I can see the Southern Cross tonight.

---

(Written last night 4th Oct)
Yes - I have arrived in the Southern hemisphere, in Perth Western Australia. Need I sing the praises of Singapore’s Changi airport - if you have been there you know how amazing it is and if you haven’t been then it is worth a trip to Singapore just for the airport!!! And a little café just inside the security (which didn’t bother with plastic bags and liquids of 50ml only rules by the way) does marvellous French toast with a sort of syrup ( no idea what it was)and butter. Just though I better tell you what I had to eat since this is also turning out to be a food journey. Flew with Singapore Air again - brill. Shopping News - Bought myself a little treat at Changi - a gorgeous kimono red and black - reversible with a sumptuous dragon on the back.
And flying down the coast of Western Australia was so inspirational that I have even written a poem. If I was an artist I would want to paint what I saw - and I could see how their aboriginal art connects with the land- the colours and patterns were dreamlike. In one area it was like those marbling paintings we did with the kids , in another like someone had dropped blobs of paint, ( Lesley - it reminded me of your Jackson Pollock) and painted brush strokes endlessly in horizontal strips. WOW !! I was transfixed. But cursing cos I didn’t have my camera in the plane with me!!
Well - here is the poem- and I don’t want any comments from all you teachers!!! It’s straight out of my head - I don’t mess around with my poetry - it is straight out and onto the page and that is that. I express how I feel.
Flying
Endless blue if sky above
And sea below
Indistinguishable as we flew
Until the coastline fringed with
White froth edging the turquoise
Red continent, red red earth
Palette of colours splashed
Marbled oil painted Earth’s canvas
Valleys, dry river bed fanshaped corals
Strips of dark brush strokes
Blobs of endless colours
Salt pans
Circle and swirl
Australian landscape
Bird’s eye view
Excited!

And so I have been welcomed to Perth by my lovely hosts Anna and Bill given a very nice home cooked dinner and taken to view the skyline of Perth at night. Looks amazing and can’t wait to see it in daylight tomorrow. Thanks for the messages - keep ‘em coming - and amazingly I am still having people say they want to join in my blog!!
But yes I see I have another mission, Sue - to cheer up you all up on rainy cold Sunday afternoons. XXX

---

Comments

[Pauline]

Sounds wonderful
I've turned a rather unattractive shade of green, Lynne!!! Australia winning so many medals in Delhi I Googled their National Anthem lyrics so I could sing along. Continue to have a wonderful time in Perth. Lots of love Pauline in France

[Jocelyn]

Poem
Hi Lynne What a fabulous Blog! The poem is Great!! Thanks for sharing that with us. Here's a food tip...in Perth and other parts of Australia we enjoy lunch at MYO It's a self serve place where you can make your own sandwiches, Pizzas, Wraps etc. or just buy a salad, vege or fruit. There is a website with all the addresses listed if you're interested. I remember seeing a couple of them in Perth. We are off to Wellington today. Cheers Jocelyn

[lesley]

poem
the sun is out the sky is blue i'm ok and so are you xxx from another poet ha ha!