(*) Thick foggy blanket

Over the month of December I travelled a 2,000 km / 1,245 mile return trip to spend a weekend with Raven and her family in Brisbane. Then a week later I tripped down to melbourne and back, towing a small boat trailer. Yeah, another 2,000 km rond trip. Needless to say, this great little car never skipped a beat the whole time.

The first day upto Brisbane was a scortcher! I dunno how I would have been able to do it without the A/C... the car temp guage didn't even budge at all. I drove thru the smoky effects of at least three major bushfires on the way too... like driving thru a fog at some points. happened on the way down to Melbourne too... the bushfires were like 100 km / 60 miles away, but the smoke was just hanging there like a thick foggy blanket! The trailer towed so well, I had to check out the back window every now and again just to make sure it was still there! heh heh

Melbourne is a XXXX of a place! Needless to say - I wont be driving thru there again in a hurry, if I can help it! I know Sydney's bad traffic-wise, but Melbourne's main thru streets are just... narrow and cluttered! I spent the night on the shore of Port Phillip Bay [in a motel, not under the stars! lol], enjoying a much-missed walk along a long beach in the sea breeze. Lovely! Frankston, that's the place, with the long Pier. The swimming changing huts all along the beachfront make it look like its the south coast of England or something... and those little woden sheds are damn *EXpensive* too! There were some for sale, and the prices were just rediculous! Oh, and why would Frankston have a Surf Life Saving Club, on the shores of a large landlocked bay? rofl. I guess I'll always be a seaside Sydneysider deep down somewhere... tho I don't miss the crazy business and crush of the place AT ALL!

I took my new Laser out for a sail at Chifley Dam [near here] on Saturday. I had to borrow a few bits and pieces, and it's a second-hand boat that needed a few things updated etc [which are on order etc]. It felt different to my other boat... not bad, just different. The easiest way to describe it is... like the difference between a car with a manual or automatic transmission... it's both driving, just different... Sailed well tho. The dam there is at 57% capacity, which is about zillion gallons more water than we have out at Carcoar [where I jormally sail... it's at 13% and practically unsailable at the moment :( ]. Needless to say, once you step ito the water, you start to stir up the fine black silty MUD on the bottom, and if u aint careful it gets on EVERYTHING! Then it doesn't settle back down again, so you can't wash things off with the water either! Gagh! out in the middle it's fine, but aorund the edges where you launch from, the mud isn't thick or gluggy, it's just... persistent? Anyways, I survived my first solo sail in my Laser! I've stilll got the Solo... I dunno what I'm gonna do with it yet. It was leaking a bit at the start of December, but a good fibreglassing job on a few small slpits see it now water-tight. Nothing wrong with it... i simply got the Laser becuse the Solo was simply too easy to sail! It's almost effortless to sail, whereas the Laser, well, you have to really sail it properly for it to work properly! heh he. Plus it'll help being able to sail alongside the small flotilla of other boats of the same class in the various dams around the region.

Two regattas are coming up. Three weeks out at Oberon - that'll be my first real time out with the new Laser. But if for some reason the parts I've ordered don't arrive by then [and Lorf knows why they wouldn't be here by then!], I can still take and sail the Solo inbstead! heh heh. The week after is a trip over to Lake Windamere, on the way to Mudgee. It's like a whole wekend camping, so I'm looking forward to it. And get some much-needed sailing practise in as well.

I can get away for two weekends' camping in a row, as the boys will be away during their holidays, on a camping trip with Nan. Good on 'em! They are going outrageously well. JD, who's 13 1/2 already - and at least an inch taller than me already (5' 11"), is having a wow of a time being treated as a grown up in his first real paid job! he's helping pick cauliflowers in his step-dad's paddocks. he's got his own chair, mug, and getting treated like 'one of the guys' there - and he's loving it! he says he's not tired when he gets home, but he sure goes to bed early and sleeps straight thru every night! heh heh SJ and Ix are growing and going well also. Their school reports show they're going just fine at school and socially and stuff too. Excellent. They're looking great too.

(*) Cairns Flights

Cairns – The Flights

May 2006

Virgin Blue left Sydney at 10.05am and arrived at Cairns International Airport at 1.15pm, 11^th May 2006, just a smidge over 3 hours air time.

