What an academic and physical week it has been.... First it was a conference for half a day on responding to challenging situations with families, set at the International hotel in Mt Gambier and a great chance to network with other health people. I even made a contact for the local English home tutoring and migrant services, which i intend to follow up on this week. Another means to meet people! But the academia did not stop there, no, but extended to a quiz night held at the St mary's centre at Boandik lodge. This is an elderly care facility which Shaun's Mum works at, and was in aid of raising money for a fish tank/ aquarium i the dementia ward, a great cause. I always find fish watching relaxing, although it is even more thrilling ... read more

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. ... read more

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 Commercial Street West, about 1.5km out of the city centre, responded to my emails prior to em coming here saying 'Yes, lap swimming is available at our centre'. Closer examination and a visit yielded that ... read more

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 my limited 4 days of experience, let me enlighten you.. Well, it pays to know some hospital staff for the green produce I have gathered - someone put up a sign at work who sells apples for 3kg at ... read more

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........ read more