Road Trip

We are accompanying the BMW 335i on its quest to rack up enough kilometres to escape FBT damage. How does this sit with my renewed go green/eco-button outlook? Let's leave it as a rhetorical question shall we.

We stopped by Canberra yesterday and squeezed in the Masterpieces exhibition and Canberra Caps vs. Sydney Flames basketball game. Studying the artworks has given me resolve to sign off on my creations (should they ever be immortalised) using the FULL year, rather than just the last 2 digits. And why is it that all these legendary artists were marred with such insufferable doubt.

The caps vs. flames game was a cracker. It went into O.T with LJ hitting a game winning 3 to get her team up down the stretch. As expected, I made the gang loiter around after game while I go through my fan-girl/stalking for photos process. However, I think the fangirl stage of my life is drawing nigh, given that everybody around me, including the players, were half my age.

Best part of the night was catching with our friend Millie. It was so great to see here again ... she is still so gentle, caring and ever so diplomatic (well she does work for government). She really did warm my heart.

Onwards to Melbourne.

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Bubye Barnbougle

Until next time ...



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Slice of Heaven with a bit of Hells Gate

I would love to retire in Tasmania where everyday is a happy day, and the air that you inhale is as fresh as the canned Perri-Air in Spaceballs. Where your surroundings are always picture perfect and where you can get Boags Draught on tap.

Today we made our journey to the mecca of golf - Barnbougle - but not before stopping off at a Strawberry Farm and Daniel Alps at Strathlynn, Rosevears. The troops were hard at work picking non-mongoloid strawberries at the Hillwood Strawberry Farm. Sweet, juicy, cheap and free of pesticides, meaning we could do what Maccas kids cannot - eat on the job.

The lunch stop, Daniel Alps, was an hour filled with delectables. Duck, pork belly, french cheese, warm choc filled pudding accompanied by wine & coffee. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

Then it was onwards to Barbougle, aka Hells Gate for its narrow fairways caressed with the dreaded button grass along the edges. This afternoon's session was a warm-up for the "competition" which begins tomorrow. Boys vs Girls. Hipe the boys choke like Greg Norman.

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Sunrises and Sunsets

We are seriously being spoilt with gorgeous views every day. It's nearly unfair.

World Heritage Cruise

We boarded the catamaran - the Eagle - which took us on a journey on the Macquarie Harbour and the World Heritage listed Gordon Wilderness Area.

Along the way, we saw aquaculture pens brimming with Atlantic Salmon, and the former penal colony on Sarah Island, once regarded as hell on earth by convicts. The cruise also involved a stroll at the ancient forests at Heritage Landing where we marvelled at 2000 year old Huon Pine trees.

Did you know that to make it on the World Heritage list, you need to satisfy one out of the ten listed criteria. The Gordon River Wilderness Area meets SEVEN making it the highest rated World Heritage Area on Earth. The Gordon River is also famous for its mirror perfect reflections.

Strahan has seen quite a bit over the years: indigenous people, convicts, miners and piners, immigrant workers on the hydroelectric schemes, and now tourists.

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Strahan - and our awesome pad

Strahan (pronounced Strawn), declared the best little town by the Chicago Tribune (need to find the source), and famous for its trout. Suffice to say that it is a gorgeous little town; perfectly picturesque by the tannin concentrate seaside.

Our pad is right next to the water, and the view is absolutely breathtaking. It is really quite spectacular.

We will be doing the Strahan cruise tomorrow - buffet included of course.


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Montezuma Falls

Beautiful, stunning and too much power walking.

Scary leech talks also led to "Your mama is such leech" show-down. Best of the day was: "your mama is such a leech that her blood type turned AB"

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Sheffield - The Town of Murals

After a delectable and now slightly sickening chocolate gorge fest at the Anvers Chocolate Factory, we find ourselves in Sheffield - the town of Murals.

Very quaint and charming.

Even has a marble shop. Cat eyes!

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Feel ...

... the spirit down below

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Boarding the Spirit of Tasmania

First time on a cruise ship.

I can feel sea sickness coming on.

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Stats so far

We just passed Goulburn, Victoria.

