Here are some pictures of Mount Schank, which i rode to yesterday. It was a bit prolonged after taking an extended route between bay Road, which connects wets with east, and the main highway into Mt Gambier with the logging trucks. Needless to say, keeping left has never had such meaning when they pass! I should add that when cycling one should NEVER imagine or say the P word…yes, punctures come as and when least expected. I got one, seemingly on way to pool this morning before work along the greasy, truck soiled, wet roads of Mt Gambier. Picture flat as [View Full Entry]

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Sunrise over Mount Gambier, June 16th 2009. If you can drag yourself out at 7am into 2 degrees Celcius, and climb up to 190m elevation, you are rewarded with a sunrise like this. Most of Mt G is under white, with the TV tower, Mt Schank, and the odd wood chip flume emerging into a vast blue sky. The temperature on crater top is warmer than at ground level, and drier. Easy to get fingers frostbitten! Just wonderful. [View Full Entry]

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A sunny Sunday without pouring rain begged a cycling tour of the Green Belt and Lakes of Mt Gambier. After gearing up for a chilly 13C maximum, I headed out westwards from Jubilee Highway until Tollner Road, which links back towards Grant avenue by the cemetery and memorial gardens. This is the shire of Grant after all, a famous explorer of the 19th century! One way to get away from the traffic and amongst the cows and sheep is to explore one of the many farm trails (like budget white tar seal) around Mt G. The scenery is flat or undulating, [View Full Entry]

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As promised a leisure and industry guide to Mount G. Firstly leisure - you do not come to the G for good swimming centres. Many locals have maligned the fact that there is a lack of good quality lane or lap swimming in winter time when the Olympic Park 50 metre pool is closed. Ths is the case in many provincial towns of Australia from from what I can gather, and unless you are a hardy soule that doe not mind surfing with sharks or the 12C coastal water temperatures then alternative leisure must be embraced! The Squashbrook leisure center on [View Full Entry]

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What else to do for a long Queens Birthday weekend but explore! I got bitten by the spontaneous travel bug late last Thursday, and determined by my internet sleuthing that deals were to be had for Avis rental cars under the website vroomvroomvroom.com. Besides, hanging out in my noisy highway-side flat with the mill milling and smoking, or the highway screeching was not going to be fun, even if it was with a good book on Steve Irwin's tragedy by his wife Terri. Speaking of being domestic, I have figured out why it is extra noisy - apart from the proximity [View Full Entry]

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The "southwestern triangle" (like the Bermuda triangle, maybe I will go missing soon?) of South Australia, composed of limestone and underground tunnels and caves, is a volcanic-soiled delight of forestry, orchards, and a few vineyards that make perfect growing conditions. Also close to the coast at Port MacDonnell, where the lobster industry is based, are many seafood options. Most of this seems to be exported for overseas purposes like the japanese market. But this is not what you want to hear, right? You want good quality economic grocery shopping options in the heart of the Mount! With [View Full Entry]

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I have finally made the move! And with no job to go to on Monday morning, and a house with painting and sanding jobs done, what else is a girl to do but move to the sticks of South Australia. The flights on the Sunday went almost seamlessly, with a generous 2 hour connection at Sydney airport to get from international to domestic terminals. Air NZ have also pimped their service quite considerably so it is now screens on the seat in front of you and personal DVD's / audio/ on demand......the choices so vast, but had to settle with Flight [View Full Entry]

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Changed plans....due to unforseen redundancy from my NZ job I am taking a working holiday breather in Mt Gambier, SA. Land of the Blue Lake, forestry, tourism, and half the rainfall of Auckland! This should fit flush with my plans to get to Eastern Europe later in 2009, in mid September, to celebrate passing my Masters last year and putting to rest long nights of reading academic literature and practicing spinal manipulations. Till next week, hooroo..... [View Full Entry]

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The seed has been sown and all going well it will be happening this September 2009. Will be routing via Seoul each way hopefully, and on trip with Intrepid for half of it. Watch this space!... [View Full Entry]

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Well June 14th was certainly a memorable one. The weather in Otaru, placed about 43 degrees north of the equator, is understandably cool and mild at this time of year. I have so far been fortunate with good traveling conditions, especially when carting a pack about up and down train platforms and getting all hot and sweaty at times (such as in the wet season in Kyuushuu or Shikoku), doing it is not fun! A small city of ~140,000 people, with map in hand, it is easy to explore on foot, and well known for music boxes, glassware and canals (unga). [View Full Entry]

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