Well, the last time I was on a plane was probably a small 12-seater flying from Sydney to Bathurst waaaaay back in 1983-ish… before then it would have been the flight to and from Adelaide with mum and dad when I was about 15… hmm… 1980…? Blimey, that’s a long time ago, huh? Heh heh. Yeah, I haven’t even been to the airport for years – there’s no real need to unless you need to go there, you know? Pooh all the traffic and crowds and all that caper… sheesh, I sound like a real country bumpkin, huh… well I’ve been living out here for 11 years now.

I stayed overnight at my brother’s place at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains… I crashed out at about 8 that night and awoke feeling really refreshed, wide awake and excited about my day… and it was only 10.30 at night! Gagh! Needless to stay I couldn’t sleep, so I ended up sitting up in bed reading for hours… luckily I awoke at 5am nice and early and feeling fine… I’m not usually a good ‘morning person’, you know…

The drive to Sydney airport took about 90 minutes, and it was freeway about 80% of the way… wow, it’s sure changed since I was last down that way! No traffic lights for like an hour! Whee! Mind you, the experience of the SMOG in a long under-city tunnel was dis-gust-ing! It was so thick you could see it – and taste and smell it – pooh! By the time we finally arrived at the airport we had time to spare, parking our car at a parking station for the 2 weeks. A shuttle took us straight to the terminal, and – then it was kinda feeling ‘real’ for me. Until then the whole ‘Cairns’ experience had been a bit surreal, not quite fair-dinkum… but as soon as I got to the automatic doors at the airport, wheeling my suitcase, then… whoosh! Excitement and really wild things. Heh heh.

Of course, I was the one who got ‘dusted’ for carrying explosives by the security people… totally random, but it made me giggle… the poor guy didn’t know what to make of me chatting like I normally do… I was feeling more like a country boy the whole time! Heh heh. We had time to have a bite to eat and a quick drink – I amazingly thought a green salad was a good idea [and it was – light and just enough to fill the gap], and before too long we were herded onto the plane. My brother, being the lovely guy he is, ensured I had a window seat, forward of the wing with a totally unobscured view of everything! I was totally excited like a little kid – hell ya! Heh heh. The whole sensation of the acceleration and the ground shrinking below me is such a buzz… then watching us flying thru the clouds as the ocean and Sydney unfolded below us like some wild map… but it was real this time! [Yeah, I enjoy reading maps, always have, ever since I was a little tacker]. Then being able to look *down* on the cloud tops was a-maze-ing! The flight took us inland first before turning north, which funnily enough took me straight back over my home town… but the cloud cover prohibited me seeing anything on the ground, at 38,000 feet up! It wasn’t until we got a long way out west near Dubbo that the cloud cover just broke clear in one long line, and as we turned towards Cairns the unending tapestry of the brown and red patchwork below me spread out until the horizon… beautiful… I think I spent that first 2 hours with my eyes peering out the window watching little farms and towns slide past far below me amazed… somewhere over north Queensland I easily spotted the astronomically-huge Lake Dalrymple [kinda west of Townsville], which was swollen with brown floodwaters after all their recent rain… then before I knew it we were slowly making our descent towards Cairns! Wow… three hours just flew by [oooh… the pun…]…

Overcast and wet conditions greeted us, but I didn’t care – I was in Cairns! Wow! I’d never imagined being in a place like this… while it wasn’t ‘hot’, the humidity was a bit of a shock to the system… their airport is really great – just no so insanely hectic as Sydney, thank god! Picking up our luggage, grabbed a hire car [kinda a 4-wheel-drive people mover thingy… they didn’t have a smaller one so we got it for a lot less – yay!], and headed out for a quick driving tour. My brother and his wife have been up there quite a few times, so they knew their way about. My first impressions were – it’s so *green*! And wet! Mind you, the wet season was like a month too long, so the amount of rain they’d had recently was outrageous, poor buggers. And as well – it was all so much bigger than I anticipated. I thought it’d be just a large country town, but it’s a *city*! We drove to the northern beaches, where we’d be staying, and they showed me around the area they we considering living in the future… amazing… nice houses, wonderful roadways, not crowded at all, and so close to the ocean and beaches. Nam nam.

The 5-Star Resort we were staying for the 2 weeks, The Novotel Palm Cove Resort, cost us *nothing*!!! Wow… a pool right outside the door, like a 10 minute stroll thru the rainforest to the beach… lovely… it still seemed kinda ‘unreal’ in some ways… even walking along the beach and the wharf at night in a howling wind in the pouring rain until I got absolutely drenched – I just didn’t mind at all… the water and wind was so warm and soul-refreshing. I loved it!