Some statistics:

- number of L platers on the road so far: 13

- kilometres covered: 666

- average speed: 105.8 kms/hr

- number of stops: 3

- number of fast food stops included in stops: 2 (one McDonald's; one Hungry Jacks)

- number of scary storms: 1

- number of carcasses: 7



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Gundagai - For Real Song

I shall never doubt really bad mumbler of tunes ever again.



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On the Road to Gundagai

We are 'on the road to Gundagai', which I am told is a for real song. Can't say that the tune that my driver is mumbling resembles a tune. I will have to accept it at face value.

We are en route to Tasmania, with a brief stop in Melbourne where we will board the Spirit of Tasmania.

The on board computer says that we have travelled 282kms; and I need to pee.


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Big Things of Australia

Do you know that there is more than one Big Banana in Australia?!
Seems like the norm to have 3 or each BIG THINGS, in which case we should have 3 of my fat ass head - scary thought.

(Still trying to find pair of sunglasses and hat/beanie to fit my head. I should really turn this into a challenge.)

KS - Labour Day Long Weekend

We are in the Blue Mountains, staying in a house that has shelves of books in every corner of the house. The owner has a super impressive collection - very impressed.

A trip to the Jenolan Caves yesterday gave us an insight into: CaCO3, crystals, stalagmites, stalactites and the beauty of time and nature (cue in Sir David Attenborough). We booked ourselves into the Orient Tour which led us (via dynamite blasted tunnels) 100 metres below ground. The view was spectacular.
YDG created her own spit crystals during her 15 minutes whooping cough fit. I was kinda fearful that her coughing fit was going to induce a stalagmite/stalactite earthquake.

We played golf today - not much to say about the day except for the fact that we didn't win the damn meat tray.

I have whooping cough

Before you know it, we have exhausted more than half of our yearly quota of public holidays. This Easter, thanks to some insidious bug, I had the misfortunate bestowal of a 5 day weekend. Sounds great ... but for the fact that I had to WORK FROM HOME on my sick day.

Perhaps the rigours of long weekend activities were partly to blame:

Attempting to play a 18-hole links-style championship golf course when: a) you have a 40/45 (depending on mood) handicap; b) your golf set has been sitting in the garage untouched and uncleaned for the past 6 months; c) suffering from whooping cough; and d) play well as an exception rather than the rule. Taken together, it's fair to say that it was a tough day all around.
I didn't play the game. Nay, the game played me (into the rough, the bunkers, the water hazards etc etc etc).

The salvaging moments? Finding 5 new golf balls (after losing 3); making donuts in sand with the golf buggy (then getting bogged); winning the day by one point (what that must say about Wayne and Sharlene's golf game .. mehehe). The not so-salvaging moments? Throwing a hissy fit on the 10th hole.

We need Sic Pandy from SicBo/Pandemonium fame to return!

Having to endure an entire Bulldogs game without being to cuss or curse due to malfunctioning voice box. Very trying! I won't get started on my close to intense antipathy for that football club. Just within this past week, the Bulldogs club has had TWO controversies over two of their star players. It's only Round 5?!? I recognise that there may be some historical reason for supporting the Bulldogs club, but what's the point of supporting a team where you can't respect the players that make up that team?

These pictures speak for themselves ...

Easter show was fun, despite not being able to eat meat. Not too easy when you are constantly surrounded by farm animals and seduced by taste testing treats. See Bec's colourful pixelated recount.



No point puffing up your chest ...



... unless you can hula hoop

Culburra & Imaginary Friends amongst other things

Last weekend, we spent a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable weekend in Culburra, land of the kookaburra (no, I lie)



Culburra is a close cousin of Wollongong. Despite not being as UBD/TomTom friendly, it offers the same pristine beaches & very monetary-generous accommodation. We scored a massive 'OC' type house that boasted a 2 minute walk from the beach. No s53 Trade Practices Act - false or misleading representations - contraventions here! Although the 2 minute walk didn't take into account the heavy toil of bacon and eggs (fried & scrambled), fresh oysters, fish'n'chips, prawns, wholesale KFC, BBQ octopus and a gluttony of food that the heart foundation warns you against.
Did you know that you can purchase make-your-own KFC chicken? End product is somewhat similar, however less crispy and surprisingly more spicy.

The surf was quite chaotic and a bit dangerous - ask Binny, she needed some baywatch assistance. Unlucky for her, there were no life guards. Lucky for her, there was an Asian novice surfer in close proximity.

