Suburb # 8 Franklin

This weekend it was time to head North to the mysterious world known as Gungahlin in the joyous 36+ degree heat. First stop was Franklin.

Franklin is named after the writer Miles Franklin - in fact all the streets here are named after writers which made me realise (embarrassingly) how few Australian authors I actually know ( Manning Clark and Donald Horne were some of the few I even recognised).

Franklin seemed like a very large suburb - but maybe that is because we just seemed to drive around in circles and get incredibly lost (I really need a new street directory that actually has Gungahlin in it!).

I was quite impressed with this suburb - while definitely very surburban (funny that), they have made a really big effort to develop gorgeous parks and ponds, and the houses are really interesting - plus not all stacked up on top of each other like elsewhere in the newer suburbs.

Certainly not an issue to find anything "new" anywhere in Gunghalin. I thought I might struggle to find anything old here to photograph though, but there is a really interesting heritage sight called Red Hill up towards the top of the suburb where there used to be an old pipeclay mine. This is also apparently very important indigenous site. If you look at the colour of the earth, it is very clear why the place has been named Red Hill. There is a great view from the top of the hill. The Old Wells Stations Track passes through her as well. Unexpectedly, the rocks and trees up here look like they are straight out of the snowy mountains.

And just as an aside there is a rather militaristic feel to some parts of this suburb due to the very serious streetlights...and the fact that the baby ducks appear to attack in formation:

 And what is with these weird kerbs?