走马观花：首都堪培拉
Mar 2nd
2月21日，小舅带我从悉尼驱车3小时抵达澳洲的首都—— 堪培拉。注意：澳洲的首都是堪培拉，而不是悉尼；1901-1927年澳洲首都曾经是墨尔本，但后来由于悉尼和墨尔本在首都问题上争执不下，于是澳洲的首都便成了现在的堪培拉，它距离悉尼约300公里，墨尔本约650公里。顺带一提，在联邦成立以前，另一个曾经被考虑作为首都的城市是澳大利亚第五大内陆城市沃加沃加，这一城市也是我澳洲之行的目的地之一。
[[Image:08-Australia/S273.JPG|550|悉尼-堪培拉公路风景如画]]
堪培拉原为Ngunnawal族土著的居住地，他们称呼此地为Kanbarra，意思是“聚会的地方”。由于这层意思很适合代表一个作为国都的城市，因此随后欧洲人沿用了这个名称，只是在1936年把Kanbarra改称Canberra。这块地方虽然在2万年前就已经有土著季节性地居住，但大规模兴建城市还是要等到1913年、堪培拉被选为首都以后。城市是美国建筑师Burley Griffin设计的，因此城市中心的大人工湖也以他的名字命名—— 格里芬湖。堪培拉目前的人口约为33万，其著名地标是圆环形的新国会大厦(Parliament House)，在格里芬湖的南面，完工于1989年。
[[Image:08-Australia/S268.JPG|550|堪培拉地标—— 国会大厦]]
堪培拉是座依山傍水的城市，周围均为丘陵地貌。虽然城市本身还把就约有600米，但都市圈内的最高点不过是Majura峰，海拔888米。在城市内稍微开阔的地方，如果天气较好，可以眺望到西南面的雪山(Snowy Range)等地。莫龙罗河(Molonglo River)划城而过，当然还有市中心的格里芬湖。
到堪培拉我想看三个地方：第一个是澳洲天文研究的重镇之一—— 斯壮罗山天文台(Mount Stromlo Observatory)，第二个是排名世界前十的澳大利亚国立大学(Australian National University)，最后一个便是国会大厦。我在斯壮罗山呆了2个多小时，而且之所以没有呆更长时间还是因为瞭望到了即将到来的暴风雨。虽然斯壮罗山距离堪培拉有12公里，但堪培拉有两个很高的地标却依然轻松可见，其一是Telstra塔，有195米高；其二是格里芬湖中的库克喷泉，最大喷射高度为147米，于1970年4月19日正式启用，它是为了纪念库克船长，他在1770年4月19日抵达了澳大利亚的东海岸，成为首个抵达澳大利亚东海岸的欧洲人。我更喜欢喷泉，不仅仅因为库克船长是个伟大的探险家，还因为电视塔什么的我见得多了，而这么样的喷泉我倒是第一次见到。
[[Image:08-Australia/S265.JPG|550|我在澳洲国立大学某个东门。为了这张照片我们可的苦头可没少吃…… 至少小舅的车子挨了不少雹子]]
我们刚抵达市区就下起了猛烈的暴雨，其间还夹杂着冰雹，这使得我在国立大学的漫游有些扫兴。我仅仅是趁着暴雨冰雹的间歇，在国立大学的横牌前（对，澳洲的大学似乎都找不到一个校门之类的地方）拍了一张照片，然后坐在车上简单漫游了一下，就鸣金收兵了。之后我们又越过莫龙罗河，绕着国会大厦转了一圈。我觉得国会大厦挺漂亮的，圆环形的造型不仅好看，而且也成为一个交通大环岛，很好的融入了城市。
堪培拉看起来适宜居住，但可游览的地方则不太多。于是我们就沿着联邦大街离开堪培拉，返回悉尼了。刚才给我们造成不小麻烦的积雨云已经移到我们的东面，在夕阳的召唤下投出一道美丽的彩虹。
从Strathfield到Wagga Wagga
Mar 1st
[[Image:08-Australia/O002.JPG|550|沃加沃加到悉尼的直线距离为452公里]]
在悉尼呆了两天之后，我就准备开始跨越澳大利亚大陆的州际旅行了。所谓“州”际，其实也就是从新南威尔士州到维多利亚州，不过在地理上说起来还是饶有趣味的：从温带海洋性阔叶林气候的悉尼开始，翻越到澳大利亚山脉背风一侧的沃加沃加(Wagga Wagga)，此地位于墨累河-达令河平原上，属于干燥的温带草原气候；穿过奥尔伯里(Albury)进入维多利亚州境内的时候又翻越到澳大利亚山脉的向风侧，墨尔本附近是相对湿润的亚热带地中海型气候，看着窗外的风景向幻灯片一样变化，可有意思着呢！不过从悉尼到墨尔本也相当远，火车就要坐接近12小时，不过这次我不是一次去到墨尔本，而是先去沃加沃加拜访一位久未谋面的老朋友—— 斌姐。在此之前，不妨让大家也来简单探究探究澳洲地理，兴致高的看文字，兴致低的看照片吧。
旅行从Strathfield开始。Strathfield是悉尼通往西部铁路上最近的一个大站，不过和内地的城市铁路枢纽比起来并不显得怎么热闹，应该是人口的差异吧。总之，旅行下来才发现，站台上能站上十几二十人的火车站已经算挺热闹的了，而且一般也只有大城市或者是大城市卫星城的火车站才可能有两个以上的站台。这里一路上都是一副市郊风光，大仓库、小马路、双层别墅，偶尔会掠过一个悉尼城市铁路的车站，不多不少地散布着等待搭火车进城上班的人。不久，火车抵达距离悉尼约50公里的坎宝镇(Campbelltown)，也许可以算是大悉尼的地界，反正貌似这是悉尼-墨尔本铁路上最后一个有电子站牌的站点，接下来的站点使用的基本上是20世纪20年代的方式—— 一个老气横秋的大叔搬来一个小梯子，拿起手里的棍子，换上下趟列车终点站的牌子，同时还像小孩子玩玩具一样把那个不会走的时钟调到下趟列车到达的时刻。顺带一提，我总算是知道了“中国移动信号全程已覆盖”的分量了。当火车开过坎宝镇以后，基本一路上都是没有手机信号的，只有经过小镇时才会有上一两分钟。
