Tag: #priscillaqueenofthedesert

Easter Road Trip Day 6 Broken Hill

23 April 2019

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I arrived at the most western town in New South Wales, Broken Hill. The reason I decided on this road trip. From White Cliffs I had to go back to Wilcannia to take the road to Broken Hill. Only one place to stop between Wilcannia and Broken Hill is the Little Topar Hotel.

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The hospitality was typical country although their “ring for service” bell might make you believe they do not offer friendly service. But the rabbit trap “ring for service” bell is typical Australian humour.

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Broken Hill, known as the silver city, the Capital of the Outback, is the longest lived mining city in Australia. The break in the hills which gave the name to Broken Hill no longer exists due to being mined away.  The city has beautiful heritage listed buildings.

And modern buildings.

Visitors Centre
City Council Chambers
Visitors Centre
City Council Chambers

The Living Desert and Sculptures of Broken Hill is the perfect place to be for sunset.

 

The Palace Hotel is the Outback site for the movie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The movie starts in my local area, the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville Sydney and ends in the Palace Hotel Broken Hill.  Broken Hill now hosts the “Broken Heel” drag queen festival in September each year. I don’t like to be negative in my blogs but these 2 drag queens were not a good advertisement for the Broken Heel Festival or drag queens in general, on this night. They had just completed a show for the Indian Pacific guests and were in the foyer in full view of patrons hoping to get a photo opportunity. They eventually capitulated but they were the most uninviting Drag Queens I have encountered. Hopefully this was just a bad night because they gave drag queens a bad image.  Give me good old Sydney drag queens any day, oh, and the Idaho Queen of drag, Minerva Jayne.

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famous paintings seen in Priscilla Queen of the Desert

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Back in Australia

I have now been back home in Sydney for 4 months. After the exciting USA Road trip I have adjusted to some sort of normalcy. Going through withdrawals of adrenaline and endorphins I often wished I was back in the USA. However, as a traveller I understand that enjoying life is to embrace the moment no matter where I am.

My beautiful Sydney has many places which tourists from all over the world come to experience and I have it all in my backyard.

Lunch in Circular Quay.

A 2 hour drive from Sydney is Stockton Where I attended a cheer competition at nearby at Broadmeadow.

Holding a Sydney Fringe Festival concert in my backyard..

Celebrating Halloween at Bingay at the Beresford Hotel.

Cher concert at Sydney Olympic Park.

Pelicans of The Entrance NSW

Chromefest a rock n roll festival at The Entrance 90 minutes north of Sydney

Sculptures by the Sea is an annual art festival which takes you on a walk along some of the most beautiful beaches in the world just 15 minutes from the centre of Sydney.

Introducing my Airbnb guests to the home of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Christmas Bingay. When you make a wrong call at Bingay you have to wear either a hat with penis and testicles or a vagina

Sea day

18 April 2018

I had a day relaxing by the pool. There are all nationalities on this ship and I love all of the accents, mostly the American which remind me I am on an adventure like no other. I continually thank the universe that I have these amazing experiences. I know how I am doing this but at the same time full of amazement that I am.

These people live a reality that is a culture of travel and meeting and learning from diverse people. Other than retirees there are several people aged from 40 who have sold everything and are “homeless” exploring the world. Many have worked very hard and would have been classified as workaholics but decided to let work go and now enjoy life.

This evening I succeeded in getting front row seats for Piscilla Queen of the Desert. I approached the Cruise Director and told him of my connections to Kings Cross, Les Girls, Mitzi and Carlotta.

But first dinner with these lovely ladies. Julia BJ and Dorothea.

Then we had after show drinks with the cast.

Norwegian Epic

15 April 2018 Day 5 sea day Atlantic Ocean.
Since leaving Bermuda I have been enjoying days of lying in the sun at the Spice H2O pool area, meeting lots of people and discovering new cocktails (my keto diet prior to this trip long forgotten), dancing until 3am and meeting even more people.

This cruise has many time changes and this morning I went to bed at 4am. I got up three (3) hours later to watch my NRL team Wests Tigers play Manly Sea Eagles. I was so excited that it was televised live into my cabin. Although at half time I ran up to the Irish bar O’Sheehans, as it was televised there as well, because I was worried that my yelling and cheering would wake my cabin neighbours.

But as there was no sound at O’Sheehans I ran back to my cabin and cheered into my pillow for the second half. What a way to watch my team win at Brookvale while I am on a cruise crossing the Atlantic.
After recharging with a sleep, lunch and another nap by the pool I prepared myself for dinner and tonights show.

This ship has wonderful shows and there was no way I was going to miss Priscilla Queen of the Desert. The show was as spectacular as the musical in Sydney and the movie. The Aussie accents and the pictures of the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville and reminders of Les Girls in Kings Cross made me homesick. I was a rebellious 16 year old who frequented Les Girls in Kings Cross in the 1970s and then after my first divorce in the 1980s I again became a frequenter, especially as I was working in the Rural Bank in Kings Cross at the time.

After the show on the Epic I had a drink with a couple of the brilliantly cast Bernadette and Felicia.

I will approach the cruise director and inquire how I may get a front row seat for the show on 17 April. As one of the few Aussies on board I think it a reasonable request.