I left a little late for work this morning.
Wet hair and no makeup.
In stormy weather.
Jet-lagged to the max, on about two hours sleep.
Driving on the wrong side of the road sitting on the wrong side of the car with all the sticks and levers in the wrong hands.
I noticed that gas is $2.59 and I am glad that it's a gallon and not a litre.
I almost backed over a little old lady in the Albertson's parking lot.
I left my coupon wallet at said store.
I kept turning on the wipers instead of the turn signal.
Irritated a few drivers.
I think at least one honked at me.
Had to call our credit union, which always manages to annoy me.
Still ticked at Jeff for cracking my new doumbek.
('Nother story)
It occurred to me, if Oz is "The Land Down Under" am I now the right side up?
It didn't feel like it.
Don't worry, I've still got lots of Aussie material to bore you with.
I just needed a little whinge.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Aussie friends
On Saturday we drove to Adelaide to stay with some strangers.
It was a long drive and we passed many dead kangaroos on the side of the road. Dead kangaroos make me sad in a way that dead raccoons will never do. The lack of phone and internet was starting to get to me; McDonalds (or Maccas, as they call it here) are suddenly an appealing sight. For the free wifi, you know.
Most Aussies are very friendly. One of their endearing traits is the way they say "No worries" whenever you ask them for something unreasonable, like they really mean it.
As in:
"Do you have wifi here?"
"I don't know, I'm new here."
"Okay, I guess I'll just go try it."
"Yeah, no worries."
This actually happened, almost word for word, at every Maccas.
We also passed many fields of grape vines.
Mile after mile after mile.
Here is a funny thing that you see at the beginning of almost every driveway in rural areas. We think the painted tyres are so that when Dad comes home snockered after the pub closes, he can find his driveway in the dark. No street lights in the country, don't you know!
So, have you been wondering about the strangers?
Strangers no more.
This is Craig and his wife, Carla, who were so kind as to open their home to two old travelers. Carla makes a mean pavlova, if any of you are ever out Adelaide way.
And their funny kids.
Craig was 3 years old when I saw him last. His Dad was my favourite teacher in high school and as much of a mentor as I ever had. I was on holiday in Sydney, staying with their family, when my Dad died. Which changed all of our lives, but that's another story.
We spent the rest of the weekend with Craig and Carla, our new Aussie friends. We walked through the city of Adelaide, ate dinner in a pub, watched a very short fireworks display at the Festival of Lanterns, and ate ice cream cones from Hungry Jacks, the Aussie equivalent of Burger King, all before bed on Saturday.
At church on Sunday, Jeff talked to the Dad of the missionary who was his Zone Leader in Hamilton. Then, at a family dinner of Carla's extended family, we visited with the missionary's daughter, who is married to Carla's brother. Got it? Small world.
We wish we had allowed more time to explore Adelaide. It is a beautiful city, surrounded by suburbs and parks in the hills. There was a time difference of half-an-hour as we drove west, which is a bit confusing. They say that Adelaide is half-an-hour and ten years behind Sydney. Our kind of city.
So, I have decided that one of the nice things about a trip like this is the relationships that you get to renew, like with Ben and Le'ah, or begin, like with Craig and Carla. It warms the cockles of my heart to see families with loving, hard-working parents who are doing their best to live good lives. I would happily pack them all up and take them home with me, but I know their parents and I might have a bit of a fight on my hands. Plus, my kids might get jealous.
Maybe.
It was a long drive and we passed many dead kangaroos on the side of the road. Dead kangaroos make me sad in a way that dead raccoons will never do. The lack of phone and internet was starting to get to me; McDonalds (or Maccas, as they call it here) are suddenly an appealing sight. For the free wifi, you know.
Most Aussies are very friendly. One of their endearing traits is the way they say "No worries" whenever you ask them for something unreasonable, like they really mean it.
As in:
"Do you have wifi here?"
"I don't know, I'm new here."
"Okay, I guess I'll just go try it."
"Yeah, no worries."
This actually happened, almost word for word, at every Maccas.
We also passed many fields of grape vines.
Mile after mile after mile.
Here is a funny thing that you see at the beginning of almost every driveway in rural areas. We think the painted tyres are so that when Dad comes home snockered after the pub closes, he can find his driveway in the dark. No street lights in the country, don't you know!
So, have you been wondering about the strangers?
Strangers no more.
This is Craig and his wife, Carla, who were so kind as to open their home to two old travelers. Carla makes a mean pavlova, if any of you are ever out Adelaide way.
And their funny kids.