[[Image:08-Australia/R043.jpg|550|我从坐夜航到澳洲以来一直都没睡够，出发前夜只睡了6个小时不到，但还是打醒精神眺望窗外]]
车行两个小时抵达苔谷(Moss Vale)。苔谷既是地名，也是澳大利亚山脉中一个宽约20公里的开口，此地便是湿润和半湿润半干旱的地界。在苔谷之前，你可以看到铁路两旁起伏的草地上散布着一小片一小片的树林，远处略为高的小山上则是郁郁葱葱一片；阴沉的天空偶尔透出几束阳光，显得懒洋洋的没有力气。过了苔谷，天逐渐放晴了，树林出现的次数呈趋近于无穷的对数关系缓慢下跌。典型的草原景象—— 一望无际的草地、形单影只的大树、傻乎乎吃草的家畜，一切像放电影在窗外铺展开来，只是这里的草很短，算不得是“风吹草低见牛羊”。刚开始见到的时候很兴奋，拿起相机大拍特拍。然而久而久之，千篇一律的景象让我的眼皮不自觉地耷拉了下来。一口气睡了差不多两个小时，醒来的时候火车已经到了卡塔蒙扎(Cootamundra)，距离悉尼已经约400公里了。火车刚离开车站还不到两分钟，两旁又是望不到边的原野，我一觉醒来气力恢复，于是继续欣赏此等陌生的景象。
[[Image:08-Australia/R059.jpg|550|马们聚在树下召开午间会议]]
这里更是一片草原风光。两边不至“遍地牛羊”般夸张，但的确可说是牛羊成群，其中主要还是牛，而且看上去都是肉牛。由于正值晌午时分，绝大多数的牛们都躲在零星的大树下乘凉，其中有几群牛特别靠近铁路，它们不约而同地用一副老大哥式的心不在焉的神情旋转着头，注视着飞驰而过的火车。相比之下，大草地上那些脏兮兮的羊看起来好奇心要弱一些，它们对火车不感兴趣。倒是相对罕见的马，对火车的兴致似乎比牛还高，更有一只蠢蠢欲动，作“马踏飞燕”状，要和火车赛跑。然而更多的草地是空荡荡的，我想不是正在养草就是要收割草皮。大地几乎像机场一样平，遥遥望去，天地相接的那条线不时闪现，配以毫不见一点灰色的浩瀚天际，让人始终觉得心情舒畅。
火车经过人口仅6000的草原小镇朱尼(Junee)，又开入不见人烟的荒凉原野，又过了半个多小时，就到达了我此行的目的地—— 沃加沃加。
[[Image:08-Australia/R057.jpg|550|悉尼-墨尔本铁路上的小站朱尼]]
[[Image:08-Australia/R058.jpg|550|朱尼-沃加沃加段铁路沿线，更是一片草原风光。看到地平线了吗？]]
澳门：迷行·印象
Feb 29th
真、真、真苦啊…… 总算到了珠海，澳洲之旅迈出第一步。各位，现在我可一点都不像那些潇洒的背包客，牛仔裤、T袖衫、腰系一个简洁精悍的腰包，背着一个好像甲虫壳似的大背囊，从后望去上不见脑袋下不见屁股，简直就像背囊长了腿似的。嗯，我的确腰系腰包，背驮背囊，但问题是…… 胸前挂着一个鼓鼓囊囊的书包，还斜挎着一个五斤重的电脑包，帽子被风吹掉了，但身上好像挂满轮胎一样几乎没法弯腰。由于从广州到珠海的路上和水瓶有了若干次亲密接触，其结果是到了拱北以后遍地找洗手间，总算在真功夫里头找到了，舒爽—— 但却随即发现一个严重问题：我没法掉头出来了，因为身上的累赘太多了一些；而且还没法往后看，因为大背囊实在太高了一些。最后我只好在众目睽睽之下，像登山家攀铁索下峭壁一样，小心翼翼地用脚摸索着下两级阶梯，完成这一任务以后连自己都在傻笑。
[[Image:08-Australia/R006.jpg|550|自拍技术有限，没法展现“被行李淹没”的效果……]]
好了，花絮就不多说。大约40分钟以后，我就跨越了两道关卡，踏上了“东方之珠”—— 啊呀，是“东方之珠旁边”的澳门的土地。
我瞎逛了20分钟才找到往机场的AP1线终点站，原来AP1线竟然是辆—— 中巴，而且车窗上还贴着破破的谨防诈骗的告示，而且车费竟然是三块六毛，咳，内地来客哪会换钱换得这么精细啊？我总算摸出一个5元硬币扔进去，也算是为澳门建设作贡献，心里却对澳门印象分减减…… 想着在香港上水火车站坐A43还是双层大巴，还有好心的香港市民帮我换辅币的说。
传说AP1是在澳门半岛东绕西绕，我也就顺便当看风景，不料到机场的时候还是只有五点半，还要在机场等五个小时？当然不干。当机立断，把毛主席换成了大三巴（澳门货币），溜去市区转一转。存妥大包包，拦了部出租车扬长而去。过关前得Li师妹“短（信）”授机宜，说到澳门应该看建筑和吃美食，美食我没兴趣，建筑还有点意思，就说去大三巴牌坊吧，心想澳门弹丸之地也，十五二十块应可抵达，没想到竟然跳了65块，还给的哥以机场税为由要添十块，我心想叶某待会就要一飞冲天，跨洋、跨洲、跨赤道，也就不予你计较了去，但是心里对澳门的印象再减减。