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Virgin Blue left Cairns at 6.25am and arrived at Sydney at 9.20am, 22^nd May 2006, just a smidge under 3 hours air time.

Ya, we got ourselves a cheap motel rit next to the airport the night before we left, as we had to leave on an early flight… not to worry… I had my own room to run about it… I felt like a little kid again still on holidays! Although I tried to sleep, I just couldn’t fall asleep, and I’m not one of those people who appreciate just laying in bed awake, tossing and turning… anyways, on the Pay-TV they had “The Last Waltz” music documentary about The Band [1977], which I hadn’t seen before. I’d recently bought myself two of The Band’s CD’s, so it was good to kinda hear the music in this different perspective. It was kinda a sad documentary tho – their last-ever gig, and their interviews just seemed kinda… world-weary? Hmmm… that put me to sleep well and truly! Heh heh

We had to wait only a little time to get our boarding passes at Cairns airport at like 5.30 in the morning! It was a whole lot less busy, but even on a Monday morning there were still people rushing about left right and centre.. this time I was able to sit next to the window [again! Yay!], but the view was kinda obstructed by the wing… not to worry… there was cloud-cover all the way into Sydney, so there wasn’t a whole darn lot to see anyways. I managed to practically finish a Beatles’ book I picked up while I was up north [grins], and before I knew it, the cloud started to break up over our slow descent over Newcastle – it was really like looking at an aerial map of a region I’ve spent a lot of time around in my past… the Central Coast. It just blew my mind being able to see everything so clearly from the air… I was even able to see the places I lived in while I was living down on the coast! Wow!

You know how sometimes you get a whingey-whiny kid on a flight? Well, she was towards the front, only about 2 or 3, and she wasn’t whining at all – the poor thing was in *pain* as the plane started to slowly descend! The difference in air pressure was causing her quite a lot of obvious distress, and the air hostess did wonders trying to calm her. I’m sure the whole planes’ heart went out to this kid and her parents when she sat there squirming, screaming, “Make it stop! Make it stoop!” [my eyes get teary just thinking about it…] She was obviously not just putting on a fussing act – you could tell she was in pain! Ouch! Anyways, they tried a few different things with nasal clips or something to help the kid, and a special harness and stuff too… normally a plane coming into Sydney would circle around a few times to get clearance and stuff… but not us… I still think the pilot radioed ahead to get fast permission to come straight in to land! And we did – straight over Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House – the works! By the time we landed, the poor child was just exhausted, and I think everyone breathed a sigh of relief for her when they let them off first.

But other than that, an uneventful flight! The sight coming in over Sydney was simply breathtaking, even for someone who grew up there… to be able to see things from the air just gives you such a totally different perspective on things… refreshingly so…

Postscript: Ya, I know, that was a god-damn awful piece of writing, but I just needed to get it down and stuff or I’d never get around to it! Heh heh.

(*) Cairns Pt.2

Hiya. Here's another bit of my recent foray in the far north of Queensland.

Cairns itself impressed me... I mean, I knew it would be a fair-sized town, but I was wrong... it's a good sized small CITY! I'd have to check how large it is population-wise, but my guesstimate would be 100,000+... in the CBD it's 'really' touristy - all the old pubs and stuff have mostly been pulled down to make way for large concrete monstrosities [in my opinion], but there are a few of the old weatherboard and verandahed pubs around the place... gorgeous! On the waterfront there's this large series of wharfs where the tourist ferries come and go, but moored along the way are some of the largest most disgustingly opulent richmans' playtoys you could ever imagine! Millions of dollars just floating there - gagh! Just around further is a great facility for everyone to enjoy... as Cairns itself is basically built on a giant mudflat [seriously!!!], with NO beach! [they've 'imported' a small beach on the actual waterfront], they've built a man-made swimming lagoon with loads of open parkland, shady trees, kid's play areas etc etc. Brilliant - a great simple concept! And long esplanades all along the waterfront are a lovely evening walk too... even tho it's obvious there are a lot of tourists around [even at the tail-end of the less-populated wet season when I was there], there is still so much open SPACE! Great... there's never a feeling as though you are sitting in a park right on top of someone else... that nice relaxed atmosphere seems to typify Cairns.