Craig was 3 years old when I saw him last. His Dad was my favourite teacher in high school and as much of a mentor as I ever had. I was on holiday in Sydney, staying with their family, when my Dad died. Which changed all of our lives, but that's another story.
We spent the rest of the weekend with Craig and Carla, our new Aussie friends. We walked through the city of Adelaide, ate dinner in a pub, watched a very short fireworks display at the Festival of Lanterns, and ate ice cream cones from Hungry Jacks, the Aussie equivalent of Burger King, all before bed on Saturday.
At church on Sunday, Jeff talked to the Dad of the missionary who was his Zone Leader in Hamilton. Then, at a family dinner of Carla's extended family, we visited with the missionary's daughter, who is married to Carla's brother. Got it? Small world.
We wish we had allowed more time to explore Adelaide. It is a beautiful city, surrounded by suburbs and parks in the hills. There was a time difference of half-an-hour as we drove west, which is a bit confusing. They say that Adelaide is half-an-hour and ten years behind Sydney. Our kind of city.
So, I have decided that one of the nice things about a trip like this is the relationships that you get to renew, like with Ben and Le'ah, or begin, like with Craig and Carla. It warms the cockles of my heart to see families with loving, hard-working parents who are doing their best to live good lives. I would happily pack them all up and take them home with me, but I know their parents and I might have a bit of a fight on my hands. Plus, my kids might get jealous.
Maybe.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Port Fairy
Yes, you read me right.
Either McKenzie or Elton John should be thrilled by the name of this town, I'm not sure which.
Not much to say about Friday. We drove the Hamilton Highway to Port Fairy, through fields of brilliant green dotted with cows and sheep. Then later, the fields became
the brightest shade of yellow that I have ever seen.
The flowers would become rape seeds, to be harvested for oil.
Many fields were waterlogged, two months into the rainy season. By January, everything will be brown again.
We checked into our cabin, about 15 miles the other side of Port Fairy, then returned to watch the mutton birds, otherwise known as shearwaters, returning to Griffith Island. It was freezing cold and windy, getting dark, but the awesome sight of thousands of birds returning to their habitat for the night was well worth it. The photo stinks, but you get the idea.
Whirling birds against a purple sky.
If you ever get to Port Fairy, Victoria, go to The Hub for some tasty dinner and dessert at not bad prices, an unusual combination in this part of the world.
Either McKenzie or Elton John should be thrilled by the name of this town, I'm not sure which.
Not much to say about Friday. We drove the Hamilton Highway to Port Fairy, through fields of brilliant green dotted with cows and sheep. Then later, the fields became
the brightest shade of yellow that I have ever seen.
The flowers would become rape seeds, to be harvested for oil.
Many fields were waterlogged, two months into the rainy season. By January, everything will be brown again.
We checked into our cabin, about 15 miles the other side of Port Fairy, then returned to watch the mutton birds, otherwise known as shearwaters, returning to Griffith Island. It was freezing cold and windy, getting dark, but the awesome sight of thousands of birds returning to their habitat for the night was well worth it. The photo stinks, but you get the idea.
Whirling birds against a purple sky.
If you ever get to Port Fairy, Victoria, go to The Hub for some tasty dinner and dessert at not bad prices, an unusual combination in this part of the world.
On the road again...
...driving to Warragul, a small town east of Melbourne.
We stayed in Merimbula the night before, across from the golf course. We went for a walk on the course around twilight that night and saw kangaroos dotting the greens. The next morning, Jeff went out early to spot birds. The course was covered with roos and a groundsman told him that their course is famous for its pack of about 600 kangaroos. Apparently, they co-exist quite peacefully.
The drive through New South Wales was typically through gum tree forests, which consistently show signs of fire damage and are brown, dusty, and dotted with termite mounds. An echidna waddled across the road in front of us, lucky to escape with its life. Luckily, the roads aren't terribly busy and we don't see too much road kill, although Jeff swears he saw a dead koala one time. I don't want to think about it.
The landscape started to get greener almost as soon as we crossed the border into Victoria, looking like Oregon or New Zealand except for the flocks of cockatoos in the fields.
Australia is the land of slogans.
Take this one, for example. When I get home, I'll crop this photo so that you can read the writing. It says "Slowing down won't kill you."
Some of my other favourites are:
Break the drive, stay alive.
Drowsy drivers die.
(Very ominous, that one)
Take a break. Fatigue kills.
Long time dead so what's your hurry?
Slow down stupid.
Take a rest. Be our guest.
Fatigue is fatal.
