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@ Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Rayla begins her walkabout in New South Wales!

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@ Living on the Edge

Blue And Copper Egg
The first painted eggs came from Mesopotamia, and because eggs were forbidden food during Lent, people painted eggs while Lent was being observed—after Lent, they would eat the eggs on Easter Day.

Beautifully decorated eggs “pysanka” are associated with Ukraine, and the oldest painted egg that was unearthed in northern Ukraine is dated to the end of the 17th century.

Living on the Edge
A cliff edge in the Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales.

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@ Cliff Hanger
"Did you know that Sydney was named after an 18th century British Home Secretary? Originally the settlement was called Sydney Cove," remarked Rayla.
"I'd like to have a city named after me," mused Noctema.
Rayla snorted. "A city called Noctema! Get away with you!"
Cliff Hanger
The Blue Mountains, NSW.

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@ Maroubra, Sydney
"Okay, Rayla! The name of the unofficial national anthem that is often played in pubs and AFL matches across Australia?"
"Waltzing Matilda?" hazarded Rayla.
Boci sighed. "It's a little bit more modern than that. The song is It’s A Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll) by AC/DC—a band that was formed in Sydney, and incidentally is pronounced Acca Dacca here."
"That's a lot of information to take in all at once, Boci!"
Maroubra, Sydney
Maroubra, Sydney

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@ Coogee, NSW
"The time zones are quite complicated and varied in Australia, Velvet!"
"How so, Rayla?"
"There's a town in New South Wales called Broken Hill which does not adhere to the region’s time zone. Instead, it uses ACST, Australian Central Standard Time, which is 30 minutes behind the rest of the state!"
Coogee, NSW
Coogee, in residential Sydney, is a very popular beach with large stretches of sand and inlet ocean pools.

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@ Sydney Opera House, Australia
"Try this Violet Crumble bar, Rayla! It's a honeycomb centre wrapped in chocolate."
"It sounds like a Crunchie, Choose a name! Is it violet flavoured?"
"No, but the wrapper's violet coloured. I think it's nicer than Crunchie!"
Sydney Opera House, Australia
In Sydney harbour stands the world-famous Sydney Opera House, the multi-venue performing arts theatre, a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture. Queen Elizabeth ll officially opened the theater on Oct. 20 1973. On 28 June 2007, the Sydney Opera House became a Unesco World Heritage Site.

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@ New Year, Sydney
I still don't understand the significance of displaying a big prawn, Rayla. I can get a FS prawn from the Mystery Boxes if I really want to look at one!
New Year, Sydney
A blaze of firework bursts light up the sea and Sydney's iconic harbour bridge in this display to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

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@ Slumbering Sydney
"What's the most easterly part of New South Wales, Choose a name?"
"Um -- the bit closest to Queensland? -- Byron Bay?"
"Yes and no," responded Rayla. "Cape Byron is the most easterly point on the mainland, but Lord Howe Island, 360 miles (580 km) east of the continent, also belongs to New South Wales. It's roughly parallel with Port Macquarie."
Slumbering Sydney
The Opera House stands out as a landmark in this dark night scene. The Sydney Harbour Bridge can be seen on the far left.

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@ Sails in Silhouette
Blimey, they grow big cockroaches down here Rayla, don't they? Fortunately I don't see any in this scene!
Sails in Silhouette
The famous "sails" of the iconic Sydney Opera House against a backdrop of the setting sun.

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@ Landmark Lighthouse
"Did you know the name New South Wales came from the journal of Lieutenant James Cook -- later Captain Cook -- who sailed up the east coast of Australia in 1770. He thought that the land looked like the south coast of Wales," said Venus.
"Huh!" responded Rayla. "He saw kangaroos boinging about on the beach and -- and -- banana trees and thought, 'Oh, this reminds me of Porthcawl'!"
"Don't be silly. Anyway, he first named it 'New Wales' but then changed the name in his journal to 'New South Wales'.
Landmark Lighthouse
This historic and distinctive landmark stands atop a rocky cliff, guarding the entrance to Sydney Harbour.

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@ Fireworks over the Harbour
"What's the most easterly part of New South Wales, DaiDai?"
"Um -- the bit closest to Queensland? -- Byron Bay?"
"Yes and no," responded Rayla. "Cape Byron is the most easterly point on the mainland, but Lord Howe Island, 360 miles (580 km) east of the continent, also belongs to New South Wales. It's roughly parallel with Port Macquarie."
Fireworks over the Harbour
The night sky is lit up in shades of fuchsia and blue as huge fireworks enhance the celebrations for the New Year!

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@ Anzac Bridge, Sydney
"Would you like a barbecue-flavoured Shape, Rayla?" queried Sugah.
Rayla accepted with thanks and examined her little biscuit. "It's got six sides. Why don't they call it a Hexagon, rather than a Shape?"
"Oh no—they're all different, Rayla! The Cheddar flavour is a rectangle, Chicken is oval with a crimped edge and Cheese & Bacon is a sort of pillow shape."

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@ Bridge, Sydney Harbour
"Wow, listen to this, Rayla! In the 1830s, the story goes, a Sydney housewife threw out some rotting Tasmanian apples into the garden. They took root and grew, becoming the start of all the Granny Smith apples in the world."
"That's certainly an amazing tale, Talos! So—was that lady old Mrs Smith, then?"
Bridge, Sydney Harbour
Due to its shape, it is affectionately referred to as the "Coathanger" by Sydney residents!