One day I saw a navy ship come into port - I had *no* idea the harbour could accommodate ships that large, but - no problem! Later that week I kept bumping into Japanese sailors everywhere in little touristy huddles, resplendent in their sparkling-white uniforms...

On one of our combined forays into town, the three of us [my brother, his wife and I] decided on a whim to walk into the Casino to take a look... on the roof of this place is a large glass pyramid that houses its own rainforest - kitschy! Anyways... one smallish room wall-to-wall with poker machines and a few gaming tables.. I've seriously seen some of the larger clubs in Sydney with larger gaming rooms [not that I'm a gambler by any stretch of the imagination!] I thought they wouldn't let us in, wearing t-shirts, shorts, thongs [that's flip-flops!] and sunnies, but - seems like everyone was the same way! That's Cairns, I guess! We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and put $2 each into three machines... mind you it's been a few years since I've played a pokie... and I had to show my brother how it worked! I mean, the last time he played one you had to put a coin in and pull the handle! heh heh We only sat there for about 15 minutes... and - we won! We broke the bank! We walked out, heads swimming with our win of $13!!! hahahahaa... at least we got our money back! We jumped across to the nearest cafe and giggled over a cuppa!

Luckily there was a cheap, fast inet service in the Resort shop... even tho I only used it once for like 25 minutes, that gave me enough time to check my emails [and delete some ruddy spam mail!], send a few quick messages, and leave a few posts here and there. Right in front of me was a large fern-covered pond, complete with small fountain, containing about 10-or-so of *the* largest barramundi fish you would likely ever see - and they were the Resort 'pets' to boot! No fishing there! Gagh! heh heh

Another day when I had a small rental car of my own, I drove off southwards for a bit of a look-see in the misty splattering rain - hoping that it'd *have* to clear up eventually, right...? Right...?!? heh heh... About 50kms/30 miles south of Cairns you start to see evidence of a large Cyclone [hurricane] that'd gone thru about a month before... I was looking for a particular turnoff, but drove past it *twice* - simply because the signs had been blown away! Gagh! In Innisfail itself, large wooden buildings still unroofed covered in tarps littered the landscape... with all the rain, my heart went out to these people... I went towards the seaside stopping briefly at a pretty sugar-cane shipping terminal at Mourilyan Harbour, and everywhere the hillsides were about 75% stripped of trees! I mean... they'd literally been blown away! Bare hills was a stark reminder of nature's fury in such a lush region as this... driving back into the ranges inland, it amazed me to see a series of houses... one with no roof, the next untouched, the next condemned, the next fine... strange... it must be a living nightmare experiencing something like that.

Driving upland into the Atherton Tablelands towards Millaa Milla, the rainforest again surrounds steep but well-constructed roads... the occasional lookout vantage point offered me no views that day, as the misty-foggy rain obliterated within a mile! heh heh Yet everything was still so green... even inland there was obvious evidence of wind damage to farmlands, rows of trees uprooted, the occasional building construction repairs underway... and then - it's like flicking a switch and the scenery changes! From lush rainforest into rolling open farmland! It was lovely, but again it just reminded me of NSW's Southern Highlands around Moss Vale - just greener! I stopped briefly at Atherton - a small town in rich faming lands, and kept moving up towards Mareeba. I once knew some missionaries who'd spent some time around here, so I was mildly curious... again, the landscape of the town made me laugh - it so-much reminded me of Tamworth in NSW, like 2,000kms away! But - lots and lots of Australian towns are like that... you seriously could be *anywhere* in someplaces, they look and feel so similar... a nice feeling tho... makes you feel at home. Again, because of the endless foggy rain I actually couldn't see much - but I was loving the drive, singing my head off to The Beatles and a classic Cairns radio station that played all the 'oldies' I could sing along to - thank gawd I was alone! How embarrassing! heh heh... aww, I was on holidays!