[[Image:08-Australia/S004.JPG|550|大三巴牌坊，建筑的确精美]]
至于大三巴牌坊，似乎也仅有到此一游的乐趣，不过此乃高地是也，所以可以看到澳门塔、威尼斯人酒店，那的士费也不算白花。大三巴旁边还有鬼子的古炮台，于是来个登高远望，反正参观也是免费。
看完炮台，看看表也就六点半，心想不妨听Li小妹一言，找个什么美食街尝尝去。翻出那本2004年版的红宝书（《中国地图册》）查了查那幅不胜简略的澳门地图，发现西南角的名胜最多，于是自言道：夫名胜聚集之地，必为品尝美食之地也，何故？名胜者，游客向往之地也，而游者之肚尤重要焉，怎可无饮无食？哈哈，于是掏出指南针看定方向就大步向前，心里还对自己的推理颇为得意。
有句成语叫“得意忘形”，这个时候使用是很有道理的，不过我并不至于“得意忘‘行’”，只是把澳门半岛的地“形”给忘记了。此地的街道横横竖竖斜斜歪歪，而我又不能像古希腊大英雄解救美女一般带一个线团来走，其结果是本来应该笔直向西南而行，结果这一街道拐着拐着向西北了；下一个路口左转吧，转着转着又向东南了，加上一阵上山又一阵下山的，这么走了一个小时，我已经昏头昏脑五里雾中，人疲马渴饥寒交迫了。由于贪图近道，我走的小巷一辆的士都见不到，走了老远终于看到一个巴士站，但所有的站名竟然一个也不认识，真晦气，只好放弃到西南的计划，转为向东而行，想尽可能地接近机场再打的以便呵护那并不富裕的钱包，同时坚定一个信念：道路是曲折的，前途是光明的，……
[[Image:08-Australia/S002.JPG|550|大三巴牌坊西南方向可见新葡京酒店]]
有心摘花花不开，无意插柳柳成荫，虽然西南的名胜区没去成，但一路上看到澳门各具特色的建筑还是让我不至于太沮丧。由于陆地面积有限，这里的建筑之密，就好像蜜蜂挤在蜂巢里一样，就连山坡上也堆满了建筑，我觉得可以名副其实的称为“山城”。里弄小巷，又曲又弯，两边的老式建筑像饼干盒里头的饼干一样整整齐齐的码起来，外观是粤式骑楼，但装饰却又含西洋风味。也许转过弯，在某个小小的广场，你可以看到一栋纯西洋式的建筑，一般都与葡萄牙统治时期有关，真是中外建筑的博览会，其建造又精美典雅，既是对我这号外外行来说，也可以视之为艺术佳作而尽情欣赏。
到了差不多八点的时候，我总算看到一条三车道的马路，还挺热闹的，心想我寻寻觅觅冷冷清清总算光光明明，又看到前面不远处有家KFC，赶紧冲进去大吃大嚼，把Li小妹“品尝澳门美食”的忠告抛到了九霄云外。吃完以后一看已经差不多八点半了，又三步并作两步跳到马路边拦了部的士，直奔机场。结果澳门迷行两个多小时，回机场比去的才便宜了区区4块钱……
航班没有误点。当乘坐的那架波音767在澳门的夜空里腾空而起，我把头探到舷窗前，看着澳门海滨的灯光星星点点，心里对这次短暂澳门过境的“乱撞”不知是应该感到后怕还是回味。不管怎么说，不必拿澳门来喧宾夺主，半个月的澳洲之行正在前方招手呢！当飞机穿过南海上空阴沉的云系，开始向南进发的时候，我在隆隆的噪音中开始沉沉地打起盹来。
Tour completed
Feb 28th
[[Image:08-Australia/O001.JPG|550]]
When there is a start, there will be an end, so does my tour in Australia.
It's certainly an enjoyable journey, or should say, a out-of-expectation journey. I traveled for more than 5,000 kilometers in just two weeks, visit great places, meet great people, take great photos, all of all are so pleasant. But exciting and remarkable experience needs both good starting and good ending. When I arrive the "truely" home at around midnight on Feburary 29, I can annouce "tour completed!"
Firstly my most grateful thankness goes to my relatives in Australia, my grandpa, uncle John and Bob, my aunties and cousins. I stay in their house and they drove me out to see place of interests. If their helps were not present, a pleasant journey would be impossible for me. The same thankness goes to cousin Sean's cat Claw, she stay with me when I was alone in uncle John's house and we became rather good friends.
