bvchef's Guestbook

A great day
TB meet-ups are always fun. It was good to meet you after having followed your blogs for many years. I notice you carefully avoided mention of the 40C temperature outside. Glad you enjoyed yourself in Sydney.

At the top !
Great description of your climb. I don’t think that adventure is for me , so thanks for taking me with you , I feel like I have ticked it off. Only one day in Sydney ???

Food and oceans
Just catching up with your blog now Brendan . You are certainly enjoying the wonderful variety of food available there in Oz. I can’t wait to sample it again at the end of the year when I am planning to have a few months there. When I stood at Cape Leeuwin I thought of all the sailors and explorers who had passed that point including my dad who was in the Merchant Navy . The colours of the sea are unbelievable.

Uluru & Kata Tjuta
I'm so glad that your experienced the beauty and wonder of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. I hope there weren't too many flies while you were there; the last time we visited the Red Centre we were extremely glad to have hats on which included a veil to cover the face. At certain time of the year those outback flies can be a real damned nuisance!!

Left right left right...follow the flag
I can see you bucking the system...lining up then missing...long strides then dragging your feet...the many faces of indifference and displeasure...then looking at the mighty rock in awe lost in your thoughts...ignoring the tour guide trying to herd you back onto the bus. Ahhh...the joy of travel...no matter how you do it...all sorts of memories every time!

I think we have all been in your shoes at some point. Gah! Uluru was fantastic though right Brendo? It was 10 years ago that I went camping and hiking there and I can still feel the magestity of that sacred site.

Tourists ...
Ohh, Brendo ... you do know, don't you, that you are now always going to be "Brendo" to us. :) A good Aussie nickname. Aussies do like nicknames and, once given one, it's a good sign that you have been accepted as a mate or good friend. Are you sure that you weren't an Aussie in a past life? Some of your expressions give you away. Either that, or they have rubbed off on you while you were here with us :) Good stuff! Regarding tourists, and, all jokes aside, I know exactly what you mean as, we too, really dislike the thought of being a tourist when we travel and, I too, can very quickly become grumpy and Cranky Jan and Over It Jan, when dealing with inconsiderate tourists.Grrrr!! Much prefer the thought of being a traveller. Great blog, by the way - despite the tourists and, you saw the country at its best - after (monsoonal) rains :) Jxx

Sounds of Silence
To tour or not to tour... always the question. We rented a car at Uluru and spent hours driving around it, hiking, and driving on. We didn't have to contend with a large group and could move at our pace. We did the bus thing in Israel and regretted it. You described the bus exit to a T. It is a puzzle. Ok, no need expecting the wings to be good as the ones you prepare at work. Misguided expectations. I've traveled with cranky Brendan and he can get frustrated but to be honest he was traveling with cranky MJ. :). We enjoyed this piece of Australia. The sounds of silence was a lovely evening.

Train Travel
To my mind, train travel just has to be one of the best forms of transport. And what an amazing experience it must have been to cross a whole continent on one! An inspirational read indeed.

Really???
Photos of green instead of red...landscapes of grasses instead of red dirt...you absorbing the star talk of the southern skies...IN SILENCE? Really? The Brendan I know is not ever silent...forever searching for the Northern Star that does not exist in the southern skies. Chef Brendan becoming Outback Brenno. Maybe anything is possible when you consider what you have to work with!!!