The road back to Cairns via Kuranda moves thru some lush open farming land again, and if you are ever up this way you MUST take a look-see at the lovely [albeit touristy] village of Kuranda, right on he edge of the coastal range rainforest. There are markets everywhere, and it's the starting/ending point for both the Rainforest Skyway, and an amazingly scenic old-fashioned train ride thru the rainforest [which I didn't go on - this time...]. My sister-in-laws sister [did you get that?!? heh heh] lives there in an AMAZINGLY breathtaking house, surrounded by lush tropical bush.. I mean, they have a flowing creek splashing away in their backyard, wild bush turkeys strutting about in the garden, and a house that is just amazing! It's all open... tall pitched roof, all wood, all windows, lots of open air, decking... amazing! Like something you'd see in one of those 'Beautiful Homes' magazines - but this place was *liveable* and homey - gorgeous! I mean - they told me they haven't had to shut the kitchen windows in like 2 years - you spend a lot of your time living in the outdoors up here... amazing. A really nice group of people too - made me feel really relaxed and welcome.

The road back down to Cairns I'd experienced before, a few days before with my brother... it's another winding way down the side of a mountain [basically], but it's the best of the three up-and-down to the highlands, I'd say. It's a surreal experience driving *thru* the fogline and looking *up* at the rainclouds above you as you drive along, heading down down down... although it rained literally the whole day, I really enjoyed the freedom of being able to jump in my car and just *go* wherever the whim took me...

One evening the three of us went to a local Indian restaurant right on the beachfront at Palm Cove... while I'm not a fan of hyper-hot food [like they are], it was OK but nothing to write home about... maybe I should have had something outrageously spicy instead, hmm? lol. Walking back along the beachfront in the warm evening air was sooooooooo nice.... I think I did that most nights I was there, rain or no!

Cyalayta

Mal :o)

(*) Cairns Holiday Photos

Here's a link of photos of my 2 weeks in Cairns!
e.domaindlx.com/iceland1/cairns

Take a look at my other photo galleries too:
Photo Galleries

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I'm currently listening to The Rolling Stones brilliant early album "12 x 5" [1964]

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No, this is NOT me, slumming around the kitchen on a weekend!!! hahahahhaa [Thanx to DeadlyFemale for the link]

(*) Cairns, Cape Tribulation, Atherton

Here's the first bit of my time away that I've written out so far... just an experiment in writing... lots more to come [hopefully...]

The water of the sea was really brown after all the runoff after a few months of solid rain… you’ve seen all the pictures of it being a rich turquoise blue – not this time! But that was fine… yes, while it rained for some time each day, and the wind howled from the SE each day too (which disallowed me to go for a sail), it was still warm (28c/82f) and humid (well, it felt humid to me… I had to sleep with the air conditioner on every night… although it wasn’t hot by any stretch of the imagination.)

I was able to rent a small blue Hyundai Getz car for three days (for a great price too!), and I traveled about 1,000kms in that short time! A great little car, was so easy to drive, and even allowed me to sing along to my Beatles CDs too… thank goodness it was air-conditioned, as driving thru the humid rain made things a bit uncomfortable at times…

The drive upto Daintree and Cape Tribulation was the first highlight of my stay… the road snakes along and hugs the coast for a long way, and once you cross the car ferry at the Daintree River the rainforest closes in spectacularly around you! I made a brief detour to Port Douglas… really resorty and tourists everywhere on the beach must have been taking their ‘morning constitional’ when I was there! I didn’t stay there long… just time to take a pic of Edward sitting next to a coconut on the beach!

Mossman Gorge was beautiful… absolutely wild rainforest with a raging torrent pouring thru this narrow gully… that was sensational as well. I went to cross a small suspension bridge that spans the gorge, but ‘fraidy cat me chickened out! Gagh! Heh heh.

I drove up to the tiny village of Daintree, not sure what to expect… but didn’t realize it was like a tiny hamlet on the sides of a crocodile-infested river! Gagh! A short backtrack took me back to the car ferry… big signs instruct you to stay in your vehicle because of the croc danger! Gagh! Yet, once across the river, the countryside radically changes… from kinda lush pastoral into wild rainforest National Park! The road was narrow and windy – but in perfect condition – but I spent so much time with my mouth hanging open in awe at the amazing rainforest closing in all around you that the road just wasn’t a problem! It’s so green, thick and lush, and even small streams cross the sealed road in places – just beautiful. Cape Tribulation was named by Captain Cook in 1770… not far from here the poor guy struck the reef! There’s not a lot there – a few small cafes and accommodation – but the sight of the rainforest physically coming right to the oceans’ edge is unforgettable! The beach seemed to go out forever, and while there were a few tourists around, it was so quite and peaceful. A short boardwalk takes you almost upto the headland, with lush views back along the beach and out to sea. Edward took a starring role sitting in the middle of a rainforest there…

