Looking back, and out

What a facinating day! First stop was THE DISH at Parkes which is famous for its role in relaying pictures of the moon landing. (I hope you have all seen the movie?). What I didn't know was, it is just as cutting edge NOW and astronomers from around the globe come here to study radio waves from the universe and attempt to find out how it was made. I listened to a wonderful talk by astronomer Mickela who was so enthusiastic I wanted to run away to space... then saw a 3D movie series including one about the size of space which blew me away. A must for any kid studying planets. What I didn't expect was an overwhelming patriotism about the role this huge structure in a sheep paddock played in world history.

Still on a high from that visit I drove to Cowra for a historical journey of a different kind. In WWII England asked Australia to take its share of POW's because they were running out of places to put them. Financed by the commonwealth, Australia created a camp in Cowra near a military base. Here Indonesian, Italian and Japanese POW's were housed.

In 1944, conditions became overcrowded and they planned to move low ranking Japanese soldiers to another facility. The prisoners took a vote secretly and decided to escape instead. At about 2am they made a dash and two soldiers in their pjamas held them back with a machine gun. Two thousand POWs died and three Australian soldiers. About 300 escaped. The government had egg on its face and covered up the incident until much later.

Rather than glorify this event, the citizens of Cowra have reconsiled with their past. The town now has a sister city in Japan, a Japanese garden, cherry blossom event and a self drive tour of the historical aspects. Most impressive, I found, is the World Peace Bell quietly errected by library. Awarded by a world organisation and made from melted down coins and weapons, the bell is usually given to national capitals. After a recorded introduction to the process, visitors are invited to pull back the huge Japanese like battering ram to ring the bell in the name of peace. I can't describe how moving this is, and the sound reverberates through the whole town.

I am now esconsed in my camper trailer in Bathurst. I think I might avoid the national motor racing museum tomorrow, but might take a look at the Australian Fossil Museum before driving to the Blue Mountains.

With any luck I will find a National Park site and hole up for a couple of nights with a campfire and my guitar. If this plan works, I won't write anthing tomorrow because I won't have power! I know you will miss me, but I am sure you can handle it!!