The autumn winds have started and cyclone weather not over yet - in fact I am in the midst of Ului right now, awaiting the change from calm cloud spotted skies to a civil emergency. The shelves have almost emptied and even though the locals make a song and dance about it, it is nothing compared to Xmas Eve down at Albany! I have danced for months with my employer about whether they want me permanent - endurance test to say the least. I always was good at long distance running! Then the promises made at Xmas have not occurred. Meanwhile my feet are itchy as I have plans to visit Antarctica and South America over Xmas 2010/ NY 2011 which they potentially could honour. Being here would be a ‘financial plan’ (as a social worker ... read more

Bowling Green Bay National Park is about 50 km north of Ayr on the westward side. It forms part of the Leichhardt range that makes the east wet and tropical and west dry and hot! Although I had not noticed it before (being a passenger makes a huge difference to a journey) there are some scrawny looking cows on both sides of the highway, and now having had a bit more rain the foliage is looking very green and lush. The rain is not maligned but restorative for this area! One Saturday we headed up to Alligator Creek, part of the national park and in the vicinity of which is the Mount Elliot climb. But with 66.6% of us being be-jandal’ed a taxing walk in the afternoon sun was off and instead we opted to wander ... read more

Last I left it was the height of pre-Christmas festivity, cheery, and hustle bustle for the impending public holidays at this time of year. Thank you to Jesus for another religious celebration………. The build up to this annual celebration was very much normal for me, being at work, swimming, keeping cool, as I clearly am too hot, with the Mitsubishi air con going full throttle ………..albeit this time like several before in the UK it was away from family, in a strange place, nonetheless where everyone speak-a-da-Englais, even if it is with an over-accentuated drawn vowel sound. Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaatte. But there have been several distractions. Just over one week ago I had my encounter with the local pervert. Lets call him Tom, as in peeping Tom, in order to preserve their anonymity (do not ask why I ... read more

‘Welcome to the Bountiful Burdekin’ the sign said. Whenever you drive the long straits into Ayr or Home Hill towns from either end you cannot help but notice extensive cane plantations and mangoe orchards. The Burdekin, prone to floods, is fringed by a range of humps (barely mountains) up which many run, walk or cycle up. Mount Inkerman, 14km south of Home Hill, is a steady 2km climb. It took me just under 25 minutes to make my way up the steady steep incline, and on the way caught up with a flying bush turkey and some marsupial friends and their prodigy at the top. I feel a ‘Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the bush wallabyyyyyy!’ coming on…….The sunset on the way down was brilliant over a hazy but gave a vast view towards the western hills and ... read more

The final entry from a North Shore library ona gorgeous sunny Auckland day. I has been a long haul through from Bratislava to Cappadoccia for 9 weeks where I terminate my celebration of post graduate study. The lira, lev and euro are spent, the email addresses are collected, the exchanges I have had with many locals resonate in my memory, and the food will too........please no more tomatoes or cucumbbers for breakfast, I want Asian food! Photos from the final days arr prohibited so use your imagination....heavy snow capped trees and mountains, cold damp cave hotel and wily lcoal faces ending with a setting sun at incheon airport. The trip finished with 3 flights - to Istanbul, then on to seoul for 5 hr transit and home to green clean NZ. I spalshed out on a ... read more