A quick yummy cheese sandwich at Cape Trib saw me slowly heading back to the car ferry, taking a few short detours to explore some of the quiet little beaches… so many little deserted beach hidey-holes to relax in… back to the small town of Mossman and then up the highland to Mareeba…

The coastal plain is really narrow all the way up the coast here… sometimes the mountain ranges literally reach into the sea… the ONLY way up into the ‘Hinterland’ is UP… long winding roads, but the actual roads are brilliant! There’s a great view half-way up the mountain from Mossman, and not much further along I turned a corner to see a raging waterfall spilling down along the side of the road – wow! Then, as soon as you get up to the top, the countryside changes… becomes like more open lush farmlands… then along the way to Mareeba and onto Atherton it seriously reminded me of NSW’s Southern Highlands around Moss Vale! Made me giggle – I’d come all this way to see the same kinda countryside I’d already experienced like 2,000kms away! Heh heh.

Near Atherton there’s a massive man-made lake that’d be perfect for sailing on… yeah, I had a quick look-see at the small sailing club there too! Heh heh. Lake Tinaroo is huge… it’s a big part of the landscape in those parts. In the falling dusk I checked out Lake Eacham – an extinct volcanic crater filled with water… from the viewing platform the fish were as big as your arm – damn those ‘no fishing’ sings! Heh heh. Again… in the soft dusk light it was so quiet and peaceful… not much further down the road toward Gordonvale I managed to catch n the rapidly failing light the massive ‘Curtain Fig Tree’ – it was too dark to take an adequate photo, so I’ll have to hunt for one on the net! To try to describe this massive tree wouldn’t do it any justice… a massive root system seems to hang in midair… again it was so quiet… a really relaxing place.

Then the signs started… “Winding Road next 40kms” – and they weren’t wrong! This is only one of three ways down to the coast to Cairns from the Hinterland (ie. Atherton to Cairns) – and while the actual road is in A1 condition, it’s a loooong drive thru narrow winding steep corners that never seem to end! It didn’t help that the sun had set… that part of the drive tired me out more than anything else that day! Driving thru the darkening rainforest was beautiful, but you have to give 100% attention to the road if you don’t wanna drive off the side of a cliff! Gagh! Like I said, the actual road was brilliant, but the seemingly endless corners were exhausting! I smiled when I saw the lights of Gordonvale come looming out of the darkness down on the coast… then a short straight rip back to Cairns on a 4 and 6-lane highway… from one extreme to another! By the time I got home I was absolutely wasted… time enough to jump into the pool and hit the shower…

Yeah, this was a really long day, but I simply love driving, and the scenery was far more spectacular around the coast and Daintree and Cape Trib than I could ever have imagined!

(*) Home to roost

Got home Monday fine, just tired. All's well... I'll write again when I get some time to hit the keyboard for real :o)

(*) Wet wet - and lovin' it!!!

It's been a good week so far in Cairns... tropical rain every day! But - loving it all the same!!! Yeah... going for walks along the beach in the evening rain... it's warm and I'm lovin' it! I've only seen the sun like for a few hours on 3 days out of 8 - but, that's the chance you take on any holiday, huh? I'm not complaining, considering the cost of the accododation - nix!!! heh heh.
Mental health took a few days to come back to some sort of stability, but feeling better within myself now - thank Ford for that!!!
Just dropping a quick line and I'll write again soon.
Cyalayta
Mal :o)

(*) Going away...

Going away for about 2 weeks from Wednesday. I really need the break. I hope I come back! I know I am slowly dying here. Don't mean to sound so 'emo-dramatic', but - I *am* dying. And I just can't seem to stop myself anymore.

(*) Tropical holidays - and counting...

Not long until I get to spend ten days - for FREE - in a 5-Star Resort HERE! 11th May, Palm Cove, Cairns, Nth Queensland... I'll be there!
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It's Sunday arvo... this'll be my last opportunity to use the inet for a few days [forgot to pay my ISP in time, didn't I? D'oh!] I'm sitting on my arse, it's a glorious day outside, the sun is shining etc etc... and here I sit online! Idiot am I!

At least I got to go sailing for a few great hours with Mr Hoon on Wednesday... the wind ended up dropping right off, but enough to get up to the dam wall and back - a few km's. I love me little boat!