Then I would like to thank my dear friend Ashley Chan, and her family -- uncle, auntie, her cousin Karmen and Angela, and their dog, Prince. Thanks them for accommoating and driving me around at Wagga Wagga. For Ashley, I would greatly admire her courage and determination, I would like to pass my best wishes for her in this post as well.
I would like to thank Michael and Angela for the helps they gave during my trip on Melbourne, especially for the b.b.q. kangaroos. Wish them to have a pleasant honeymoon in China.
I would like to thank Simon for showing me around the famours Mt. Stromlo Observatory and the campus of RSAA/ANU.
I would like to thank Robert and Donna, who were so kind to drive for two hours to pick me up from Gunnedah and show me around at Siding Spring. I had also learn a lot from Robert, and extra thanks to him for the poster of Great Comet McNaught, the comet which is his most famous discovery.
I would like to thank Miss. Sue for her great meal.
And thankness also goes to all other people, known or unknown, who have lend me their hands during the great tour.
Although the ending is far from best due to the disappearance of my luggage, I won't let my excitement ruined. Touring diary in Chinese and beautiful photos would be followed after I take time to write and process. Ahh, surely have to wait after I have process all the headache things about the missing luggage with Vivamacau! \_/ and I have to annouce that all the gifts were placed in it...
[[Image:Other/080229a.jpg|550]]
The day at Siding Spring
Feb 25th
Although I sleep at 2 a.m. last night, I woke up at 8 a.m. in the morning. It's already pretty sunshine outside. At 10 a.m. Rob came and guided me to the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). I'm very lucky because today they are going to remove the 16-t mirrow for maintanence, which occurs only once a year. The procedure will take a whole day to complete so we only checks at some important time. By the way -- the 3.9-m AAT is also the largest telescope I have ever seen.
