Photos from Ilse’s Visit in 1999 (continued)

I found some more photos from Ilse’s visit in 1999. They bring back so many memories. And I am sure that there are still some more photos from that visit somewhere. The photos that are available cover quite a few things we did during Ilse’s two months stay here with us. I never kept a diary at the time. And of course within the two months we did more things than what is shown via the photos. Gaby used to keep an awful lot of photos. We ended up with all of Gaby’s photos after she passed away. To go through all of these photos would be an immense task. I do not feel like doing this right now. But I do believe that amongst all of Gaby’s photos there would be some mote photos of Ilse’s visit.

The Chinese Gardens in Sydney are very beautiful.

I mentioned in my previous blog that we were with Ilse in the Chinese Gardens in Sydney, and I published two pictures from that visit. Here is just another photo of the gardens. I should publish one day a whole blog with pctures of these gardens. It is a wonderful place and invites you to take lots and lots of pictures. The above picture is actually from 1999. Peter took quite a few more picture on that day but for today only this one photo for I want to publish above all some more photos with Ilse.

Here is Gaby with her carer David and Ilse. — Here is Gaby with Ilse and David, her carer. According to what is written at the back of the photo, it is from the 21st of March 1999. It was taken with Gaby’s camera at our place.

Here is a photo that was taken on the 18th of April 1999., also with Gaby’s camera. I do remember that on that day were travelling all the way from Parramatta along the Parramatta River to Sydney Harbour where the Opera House came into sight. We did get off the boat at Circular Quay.

I think David probably took this picture of all of us with the Opera House in the background. — I think David probably took this picture of us with the Opera House in the background. This picture is also from the 18th of April 1999.

Here Caroline is ready to drive herself to her job in Kiama. — Caroline is ready to drive herself to her job in Kiama. I remember that Ilse admired Caroline that she was such a good driver already.

Here is again one of the pictures of the three of us in the Chinese Gardens. — Here is again one of the pictures of the three of us in the Chinese Gardens

In the picture above we stroll along Darling Harbour that is close to the Chinese Gardens.

Here is Peter with his sister Ilse. — Peter with his sister Ilse.

This is Martin with Lauren who was born on the 15th of June 1998.

Ilse enjoyed visiting our son Martin and youngest grandchild with us in Newcastle. — Ilse enjoyed visiting with us our son Martin and youngest grandchild in Newcastle.

Martin went with us to beautiful Blackbut Park in Newcastle.

This is one of the photos that Peter took at Blackbut in Newcastle.

We went with Ilse to the Blue Mountains.

I recall we went with Ilse also to the Wollongong Botanic Gardens and to the Nan Tien Temple. Ilse loved all our outings. And of course several beaches would also have been on our itinerary.

Ilse flew back with KLM. I think Peter took this picture at the airport on Ilse's day of departure. — Ilse flew back with KLM. I think Peter took this picture at the airport on Ilse’s day of departure.

At Sydney airport. Ilse is about to depart.

Ilse promised she would visit again. And she did!

Ilse’s Visit in 1999

Peter’s sister Ilse lives in Berlin. In 1999 she came to visit us here in Australia. She stayed for two months: From the end of February to the beginning of April. Caroline, who was twenty at the time, had already given up her studies at Sydney University. She had a job as a waitress in a Pizza Restaurant in Kiama. Being already a good car-driver, she had no problem driving home in the dark after work. Ilse was very fond of Caroline. We went on a lot of outings with Ilse, and Caroline did often come along with us.

Ilse was still in mourning for her husband who had died a year previously. But she liked her stay here with us. I thought it was great to have her around. She is a beautiful person to get along with. She was happy to meet all our family during her two months stay here. She very much cared for all of them. When she left, she said she’d like very much to come back for another visit.

We went with Ilse and Caroline up to the highlands, parking the car near an old cemetery. — We went with Ilse and Caroline up to the highlands, parking the car near an old cemetery –

and had a picnic on the lawns next to the old gravestones! — where we had a picnic on the lawns next to the old gravestones!

Having a rest in the Chinese Gardens in Sydney

There are many beautiful things to see in these Chinese Gardens in Sydney.

Here we are on a walk with Monika and her three daughters to the playground at the back of our property.

Krystal turned two on the 5th of April of that year 1999.

This picture with Ilse and Gaby was taken on the 18th of April 1999.

North Queensland, Australia, 1998, Part II

A bit of an introduction to North Queensland and our holiday there in August 1998 is in my previous blog. I actually have a number of photos from that holiday, but some photos I was looking for I could not find.so far. For instance there are no photos of crocodiles. We saw a lot of them lying near the edge of the water while we were travelling in a boat along that river with a tourist group. I was sure we would have taken some photos of these creatures seeing them lazing sleepily so very close to us.

Also, I could not find any photos of our lovely resort in Port Douglas. Our travel agent had booked a very nice flat for us in that resort. There was a swimming pools, tennis courts, bikes for hire, as well as some night-time entertainment outside on balmy nights. Every morning we had breakfast in a lovely open air restaurant. Most days we did some pre-booked bus tours with morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea provided. One night we had a pizza in our resort’s restaurant. We went there for the early evening session when a menu at lower prices was available! I think for the other nights we had bought our own food to prepare in the kitchen corner of our flat.

For the first two nights we had been booked into a very beautiful hotel with breakfast included. On the day after our arrival we did a bus tour to the LAKE BARRINE TEAHOUSE. We enjoyed morning tea and lunch there. We were very happy with all the bookings our travel agent had done for us. From Cairns we travelled by boat to Port Douglas where a courtesy bus picked us up to take us to our resort.

I think it was probably Friday when we were taken by bus along the coastal road to the airport at Cairns to fly back to Sydney. As far as I remember we arrived in Queensland Sunday night and on Friday we had to depart. That means we had two nights accommodation in Cairns and three nights in Port Douglas. (To book a weekend holiday would probably have been somewhat dearer.) It sounds like a rather brief holiday, however we did an amazingly lot of things during these 4 and 1/2 days. Everything was well organized. So we could relax all the way. It was marvellous to spend a few days in such an environment without any stress involved. 🙂

After our arrival at Cairns Peter contemplated whether he should take a dip into our hotel's swimming pool. — After our arrival at Cairns Peter contemplated whether he should take a dip into our hotel’s swimming pool.

After two nights in Cairns a boat like this one took us up to Port Douglas.

The LAKE BARRINE TEAHOUSE was in the Atherton Tropical Tableland. It was a beautiful area for a walk and we saw there this amazing Curtain Figtree.

In front of the entrance to our resort in Port Douglas was a stop for a cute tourist train. This train took us all the way into town.

In those days I was still fit enough to ride a bike. We were able to cycle along the beach and could get into town that way. Alternatively we took the path next to the road that lead into town. The before mentioned tourist train went beside the road that lead into town.

The Kuranda Scenic Railway, that we boarded during one excursion, was full of tourists. The train stopped in the middle of nowhere and everyone was allowed out and walk around a bit to take pictures.

We were on the Crocodile Express going in the other direction.

This is what the edge of the river looked like with crocodiles lazing about.

Our tourist guide made sure that we did not get into any danger.

Where we had a lunch break Peter found a lovely little pool to refresh himself.

For afternoon tea we stopped at a very remote place in the rainforest.

There were no modern conveniences in this remote place near the Daintree River.

North Queensland, Australia, 1998

In August 1998 Peter and I did fly to Cairns. 60 km north of Cairns is tropical Port Douglas, where we stayed at a Radison Reef Resort. Our travel agent had booked everything for us. Quite a few coach tours were included during our wonderful five day stay in North Queensland.