggested we look into getting Dad's done as well if possible!  She certainly didn't want a repetition of all this in a few months time.  Yesterday I made another phone call to the WA Department of Transport to see if they have received everything.  By the way we sent them two photos and Yes....I have hung on for ages again!   But all is good and the licences have been sent off for imaging.  So our trip to Goulburn last Friday was worth it!This Friday is a special day.   Forty Four years ago we said "I Do" to each other and tomorrow night we will be at the Opera House with Peter's best man and his wife, enjoying Troy Cassar-Daley and Adam Harvey.  But it does mean an early rise in the morning to catch the train.  Brekkie in the buffet car will start our special day.   Bags are packed and we are ready to go!I shouldn't have typed that it seems.  Can you believe it?  I have just received a text message at 9.45pm to say there will be no train tomorrow and we are now travelling to Sydney on a coach!  I've rung them and of course there is no dining on a bus, so now we have to get up even earlier and have breakfast.  What a bummer!We have had a fantastic time in Canberra.  There has been so much to see.  I will blog about our visit over the next week or so and just publish the blog.  I won't share it with you.  If you are interested you can check the blog when you are next signed in.  My intentions were good, but it took many months to finish the Canberra blog, not just a week or so!  The War Memorial has been my special place and I have been there 4 times.    Peter and I didn't see it all the first visit, so we went back for a second visit.  Then I went one afternoon for the soldier remembrance service at 4.55pm and following the wreath laying, there was a short acknowledgment of a chosen soldiers life and service.  Then the 'Last Post'  was played on the bugle and the doors of the 'Hall of Memory' were closed.  It was very moving, made even more so with the fact that the soldier on that day was from Katanning in WA.  Percy was 38 when he enlisted and was killed in one of the battles at Tobruk.  The final thing I really wanted to do was walk down and back Anzac Parade and I did that this afternoon.  I took photos of all the Memorials.  Then I went for another look in the Hall of Memory and took photos of the 6 million mosaic pieces that have been carefully placed to make the hall what it is.  While I waited for Peter to pick me up, I decided to quietly sit on a bench in the grounds.    When I looked down in front of me, in the paving were these words:                                                                                                                                                                                                        AS YOU SIT IN THIS SPECIAL PLACE,                                        PLEASE PAUSE TO REMEMBER ALL                                        THE FAMILIES WHO HAVE OVER THE                                        YEARS SUPPORTED THE MEN AND                                         WOMEN OF THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE                                          FORCE ON OPERATIONAL SERVICE                                          AND WHO HAVE ENDURED THE PAIN                                         OF SEPARATION AND LOSS.A very moving and peacful way to finish our visit to the Capital City Canberra.

And time for me to say "Thank You to all those Australian men and women who have fort for this wonderful country we are now able to enjoy".  10 photos