Day 2 saw us up early - before most of Canberra had even thought about church - and with a bowl of Cheerios in our bellies we were out onto the open roads in search of the National Museum of Australia. Another brilliantly free venue, this amazing feat of modern day architecture was a wonder to behold. Built in 2006 (I think) on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, the museum's numerous galleries are designed to tell the continent's story from any number of fascinating angles. The Aboriginal story, Linton's favourite part, is told in rich detail with many, many artifacts effectively and ingenously displayed. In fact, that was the thing about the museum that really impressed me - the thought and layout of the incredible displays. From an exhibit chronicling the experiences of Australia's earliest immigrants to a computer program that allows kids to build 3-D houses of the future to Phar Lap's actual heart (yuck!) we wandered aimlessly through the maze of information, happy to get lost in the lively history of it all. Most of the time we were just able to keep track of the kids as they raced wide-eyed to the next cool encounter.
In spite of a minor coffee debacle on our way out, we were effectively "stoked' by the day's first experience and bundled into the car eager for our next stop - the National Dinosaur Museum. Unfortunately, it was a major let down, at least for this jaded and self-appointed dinosaur expert. Feeling more like Hal and Edna's dinosaur emporium rather than a real museum, this tired and rather stale venue left me feeling "dirty". It was one of those experiences that you absolutely know is a complete and total rip off, happily preying on the dumb tourists with kids who almost don't have a choice. Beautifully, the kids don't see that or feel that, and for Alex at least it was still "pretty good". I did my best to remain interested though the cheesy couches with the drapes thrown over them and the dim cafeteria with its broken down pinball machines made me feel like I was paying to hangout in someone's rec room.
Moving on, we crossed the street to experience our first miniature village and though this too, was the utmost in hokey - it was a better form of hokey. The kids loved checking out the miniature buildings and pressing the countless buttons. Though I was still dealing with my lingering contempt for the dinosaur display, their enthusiasm for this simple novelty attraction was infectious and once again, I was shown up by my kids in terms of finding the positives to life and tourist attractions. If I can just shut off my own very adult and unrealitstically low tolerance for those things that are not, at first blush, appealing to me - then the world could be a far more fun and fascinating place. I'm not sure why I can't get that through my ever thickening head.
With the relative success of the miniature village fresh in our collective of heads, and with the hour still relatively young, I was intent on subjecting everyone to one more attraction - the National War Memorial. I had heard that this was a not-to-be-missed feature of any self-respecting Canberra visit and we were not disappointed. The place is huge and everything about it is done with the utmost respect and detail. Australia has a enormous place in its history and its heart for its "diggers" and things like ANZAC day and Gallipoli continue to resonate in the lives of all Australians. They are immensely proud of their contributions to any number of conflicts around the world and this museum does that sacrifice proud. There had to have been 40 or 50 of the most compelling and detailed diaoramas re-telling the stories behind all of the major battles of which the Aussies were a part.
There was a particuarly well done area for kids with re-creations of trenches and submarines and even a full scale helicopter. The kids, along with a few hundred other kids, had a fabulous time checking radar, steering the sub, looking "over the top" and playing soldier. I guess that sounds a bit strange but it felt like a safe place to start our guys thinking about what will eventually be a much more difficult conversation. And speaking of difficult conversations, I had one with one of the volunteers in the exhibit who first of all mistook me for an American and made some disparaging comment about the Yanks' lack of effort in WWI. Then, when I pointed out that the Canadians were in the trenches 2 years before the Aussies even got there, he continued to try and jam his Australian version of the facts down my throat. I wasn't up for the challenge and didn't see much point in arguing with a patriotic volunteer, but I did leave feeling that somehow his pride was getting in the way of the facts. Indeed, there have been a few moments like this one when it felt like Australians were too desperate to distinguish themselves as being both unique and competitive on the world's stage. Then again, like a good Canadian, I cringe at the first whiff of any type of nationalistic fervour. Maybe I should have taken him on...
Anyway, we were pleasantly pooped after the Memorial and headed back to our hotel for a little "chillaxin'", a pasta dinner and a touch of room service. After a nice homey meal, I was feeling content and at peace with our trip, even though Colin was kicking my butt at Trivial Pursuit. We had finally seen enough artifacts and institutions to feel like we actually knew something about this great land and our imminent departure could now occur with few regrets. And yet, though it will only be home for a few more days, the fact that I have gained a greater appreciation for the country as whole and a home may in fact, make leaving that much more bittersweet. And that's a good thing!
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