Fingers' crossed, mom's estate will come thru either tomorrow or hopefully by Wednesday... I've already got a list of things that need to be paid off etc and a few debts and a few essentials... $37,000 already! Holy shit! I've only budgeted $12k in total for a car! It's not as tho I'm getting a lot of shit, either! $12K goes straihght to the boys bank a/c - that'll piss their mum right off... [let's not go there, huh...?] As well, JD will be getting a new computer, and I've got two fun pressies for SJ and Ix... a wizz-bang piano-keyboard, and a large-scale remote-control metho-powered car! heh heh. It's so fucking rare than I can actually get something full-on for them nowdays... what the hell... stuff the madness! heh heh

(*) Connected to the fan

Well, mum's place has finally sold today... $25k less than we anticipated, but it's sold - that's the main thing. My brother and I are just happy and also mixed feelings - it's like the very last thing to wrap up after mum passed away back in April... hmmm...

Haven't seen the boys for two weeks - yes, it's the middle of the school holidays but for two weeks keep getting the 'raincheck' message - too much happening, apparently. Next week onwards is looking better tho - bout fucking time! heh heh. They're well... SJ won't go swimming in their dam again for a while... discovered the hard way that Yabbies (like a freswater crayfish) like toes to nip on! He's not hurt, just shaken!

Went sailing on the 2nd day of the year - and as I'm pulling my boat up the beach - I accidently snapped the rudder! Took some serious glue but it seems all fixed again now. Sailing again this Sunday with two races again... lovin' it. The boys' mum refuses to allow them anywhere near the dam where we all go sailing... just being overprotective... give her a year or two... but sailing is majestic fun for me... absolutely lovin' it!

I had the best Xmas in 4 years... just hanging out with my brother was really really relaxing and refreshing for two days in a row. Even had a few people her for New Years' Eve for a BBQ and a laff... lots of fun. Yeah, this festive season's been one of the best ones for many a year for me here - yay! 'bout bloody time, eh? heh heh. I haven't even pulled the Xmas Tree down yet... the lights are connected to the fan, so... what's the hurry?

I spent a few days casual fruit packing (early-season peaches) in a large steel shed in the middle of a stinking hot sumer... needless to say it wasn't too much fun... everyone was having a hard time of it... tempers were short... not the most pleasant environment to work in... thankfully that's over with for now.

On This Day...
Born: Jack London (writer, 1876).
Died: Maurice Gibb (Bee Gee, 2003); Nevil Shute (writer, 1960).
Events: "Please Please Me" single released by The Beatles 1963.
Useless Trivia: Some kitties have pink fur.
My Soundtrack: local radio 2BS.
Footwear: nekkid.
Weather: cloudy, humid, hot, airless.

Cyalayta
Mallard d'Quackers :o)
"Excuse me, which way is the stage?" (Audience member, lost at Altamont, 1969)

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Monday Musings

1. Name 1 comedy movie you've seen. "Blazing Saddles"
2. Name 2 black and white films you remember seeing. "8 1/2" "A Hard Days' Night"
3. Name 3 dramas you thought were worth watching. "My Brother Jack" "The Bill" "The Stone Tapes"
4. Name 4 television shows you watch on a regular (or semi-regular) basis. "News" "The Simpsons" "Drawn Together" "Iron Chef" "Cricket"
5. Name 5 things that, in your opinion, are advertised on television too frequently. Toyota Camry only $19,990...; MacDonalds; Crampton's Carpets, Dubbo; "Neighbours" "Home and Away" lol


Week 143
I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Unbreakable:: Samuel L Jackson
   
2. Have mercy:: on me, a sinner
   
3. Do it better:: get it right the first time
   
4. Settle scores:: forgive and just forget and get on with it
   
5. Comments:: yes please
   
6. Craziest thing:: walking backwards for Xmas across the Irish Sea
   
7. Apple:: Corp
   
8. Halloween:: a non-event for me
   
9. Manageable:: vegetable
   
10. Trick:: it's all done with mirrors
    

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I'm listening to one of my favourite bands... XTC's LP (well, CD...!) "English Settlement" - great quirky English 80's pop! Love it!