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@ Oceanides Sea Nymphs
"Today's trivia question, Rayla! What unofficial national anthem is often played in pubs and AFL matches across Australia?"
Rayla thoughtfully munched a TimTam. "What's AFL, Violet Flame?"
"The Australian Football League! You must have come across it by now!"
Rayla dropped his TimTam wrapper in a bin. "Oh. What was the question again?"
Oceanides Sea Nymphs
Oceanides by Helen Leete, installed in 1997, refers to the sea nymphs of Greek mythology which were often part human and part sea-creature. They represent bathers enjoying the sea and sun at Manly Beach, Sydney, NSW.

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@ Relax By The Water
Oh look ... you won a pet!
Relax By The Water
This looks like the perfect place to relax after a day of walking around museums. Here there is soft white sand, enough perfect rocks for sitting on, and inviting water to dip into and cool off. Bring a snack and some water, and enjoy the views while giving your sore feet a break.

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@ Sunset at Shelly Beach
"Did you know the name New South Wales came from the journal of Lieutenant James Cook -- later Captain Cook -- who sailed up the east coast of Australia in 1770. He thought that the land looked like the south coast of Wales," said Midnight.
"Huh!" responded Rayla. "He saw kangaroos boinging about on the beach and -- and -- banana trees and thought, 'Oh, this reminds me of Porthcawl'!"
"Don't be silly. Anyway, he first named it 'New Wales' but then changed the name in his journal to 'New South Wales'.
Sunset at Shelly Beach
Sunset, Shelly Beach, NSW

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@ Rural Postbox
I wonder if we will run into the man from Snowy River or his mountain pony while we are here, Rayla!
Rural Postbox
A sturdy makeshift postbox set up in the hinterland of Byron Bay.

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@ Tweed Heads, NSW
"Wow, listen to this, Rayla! In the 1830s, the story goes, a Sydney housewife threw out some rotting Tasmanian apples into the garden. They took root and grew, becoming the start of all the Granny Smith apples in the world."
"That's certainly an amazing tale, Barry! So—was that lady old Mrs Smith, then?"
Tweed Heads, NSW
Where rainforest meets ocean! Tweed Heads is right next to the border with Queensland and offers all you could wish for a quintessential Australian holiday, whether it be hiking, kayaking or surfing!

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@ Chinwagging pelicans
"Did you know the Sydney Harbour Bridge has a little twin, Rayla?" asked Toast.
"How little? And where?" responded Rayla.
"It's the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle on Tyne, England. Both bridges were designed by the same London firm and both were built by the same Middlesbrough contractors. The one in Newcastle opened in 1928, four years earlier than the Sydney Harbour Bridge, simply because it's so much smaller, i.e. 1,276 feet in total length (389 m) compared to the 3,770 feet (1149 m) of the Sydney one."
Chinwagging pelicans
These Australian pelicans are enjoying the scene below -- one wonders what they are talking about! It is a distinctive bird, large, with black wings and a long pink bill measuring nearly 20 inches (49 cm).

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@ Green tree frog
"What's your favourite Tim Tam flavour, Rayla?"
"I can't decide, Twitch! Perhaps Dark Chocolate Mint? Or the Caramel? Then the Sweet Wishes Honeycomb is lovely too! How about yourself?"
Twitch thought about it. "I have three favourites. Rum & Raisin, White chocolate and the Original Tim Tam!"
Green tree frog
Not to be confused with the green frog cakes in South Australia!

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@ Skink on the Brink
"That's interesting, Rayla—the oldest skeleton found in Australia was at Lake Mungo in New South Wales. It is believed to be 38,000 years old and is the skeleton of a female," intoned Lucy.
"So did they find out whodunnit?" asked Rayla.
Skink on the Brink
The pink-tongued skink cyclodomorphus gerrardii can be found in the Blue Mountains region of New South Wales and upwards to Cairns in Queensland.

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@ Iridescent Ibis
"So who was Lord Howe, anyway?" queried Avalanche. "Some fuddy-duddy octogenarian in the Westminster House of Lords?"
"No, not at all -- or rather, I don't know about fuddy-duddy or his age, but he was an Admiral in the British Navy at that time."
Iridescent Ibis
The straw-necked ibis, named after its distinctive pale, spiky feathers down its neck, is found throughout Australia, except it avoids the arid interior environment.

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@ Little Pied Cormorant
No, I don't want to visit the Sydney Opera House Rayla. Opera just sounds like fingers on a chalkboard to me. Can't we visit Tamworth instead?
Little Pied Cormorant
This is a very common bird on Australia waterways, fresh or saltwater. Its main diet is crayfish and other crustaceans.

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@ Sunset Silhouette
"What's your favourite Tim Tam flavour, Rayla?"
"I can't decide, DaiDai! Perhaps Dark Chocolate Mint? Or the Caramel? Then the Sweet Wishes Honeycomb is lovely too! How about yourself?"
DaiDai thought about it. "I have three favourites. Rum & Raisin, White chocolate and the Original Tim Tam!"

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@ Canberra ACT at night
Rayla has now completed her walkabout in New South Wales! As she prepares to go home, she receives a wonderful gift!
Skateboarding Goanna, Black
Hey! Hi, how are you? I am just goanna go for a skate, hehe. I love my new skateboard, and it is such a lovely day the sun is shining; I have my new hat on my head, though I don’t need it to protect me from the sun, it is rather stylish. Let’s race over to the barbecue; I like mine rare, how about you?


Rayla has enjoyed her walkabout in New South Wales, but it is time to go home now! "Walkabout" is over now, but there will be more events in PnF soon!