After short checks on the AAT, we went to see the 1.2-m UK Schmidt, visit the observatory shops and have lunch, have a great chat with the assistance (she's not a professional but an astronomer -- it's still pretty nice to me the way she works, although not a professional one). After that we went back to the AAT, and the 16-t, 3.9-m giant had just been removed, and we watch it was put onto the ground floor. After that we still visit the 1.0-m and the 2.3-m AAT telescope (it marked the second biggest I had ever seen), and see the in-built Sky Mapper dome in distance.
The weather became very clear today (last night it wasn't, but Rob still show me the software and facility of Siding Spring Survey). At sunset, quite a number of kangeroos went out and ate grass, and we observed a nice sunset at just outside the dome of the 3.9-m.
[[Image:Other/080225a.jpg|550|In the 3.9-m AAT dome -- the telescope is too large to be include in this photo]]
Olympic Park and the Sydney Habour with Queen Elizebeth II
Feb 23rd
Today the mission is visiting the Olympic Parks for Sydney 2000 Olympics, but Uncle Bob brought me to the Sydney Market and observed another side of the Australian life.
Then at night Uncle John and auntie brought me to the Sydney Habour again (the forth or fifth time I visit there), because the giant ship Queen Elizebeth II had just arrived. Take great many photos there, stay tuned for updates...
Tomorrow I'll go to Strathfield railway station before 10 a.m. and take the train to Gunnedah, Rob and Donna will pick me up from there and drive to Siding Spring Observatory, and I'll stay there until Feburary 26.
Kiama: place to see THE SEA
Feb 22nd
We plan to go to Kiama today but due to other occasions we made the departure at 5 p.m. Kiama is a seaside town about 100 kilometers south from Sydney, it's close to the big town Wollongong.
We arrived Kiama town at a few minutes past 6 p.m. but note that the sunset is due to around 8 p.m. at this season, so we have plenty of time. Uncle Bob drop me for good at the entry (the kids might have no interest and the place might be too dangrous for them), but I enjoy myself very much. I had expect to see a plain beach with (mostly) naked men and women, similar to the beaches I had just visit, however it proved me wrong. Kiama coast is rocky and there are nearly no place to swim there, the best and most fantastic thing there is high wave, which can went up to a height of six adults or above. After safety checks, I climb pass the "Warning" sign (yes, that's permitted if you have make sure it's safe) and tried to get to the sea as close as possible. After a quater's climbing I arrived at a small flat area, enough for a solo sofa, and about a few meters up from the terrified high wave, then I stood and observe the wave.
The wind was terrible as well, it blow and made the sea more crazy. Sometimes the wave went out to the sky, salt waters were blow overland and made my body very salty. Nothing other than the sea was rowing with a terrified sound, while sea birds seems were enjoying themselves, they just stood a few meters from me, up the rocks, went up and fly with the wind when they like. Several crosses down on the rocks which are very close to the sea, show that unfortunate accidents often happened even on this famous tourist site. I was terrified by the scene but did not want to leave, because I was deeply strike and move by the power of nature -- until the dusk came, then I went around and left that place.
Back to the beauty grassland and modern road, there is another kind of scene. Lovers sat on the grass and spoke quitely, children played around, it seems peace and safe, you can never link them to the horrible image describe above, if you do not go and see for your own.
Welcome to the capital city!
Feb 21st
Hi handsome, do you know which city is the capital of Australia? --No, that's not Sydney, and that's even not Melbourne (although it had been), the capital city is called Canbarra -- a small city with about 300,000 population, about 300 kilometers southwest of Sydney.
On Feburary 21th, Uncle Bob drove his family and me for three hours for Canberra. I visit the capital mainly because one of the top astronomical research schools -- the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA) of the Australian National University (ANU) is located there. And may you be familiar with Mount Stromlo Observatory, it had even been a top research facility but was burn down by bushfire in 2003.
After reach Canberra at 2 p.m. we drove for another half an hour to reach Mt.Stromlo. Thankfully I have able to contact some executives there and they arranged me to meet some professors and show me around. Mt.Stromlo was once covered by tall trees but now there are only grass on the hill, and there are no working telescopes for astronomical researches any more, however RSAA still locates there.
I stay at Mt.Stromlo for two hours, and then we drove back to Canberra and took a look of the Parliament House and the ANU campus. Unfortunately the city was hit by a heavy rain and hail in the afternoon and we couldn't enjoy ourselves so much, but the Parliament House and the ANU campus look nice. We spotted rainbows on the beautiful extending farmlands while driving back to Sydney, too.
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