Parkes

Just as the restaurant was swamped by our group, so was the internet at Matthew Flinders, which is a little frustrating. I decided to spend the $10 for international roaming, so I was able to do my wordle (5 tries, ugh) and duolingo, but it’s too much data to post a blog. I also had enough for a brief whatsapp chat with Ben, whose concern about the lack of yesterday’s blog was touching. He then pointed out, though, that there had been nothing in my blog posts about “a yard of fizzy” (translation – a large glass of soda) or a Hi Yun Day Coo-Pay (translation – Hyundai coupe) so he wondered if maybe I am not really in Australia and this blog is nothing but an elaborate hoax. Since I don’t feel like I’m walking around upside down either he could be right, except for all the roos we saw yesterday. He knows about these things because of the weekend we spent together watching hours of Australian game shows on the Game Show Network some 25+ years ago. Yes, it was that long ago.

Breakfast was from 7:30-10, much to the delight of many of our fellow travelers who are late risers. We fought with the internet for a while before (and after) breakfast, and since it wasn’t working we went for a short walk in a neighborhood that backed up on the motel, and the architecture is just different enough that you know you’re not home. We did see a pack of gallahs roosting in a tree; they didn’t seem any stupider than other birds.

Wheels rolling at 10 really means it with Insight Cruises; the bus took off towards Parkes at 9:59. On the bus they showed The Dish, a movie about the Parkes radio telescope and the Apollo 11 mission that is a family favorite. It was just perfect watching it with a group of space nerds on a bus heading to the Dish.

We stopped for lunch at Rhino Lodge in Dubbo, a holiday park run by the Returned Serviceman Organization (I like the term returned servicemen better than veterans, I like the hint of recycling/sustainability in the name) which has a large event space and large tent cabins. The food was good and served buffet style, and we had time to go for a stroll around the grounds. It’s across from the Western Plains section of the Taronga Zoo, which is why it’s called Rhino Lodge. There was a move afoot among the wives to stay at the zoo instead of going to the dish that they thought I might lead, but this is the part of the trip I was most excited about so no go, we all got on the bus and headed for the dsih, finishing the movie on the way.

The area leading up to the dish looks exactly like it’s supposed to, and you drive up and there it is. It was stowed (pointing straight up) when we arrived. We started by going into the theater and watching some videos, and then the director of the installation came and talked to us, and it was all very interesting I’m sure (I did take a nap during some of the videos). Finally they let us out and we could walk out back and there it was. While we were watching the movie they’d moved the dish down to its working position (I wish we’d gotten to see it!) and we had some time to stand and admire it. 

It was a combination of the awe I always feel when I see engineering marvels (like the Panama Canal) and also the touristy joy of being at the site of a movie that I love very much. They also had the required two small parabolic antennas set up far apart that you can stand in and talk and hear each other, which is always a hit. We also visited the gift store where I got an excellent yellow hat and Dave got a terrific down jacket with the Dish logo on front. Mostly, though, we just stood and looked at the Dish.

Then it was back on the bus and a relatively short drive to the Station Motel in Parkes, which had the unifying theme of corrugated steel and cattle grid bars as decorative elements – one of the walls in the room was even corrugated. Station is the word for large farm in Australia – cattle station, sheep station, and Parkes is pretty much in the middle of that country. The rooms and the food were a step up from the Matthew Flinders for sure, but the pillows weren’t as comfortable. The wifi was pretty good, and I think I was able to post a blog, but it’s all kind of a blur to be honest. I think we got there, had dinner, and went to sleep.

Addendum from Dave: After dinner we boarded the bus again and headed out of Parkes to a dark sky site. We were meet there by members of the Central West Astronomical Society who had set up a number of telescopes to show us the wonders of the southern sky. It was amazing.

A mockup of the control room from the movie

The two ends of the whisper dishes. They are very far apart - if you expand them you can see us standing in them.