The signs are frequent sights along the highways and gave us many moments of amusement. Although apparently, the government really believes that these will help to decrease driving deaths from fatigue. Personally, I think all the lumps in the roads are more than adequate for the job!
This blue-tongued skink was trying to climb a fence. There was a trio of boys watching it, but we noticed they kept their distance.
So did we.
Downtown Melbourne.
Even the freeway signs look like Oregon.
We stayed in Merimbula the night before, across from the golf course. We went for a walk on the course around twilight that night and saw kangaroos dotting the greens. The next morning, Jeff went out early to spot birds. The course was covered with roos and a groundsman told him that their course is famous for its pack of about 600 kangaroos. Apparently, they co-exist quite peacefully.
The drive through New South Wales was typically through gum tree forests, which consistently show signs of fire damage and are brown, dusty, and dotted with termite mounds. An echidna waddled across the road in front of us, lucky to escape with its life. Luckily, the roads aren't terribly busy and we don't see too much road kill, although Jeff swears he saw a dead koala one time. I don't want to think about it.
The landscape started to get greener almost as soon as we crossed the border into Victoria, looking like Oregon or New Zealand except for the flocks of cockatoos in the fields.
Australia is the land of slogans.
Take this one, for example. When I get home, I'll crop this photo so that you can read the writing. It says "Slowing down won't kill you."
Some of my other favourites are:
Break the drive, stay alive.
Drowsy drivers die.
(Very ominous, that one)
Take a break. Fatigue kills.
Long time dead so what's your hurry?
Slow down stupid.
Take a rest. Be our guest.
Fatigue is fatal.
The signs are frequent sights along the highways and gave us many moments of amusement. Although apparently, the government really believes that these will help to decrease driving deaths from fatigue. Personally, I think all the lumps in the roads are more than adequate for the job!
This blue-tongued skink was trying to climb a fence. There was a trio of boys watching it, but we noticed they kept their distance.
So did we.
Downtown Melbourne.
Even the freeway signs look like Oregon.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Dear blog...
...these are some of the things that I want to remember about Wednesday.
A visit to Birdland, in Batemans Bay.
The fulfillment of my dreams.
The cocky kookaburra that sat on the captive kookaburra cage and caused them to make a ruckus.
Petting a koala, at last.
Hobnobbing with roos in the kangaroo enclosure.
I was sneaking up on this group while taking a video and one of them came right up to the camera and put her nose on it. They thought I had food, I think, so were quite friendly, and very gentle and sweet.
This one had a little joey in her pouch.
No messing around with this ostrich.
Ostriches were originally from Africa and were brought into Australia by farmers. Some got loose and now they run around the country, terrorizing the natives.
The echidna is a weird and wonderful creature. This little fellow didn't stop moving. As you can see, I caught him on the run.
I held a python.
Be amazed.
And cuddled a wombat.
After all this riveting excitement, on to Bega, where the iconic Australian cheese factory resides.
Jeff, in his new Aussie hat.
The efficient cow.
The colourful cow.
Tillamook Cheese Factory, anyone?
A visit to Birdland, in Batemans Bay.
The fulfillment of my dreams.
The cocky kookaburra that sat on the captive kookaburra cage and caused them to make a ruckus.
Petting a koala, at last.
Hobnobbing with roos in the kangaroo enclosure.
I was sneaking up on this group while taking a video and one of them came right up to the camera and put her nose on it. They thought I had food, I think, so were quite friendly, and very gentle and sweet.
This one had a little joey in her pouch.
No messing around with this ostrich.
Ostriches were originally from Africa and were brought into Australia by farmers. Some got loose and now they run around the country, terrorizing the natives.
The echidna is a weird and wonderful creature. This little fellow didn't stop moving. As you can see, I caught him on the run.
I held a python.
Be amazed.
And cuddled a wombat.
After all this riveting excitement, on to Bega, where the iconic Australian cheese factory resides.
Jeff, in his new Aussie hat.
The efficient cow.
The colourful cow.
Tillamook Cheese Factory, anyone?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday treks
Tuesday started with the blowhole at Kiama.
Then a trip inland around very narrow and windy roads to the Minnamurra Rainforest Reserve. It contains several distinct types of rainforest in one small area.
We were fascinated by the small leaf fig vines, which apparently surround a host tree and swallow it up until you have this.
It was a good hike along an amazingly constructed trail
and at the end was this waterfall.
I know, it's not Multnomah or Silver Falls, but this IS Australia!
This trail is well-known for lyre bird sightings, but several groups of schoolchildren pretty much nixed this possibility. Nothing like a nature trail and bird-watching with fifty screaming kids. But we did, in one quiet moment, see a lyre bird heading up a stream bed, which was slightly thrilling.
