homeward bound

just had a lovely two weeks with C, J, M and their friends and family. camping and walking, driving through the countryside (for hours/ days) and spotting the wildlife (most of which was in the car in the shape of a 7 yr old). the outback is definately the place to be in australia, although i was also glad of my last beach visit. had lots of rain this week and seemed to spend most of it eating and drinking.
i'm now at singapore airport, killing my time. can i be bothered with the rooftop swim? or will i just people watch?
will be posting my best piccies soon ................
THANKS FOR ALL STAYING IN TOUCH!!!
J XXX

Sydney

not sure if anyone is still reading this tripe. as i dont think they are im not doing much blogging myself - especially as it gets so complicated and i usually crash the computers (or the whole server as i did the other day)
anyway syd is fabuloso. beached at bondi, bit trashy but nice walk along the cliffs. stayed with anja in Manly and again nice cliff and beach walks, although found myself on the cliff-edge side of the barrier somehow, found a path through some rocks and stumbled on a snake but eventually found some civilisation after getting to the headland of sydney harbour where i whale-watched but apparently had just missed a pod. enjoyed the jazz festival in darling harbour, sydney sky-line at night from the tower, botanic gardens and art gallery, several visits to bill grangers and two magnificent nights at the opera house - syd symph orch & elgars cello conc and then graeme murphys GRAND contemp dance. today i was in the blue mountains, cold but spectacular.
yesterday i turned up on old uncle jack unannounced. i saw him last in 1972 and he gave me a 50c piece which i took him back, he was well chuffed. didnt think i'd find the 90 yr old alive but he certainly was and i think would quite like to join me on my last two weeks travel.

Melbourne

Just celebrating the end to my two weeks work with a beer at the top of the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere - Rialto Tower. Melbourne has been great, wonderful city and I was really welcomed at work. Off to Sydney tomorrow, crikey only 3 weeks left!

Great Ocean Road

Just spent three days on the Great Ocean Road. Friday was meant to be my first days work with VicHealth but decided to hire a car and hit the road. It was a gorgeous drive through diverse landscape. I'd stop off for a rainforest walk, cliff top walk, beach, rolling hills, and finally to the twelve apostles - amazing cliff stacks just off the coast.
Saw wild cockatoos and parrots, koalas, wallabies and kangaroos.
Nice hostels and avoided other hostellers, as usual, playing the "countries I have visited" competition (despite being pretty good at it) chatted with fishermen instead, evening strolls along the beach/ pier.
Highly recommend the GOR, definately the place to be and hang out if you're in the country, after the bush of course.
Pics to follow.

ULURU & Aboriginal People

so Uluru was great but am learning lots about Aboriginal People/ Communities/ Mobs. We took ownership of "Ayers Rock" and then gave it back to them but said they had to lease it back. The management cttee of Uluru Park is now made up of joint representatives. The rock is sacred and aboriginal people request that people dont climb it. Tourists still climb it. All the tours offer it as an activity and there are steps and a nice rail to hold on to. A short while ago deliberate fires were started all around the site but my tour guide said no-one knew who did it or why. Hello???!!!!!
and thats not to mention all the other recent history of this country. the life expectancy is 45 years for aboriginal people and the department of health are funding projects to increase it, improve health, access to (westernised) illness services and prevent suicide. The government will not apologise for the genocide and continue to run a white country. I still know only a smidgen on this but surely give back Canberra/ Sydney/ Melbourne ??? anyone else got any pearls of wisdom on this?

and Kata Tjuja (the Olgas) also pretty gorgeous

and it turns to a browny reddish - still magnificent though

walked round the rock, seconds later the red glow is gone as the sun comes up

and just to prove i was really there!

ooh yes! waited for the sun to come up to get the glow

Ayers rock 28.5.05

sunset in the outback - turns the iron sand to rust

Alice Springs - great place

sunset Port Doug

feeding the fish!

Low Isles sand cay

port douglas

ULURU

Just been to Alice Springs and on a two-day trip to Uluru, Kings Canyon and the Olgas - fantastic.

Did 1400km in the bus which i really enjoyed - long straight roads through the bush, red soil, gum trees, desert oaks, wild animal spotting - occasional wedge-tailed eagle (often eating road kill) camels and kangaroos at dusk and dawn. i could just lose my gaze in the bush for hours - infact i did. if only i could have driven and chosen the music and it would have been perfect. Wild and open and massive, civilisation was 1000s of miles away in every direction.

Then i saw Uluru (Ayers Rock) wow! watched the sun go down.

Slept in a swag outside under the milky way, with a few dingos and listening to James Blunt on the ipod. It was hard to shut my eyes that night despite being up since 0430. Amazing.

Sunrise and the big glowing red rock, pretty impressive. A sacred site which was very spiritual even though i know little about it - will read up, watch this space.

WAR ON WORK

The work feels like a total invasion.
I knew it was coming and i thought i was prepared (and always ready for action!!) but my current inability and lack of motivation to attack this has caught me off-guard. If only i had more troops (KOH AWOL!!). It's actually delightful that my work-life balance is in better shape. I'm glad i've totally shut down. However, my need for control/ perfection/ perseverence/ criticism ... however, my bloodymindedness .... has not shut down, so i need to not act like a moron when i'm visiting these fabulous projects (of course i actually believe we're doing it all already/ i know it all already, as usual).
HELP!!!!

WEEK TWO

Upto Cairns to the youth club hostel...took a small boat to the reef - wise choice and it was a millpond. Booked to snorkel but found myself amongst the divers, so i suddenly had a tank on my back and was madly popping my ears. It was totally amazing, loads of coral and fish and one turtle and shark. Next day skyrail to the rainforest, avoided all the many beasties, apart from a mad couple from Perth.
Moved up the coast to Port Douglas and couldn't resist another reef trip to snorkel off a sand island.
Great week, i even warmed to the teenage hostellers.

the ocre something spider - golden web - she's just eaten her tiny man

cute... he just woke up and was obviously thinking the same when he saw me ....

a day in the rainforest

a harmless croc

mmm... diving and sharking