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We don't celebrate Halloween down here (All Hallow's Eve, as tomorrow is All Saints Day - Bible College stooge! lol)... not even any trick or treaters knocking at the door - just as well as there wasn't anything to give 'em anyway... maybe our last remaining VB twist top...? Nah... lol

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People say the damnest things sometimes...! (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii)

(*) Kiama Break

I had a really relaxing, refreshing break away in Kiama over last weekend. It snowed on the way down - not just a loight powder but a good coating thru Trunkey and Crookwell - it looked really pretty. The bush is so quiet when it snows... it's not something I see too often in these parts. Thankfully the roads were quite clear and my trip down to the Southern Highlands was relitavely incident-fee. I enjoyed the gentle country driving. After a short detour (okok... I took a wrong turn slightly! D'oh!) I found "Little Forest", the Bead-&-Breakfast country property at Alpine near Bowral in the Southern Highlands - the gravesite of my fav Aussie writer George Johnston. I couldn't believe I'd actually found it. I knocked meekly on the door, and I introduced myself meekly to the lady who lived there, telling her what I was looking for. She was more than happy to let me have a look and take some photos. It was a very very surreal experience. I've been reading his writing and biographies for years now, but it was very surreal to actually touch a piece of actual reality in connection with this man's real life - I mean, I was like 6 when he died. It's a very pretty quiet spot, and I stayed for about 20 minutes just saying over and over, "This is really weird! This is so weird!" It was a special moment, making a real-life connection with someone I'd only ever experience thru his writing.

From there it was only about a slow hours' drive across to Kiama, down the amazing Illawarra Escarpment (no, an 'escarpment' is not a rare Aussie bush creature either, as in 'Beware of the Escarpment'... mind you, I did see a Lyrebird standing in the middle of the Jamberoo Pass road! Amazing - they usually are rather elusive, but I saw one! nah nah nah! lol) thru Jamberoo. I couldn't help but pull straight up at the address my searching had found for George Johnston's wife's Charmian Clifts' first home, and took some pics. Kiama's a pretty little coastal town, but very touristy in its small way too. I stayed in an en-suite cabin about 100-feet from the ocean's edge - a gergeous spot with breathtaking views... I realised how much I missed the sea, with it's smell and sounds and feel.

I did lots of walking - just taking in the endless ocean views, cooking BBQ beside the beach at dusk, fluked a bit of whale watching too (2 humpback whales migrating north about 1km out to sea from the bench on the headland I was sitting on!), and managed to watch the sunset from a heated spa at one point - laughing at my outrageous decadence! pmsl! Both the main Blowhole (and the lesser-known 'Little Blowhole') were 'working' delightfully the two times I dropped by... what an amazing sound of the 'whoosh-thud' of the compressed air exploding out thru this small hole in the rock platform - very kewl! I took lots of pics of the area - usually in relation to Charmian Clift's childhood and youth spent growing up there, and had some great conversation with some very interesting contacts thru the local library, Visitor's Centre and museum. After the snowfalls on the way down, the weather was amazing for mid-winte - warm, light winds and endless blue skies. The surf was freezing tho - it's easy to spot the European tourists, pretending to enjoy splashing about in the ocean when the water's only like 12c or something - fools! lol I got my toes wet, but apart from the heated spa, no surf for this little black duck.

On the slow relaxed drive home on SundayI dropped past the Carcoar Dam Sailing Club and happened to meet the 'Commodore' - it's a lovely rural relaxed place where formality isn't at all neccesary. There's a working bee there this coming Sunday, so I'm planing to go and meet the others there then - along with some snags and a cold beer to boot, I'm sure. Half-way betwen there and home I re-visited a lovely little cottage 27km's out of town that's for sale... [sigh!] It's be lovely, but in the long run it'd be too far out of town. But the reality is - mum's place hasn't sold yet, so it was nice to dream all the same.

On Tuesday I finally got around to print out some of the digital pics I'd burned to CD recently - some beauties of the boys, my brother - and one of my new boat too [blush!]

I'm still pretty excited about my new little sailboat, you know... I had a special stick-on name for the stern so I can name-and-christen the 'Wyreema' sometime soon, and I went to the local Op Shops and got myself some old wolly jumpers to wear while I'm out on the water (wet-bum sailors don't dress for fashion just practical warmth, alrite?! lol) And I've been hunting for a Life Jacket thru eBay too... I might be able to get one cheap thru the club tho - I'll ask on Sunday.

Hey, by now you've realised that the Photo Galleries have been updated, but did you know you can also report those awful sick websites you accidently stumble across too?

Cyalayta
Mal :o)