Then, on more narrow and even windier road (that's wind with a long i, not short) to the Barren Grounds Nature Reserve. Another hike, only shorter and flatter.
This view from Illawarra Lookout goes all the way to the sea. The lake to the far left is where Ben lives.
Then we drove and drove until I got whiny from doing all the driving. We were on a pretty remote road (one of several where we ended up backtracking on this day) so Jeff took a turn at the wheel. After about twenty minutes of breathless, white-knuckled gripping of the seat, I had a funny thought.
You must have been having a cow when I was driving in Sydney.
Uh-huh.
I laughed and laughed and praised him for his remarkable restraint.
Now we have both survived each other's driving on the wrong side of the road.
In the Hyundai Getz that Jeff calls a bucket of bolts.
And we're still traveling on.
We got to Batemans Bay that night and managed to find a fish and chips shop that was still open. My new strategy is to not buy dinner for myself, but to mooch off Jeff's plate. Or paper.
Then a trip inland around very narrow and windy roads to the Minnamurra Rainforest Reserve. It contains several distinct types of rainforest in one small area.
We were fascinated by the small leaf fig vines, which apparently surround a host tree and swallow it up until you have this.
It was a good hike along an amazingly constructed trail
and at the end was this waterfall.
I know, it's not Multnomah or Silver Falls, but this IS Australia!
This trail is well-known for lyre bird sightings, but several groups of schoolchildren pretty much nixed this possibility. Nothing like a nature trail and bird-watching with fifty screaming kids. But we did, in one quiet moment, see a lyre bird heading up a stream bed, which was slightly thrilling.
Then, on more narrow and even windier road (that's wind with a long i, not short) to the Barren Grounds Nature Reserve. Another hike, only shorter and flatter.
This view from Illawarra Lookout goes all the way to the sea. The lake to the far left is where Ben lives.
Then we drove and drove until I got whiny from doing all the driving. We were on a pretty remote road (one of several where we ended up backtracking on this day) so Jeff took a turn at the wheel. After about twenty minutes of breathless, white-knuckled gripping of the seat, I had a funny thought.
You must have been having a cow when I was driving in Sydney.
Uh-huh.
I laughed and laughed and praised him for his remarkable restraint.
Now we have both survived each other's driving on the wrong side of the road.
In the Hyundai Getz that Jeff calls a bucket of bolts.
And we're still traveling on.
We got to Batemans Bay that night and managed to find a fish and chips shop that was still open. My new strategy is to not buy dinner for myself, but to mooch off Jeff's plate. Or paper.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday tracks
Jeff said, "Why do New Zealanders call it a trek and Aussies call it a track?"
Um. Trek is what you do.
Track is what you do it on.
The joys of semantics and accents.
Yesterday, we...
walked on the beach and got wet feet in some tide pools
conversed with a cockatoo or two...
(The signs said "Please do not feed the wild animals)
Ate a hamburger with beetroot on it.
(Jeff, in one of his worst nightmares)
It was large but not delicious...
Ate the worst meaty pie I have ever had...
only some got stolen by a cheeky kookaburra, which made all the heartburn kind of worth it...
(note the gravy on his beak in the second picture)
Paddled up the Kangaroo River in a canoe
and back down again...
Whereupon, the camera ran out of battery power.
Then, we climbed a mountain that overlooked the river.
It was very steep and rocky and beautiful.
But you'll have to take my word for it.
If you ever get to the Royal National Park just south of Sydney, DO NOT EAT AT THE FOOD KIOSK BY THE VISTOR'S CENTRE!
You'll thank me later.
Um. Trek is what you do.
Track is what you do it on.
The joys of semantics and accents.
Yesterday, we...
walked on the beach and got wet feet in some tide pools
conversed with a cockatoo or two...
(The signs said "Please do not feed the wild animals)
Ate a hamburger with beetroot on it.
(Jeff, in one of his worst nightmares)
It was large but not delicious...
Ate the worst meaty pie I have ever had...
only some got stolen by a cheeky kookaburra, which made all the heartburn kind of worth it...
(note the gravy on his beak in the second picture)
Paddled up the Kangaroo River in a canoe
and back down again...
Whereupon, the camera ran out of battery power.
Then, we climbed a mountain that overlooked the river.
It was very steep and rocky and beautiful.
But you'll have to take my word for it.
If you ever get to the Royal National Park just south of Sydney, DO NOT EAT AT THE FOOD KIOSK BY THE VISTOR'S CENTRE!
You'll thank me later.
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