We also went fishing - I caught my first fish EVER. It happened so quickly and I really didn't know what I was doing, so suffice to say that skill played no part. It was under the legal size and Kathy had to throw it back with the hook still lodged in its mouth. Poor little fishy. Hope the other fishes don't start taunting it with "train tracks" or "I know what you did last summer" comments. Thanks Craigy for all the supplies ... he certainly knows how to 'go fishin' ... *snicker*

We also visited an oyster farm - battlers of the sea. He had tears in his eyes as he was telling us the plight of the Georges River farmers during QX outbreak circa 1994. Stupid me flippantly mentioned that he must have been happy that the competition was wiped out. Ignorance is so embarrassing sometimes. *cringe* It takes 3 years to nurse those aphrodisiacs, and we gorge them for $1.33 a pop. The cost-benefit analysis for these farmers doesn't stack up, but I don't think they do it for the ker-ching!

On something completely unrelated.
I was watching a children's program the other morning, and a bunch of ppl in dinosaur(?) costumes were reading a letter from a kid. The letter read: "what makes a good friend and how do I meet one". Helpfully, the dinosaur-ppl listed some traits of a good friend, e.g. good at making lists (questionable), makes me laugh (tick), picks me when they fall down in the playground (tick). I was shocked when I heard their suggestion for the 2nd part of the question, i.e. where do I meet one. They suggested that this child conjure up an imaginary friend!! Is grand delusion really a solution? I never had an imaginary friend growing up, and I doubt having one would have alleviated those moments of nigel-ness. I can just imagine the solutions these dinosaur ppl would give to the following conundrums:

I think I'm ugly. Solution > cut out Charlize Theron's face and wear it as a mask ... permanently.

I want to be a doctor. Solution > get Mum & Dad to buy a play kit and treat your imaginary friends.

I want to be Hugh Hefner. Solution > read "The Game".

Speaking of, we were @ Hugo's on Sat night for Malinda's 21st bday - HAPPY BDAY by the way. The scene reminded me of that "famous" magazine advert. Everybody was hot and glamorous. Some ppl really put mega effort for a night out. Pick up joint indeed, some more than others (go Shar ... heh heh).

Vestiges of chilli crab is haunting me this morning. Coffee is not helping.

Pub Motels are Hellacious!

Last weekend, our DodgeBall equivalent touch footy team travelled down to Yass for the Yass Touch Knock Out Competition. Prize money was on the line, but the closest we got to it was forking it out - with the help of Balmain Association. According to Census (thanks Kathy), Yass has a population of approx 9000+ and an overwhelming total of 3 Asians. It must have been the gold-rush days revisted when we sashayed in our Honda convoy into the one strip of road that is Yass.

If you ever stop by Yass, DO NOT STAY @ The Australian Pub Motel! HELLACIOUS:

1st room (#33) we walked into had only (stained) mattresses on the ground - no bed, no sheets no nothing!

Bearing in mind that it was stinking hot in Yass, the room I was in had no ventilation - and the tiny window was facing the air con unit from the opposite building meaning HOT AIR blowing in all night. I didn't get one wink of sleep that night.

Someone attempted to come into the room @ 3am. They were fiddling with the locks for a good 5 mins

Insects/bugs/fleas/cockroaches galore!

So my night in Yass was spent doing the combo of swatting away eeky things, wiping away sweat and crying tears (like Federer) of sorrow. I felt so sorry for myself. Luckily the rest of the team were just as traumatised so we promptly rang some apartment in Canberra the next day and booked accom for the next night - bless mobile phones!

I have a slight suspicion that it was originally advertised as $6 (which would be still an inflated price considering the quality) but some smart cookie decided to tack on a ZERO due to the influx of tourists that weekend. Unbelievably, the luxury accomodation in Canberra turned out to be cheaper than the Aust Pub Motel. This world is not making sense anymore.

The touch itself was enjoyable. We have improved as a team and I scored, not a try, but a nice golden tan. We managed to come 16th out of 32, which gave us the dubious privilege of playing the top team on Sunday morning. Definitely some dodgy draw rigging happening there. It was terribly hot both days. The heat was stifling. And as we left the grounds on the 1st day of competition, there was an announcement that the Australian Pub Motel had a couple of rooms available.

Photos of interesting and enjoyable weekend available here.