Monday, September 28, 2009

MY WORLD ~ 44 On the Road Again

All photos enlarge for better viewing with more detail.

Two weeks ago we set off on a long haul to Sydney,
New South Wales. After many delays and tired before
we started, we were off at 5p.m. and made it rather
the worse for wear to this once grand hotel, the Victoria
Hotel at Ouyen in the almost never-never country.



The town was crammed to the rafters, not only had it
just had its centennary but also the grand Vanilla Slice
competition!!! We were lucky to secure the last available
bed...unfortunately only a double not a queen size.



We were on the first floor with 12'6" ceiling and this
Banksia Rose smiled at me through the fly-wire in the
morning. When I investigated the fire exit, I came face
to face with the head of this Palm tree lit up by the rising
sun. How often does one see a mature palm at this height?



Investigating in the other direction, the sun streamed in
through the door to the front verandah



the original iron lace cast perfect shadows across
its 12' width.



Breakfast called and the old Commercial Travellers' Room
converted as a breakfast parlour still boasted the holes for
the ink wells and pens in the divided desks, although now
there was an array of breakfast cereals and toasting
paraphenalia there. The 1950's wallpaper with its lurid gleaming
gold roses caught my eye. Do enlarge it for the stunning effect!


A glimpse into the residential lounge showed an
assortment of none too comfortable furnishings, not at
all like the leather armchairs we remembered from some
30 years before .


Heading downstairs was a lovely solid old wooden
staircase positively reeking of respectability.


Unfortunately I had no call to investigate the Ladies Room
and the once imposing room for business transactions had
now been turned into a restaurant and securely fastened
against inquisitive morning intruders.


The sataircase sweeping down to Reception and Lobby,



and from below, a couple of armchairs quaintly flanking
an old treadle sewing machine surmounted by an old
photo of the front of the hotel in the days of its glory.



The photo was rather faded and warped behind its glass
shield, but at least you can see the lovely old cars.


Here is the tiled front and Entrance as we left on our
next day's journey.



Grandeur always comes at a price but faded grandeur
often comes at half price, so we could not complain of
having the bathrooms in the hallway at $50 a double
room with continental breafast!

More adventures of our two weeks on the foad to follow....

For other tales, click on the Logo and look.



35 comments:

  1. Thanks for the tour and Great photos

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  2. Marvelous post, Arija! Always love it when you take us along on one of your journeys -- local or otherwise! And what an interesting looking old building/hotel! That's truly like stepping back in time.

    Hope you're getting rested up from the trip!

    Sylvia

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  3. a very interesting place if i do say so...amazing how some keepers don't freshen up their places...now i would have been sleeping on the floor. could not handle such close quarters sleeping...lol.
    thanks for sharing.

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  4. I enjoyed that, Arija. Great shots, as always!

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  5. Seems like great fun. Those older hotels have a charm all their own!

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  6. Just love the building, those reds, greens and the dark plush wood really timeless.

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  7. It was lovely look at past grandeur through modern eyes.

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  8. Great photos - wow, that hotel could be the setting for an Australian film.

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  9. Thanks for taking us along on your trip. Isn't it fun to explore old hotels. The stories they could tell us if only they could. Speaking of stories---I just finished a great novel by an Australian author. Her name is Kate Morton and the book is THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN. Greaaaaaaat book!
    Kate Morton lives in Brisbane.

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  10. What a place of great nostalgia. very nice Arija!
    ~Maria

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  11. What a fantastic place. I loved that wee tour. Thanks Arija.

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  12. It is interesting to be able to see and tour places all around the world without really going there. Thanks for taking me on your tour. I enjoyed all the photos too.

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  13. i love these old iron work hotels in rural Australia... so evocative.. and that lattice shadow shot is superb..

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  14. I certainly enjoyed seeing and reading about your first days journey, Arija.
    The hotel looks so intriguing, it must have a wonderful history.
    I look forward to more :)

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  15. What a cool old place. You got some great photos - my fave is the one of the wrought iron shadows. Nice job, Arija.

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  16. Thank you dear friends for your so welcome comments. I will try to at least see your work but cannot guarantee commenting as yet as the Prof and I have both succumbed to some dreaded lurgy and my eyes feel like they are filled with a mashed potato slurry, hands and back are stiff and sore and breathing is laboured. So if you hear some heavy breathing behind you, it is probably me looking over your shoulder.
    Keep well and blessings to all.

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  17. Thanks for sharing this grand old hotel with us. I hope you and the Prof are feeling better soon.

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  18. This looks like a rather funky place. Hope you feel better.

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  19. the hues are absolutely lovely. thanks for sharing theses images.

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  20. Love the faded beauty and those gorgeous lacy shadows!

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  21. Arja, interesting old hotel. Looking forward to the rest of your trip.

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  22. That wallpaper is something else. I felt like I was on a time warp. I bet it was nostalgic to revisit the place.

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  23. Excellent set of pictures... I did like the one with the shadow of the rails.. ha! and the wall paper

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  24. I enjoyed this post so much. What a beautiful place to stay and great you were able to do so at a bargain.

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  25. A wonderfully beautiful place even if the upstairs furniture is just a bit too humble. I would love to visit such a place sometime.

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  26. Still it looks magnificent and very sturdy! You sure travel a lot. I am jelly-ass!

    Arija, about your comment about the clouds, may I just be an angel instead of a kitre? What if the string gets cut off, whereas the angel can hover!

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  27. The vanilla slice competition?????

    What a beautiful old building, thank you for taking us along on your travels, it is such fun to share.

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  28. Like stepping back in time! And I wonder if you got to sample vanilla slices...?!
    Janice.

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  29. Wonderful trip! I especially loved the photo of intricate shadows stretched across the floor.

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  30. Very nice travelog! If it weren't for those old "modern" furnishings it would be like stepping back in time! Love the old wall paper and the filmy cutains. I can't imagine how it must have felt to be there. Looking through your photos is like walking in a dream, or through a faded memory.

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  31. A wonderful tour of this old building Arija...thank you so much.

    I hope you didn't have to climb down the old palm tree for the emergency exit?

    And were you able to get the last Vanilla Slice also..how yummy!

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  32. What a sincerely beautiful place... and the lighting even enhanced it more!!

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  33. Thanks for this wonderful tour and beautiful photos you posted.

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