Photojournalist David Savage travels Australia on the OZ Experience…
On The Bus…
The day started by continuing our drive along a narrow dirt road that wound its way deep into the Snowy Mountains. So thin was this road that meeting an oncoming vehicle could mean reversing for a few kilometres to find a suitable passing place. Alternatively we could just go off-road down the vertical drop to our left.
As we made our way down to The Snowy River, the road took us to a high point revealing a valley below that was blanketed in low cloud. Soon we were driving into the cloud and everything went white. Once below the cloud we came to Mckillop’s Bridge, a 250 metre long thin wooden bridge that crosses the mighty Snowy River. Actually you can’t describe the Snowy River as mighty any more. The river now only flows at one percent of its former glory since the development of the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electricity Scheme. There is a campaign to restore the river to fifty percent of its former flow rate. The need is quite urgent as ecologists say that the ecosystem of the mountains is actually dying.
Today’s lunch was quite interesting. We arrived at The Delegate River Tavern, a largish bar in the middle of nowhere, far from any other houses. I walked in and was greeted by an Old Man who smiled whilst simultaneously revolving his false teeth around his mouth. This is the land where the legend of ‘The Man from Snowy River’ came from. Those horsemen were obviously out charging down mountains, as we were the only ones in the bar.
After lunch we continued to Cooma on the other side of the mountains. This large town was formed off the back of the construction of the hydro electricity scheme. Nowadays it is still thriving as it is a popular stop off point or base for thousands of skiers, who come to the mountains every winter.
Canberra
We drove into Canberra, the capital city of Australia, just as the sun was setting. Before arriving at the hostel we took a tour around the city, taking in both the new and old Parliament Buildings. The whole city is based on a design by Walter Burley Griffin, an American guy, who used roundabouts and triangles. The city is actually less than one hundred years old and the style of architecture is a mix of the old and new.
Perhaps the most interesting place in Canberra is what has become known as the Aboriginal Embassy. Situated in the face of bureaucracy, directly in front of the Old Parliament Building are two shacks, brightly painted in traditional Aboriginal colours. The two establishments stand on opposite sides of the road as if in a political stand off. The shacks and the keepers stand as a statement to the government and the rest of the world about the atrocities committed against the Aboriginal people when Europeans first came to Australia. The Government does not recognise the site as an Embassy as such, and although an embarrassment, it would be politically incorrect to remove the shacks. The issue has caused much controversy.
There are a few different places to stay in Canberra. I chose Victor Lodge, (02 6295 7777), as it is quite central and it’s close to an Irish Pub. The Irish Pub is next to a Pizza Place and you can order and eat your pizza from the comfort of the pub.
Staying On…
Most Australians describe Canberra as being stuffy and dull. Well, for a dull city there is quite a lot to see in Canberra. You can take a tour to Parliament House, the National Gallery, the High Court, the Australian Institute of Sport and the haunting Australian War Memorial.
