17 posts tagged “misskatetoursaus”

I think, even though it's late, I am going to make some Cream of Wheat for dinner. Enjoy the photo of kangaroos balancing on their tails. I'm sorry it's blurry.

My camera really isn't that hard to figure out. And probably this picture wouldn't have been taken if I hadn't tried to give instructions.

This is me and Broghan at one of the stop offs on the Great Ocean Road. Don't know which one. Nothing too dramatic in the background unlike the London Bridge or 12 (11) Apostles, just lots of waves and pretty blue water. I think at this point on the road, there is still nothing between Australia and Antarctica but water.

I just thought it was time for another picture post. I really oughtn't be posting so much. NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month, daily posting challenge) is November. But, goodness knows I can blather, so I'm sure I'll do just fine. Besides, I took close to 400 photos in Australia...

Um, so, my understanding is that the U.S. economy runs on a mostly capitalist system where the market determines the value of a product and thereby a firm or company.  People can buy and sell pieces of this company if they think the price is right.  The market will correct itself if it gets out of hand, though this may come at a personal cost to the employees of the company. 
The Republicans favor this free market and prefer a small government with little power to regulate the market.
But, the companies that have benefited from minimal government intrusion are now lining up for a government handout because something isn't working anymore. 
Am I way off base?  Or am I not too far wrong?  I'm sure this an overly simplistic view of the situation, but I'm slow when it comes to this stuff.  How much are their CEOs paid? 
All right, the New York Times article made my head hurt, so let's look at a beautiful picture from the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia instead. 

So, it's probably time to introduce everyone to the impetus behind my flying thousands of miles around the world. This is Broghan. Everyone, say hi to Broghan!

Broghan lived in Geneva for about a year and a half and we met, like so many of our other friends here, through Geneva On-Line (internet based social website now called glocals.com and featured in today's Matin Bleu). One of our mutual friends organized a pub crawl for Australia day that involved, um, golfing. I dunno, I can't explain a lot of that day and I wasn't even really drinking as I was caddying. By the end of the evening, Broghan was winning, but her caddy had left, my golfer had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend and they had run away, so it was up to me to get Broghan through the written quiz. Drinking, I wasn't going to be much help; trivia, on the other hand... and that day pretty much sums up our friendship. For the most part, we balance each other out really well, but there are times when we just seem to lead each other into hangover territory. I would say they were good times, but I can't remember. ;)

SO, when she had the nerve to decide that she wanted to move home, we were all pretty sad and I promised to come and visit her in her natural environment. It took eighteen months, but I made it. One weekend in Brisbane and I could completely understand why she would want to be there. Brisbane is a gorgeous, vibrant city. She has a job that she loves (and her co-workers are wicked funny). Broghan has a huge circle of friends who are just so lovely. Some are from high school, some are from various work places and all are just so much fun and good, good people. And she has a rocking family. I know that I brag about mine a lot. And it's true, I have a great family, but Broghan's runs a pretty close second.

Her parents were just so incredibly welcoming. They really looked out for us when we were preparing for our roadtrip. They've been doing huge driving tours of Australia for years and were spot on with all their advice. I loved talking to her mom so much and her dad and his koo poetry... what a riot! And they kept us very well fed.

When we were in Sydney, we stayed with her aunt and uncle and they made us feel so at home. We'd been on the road for about a week at that point and to stay with Aunt Chris and Uncle Jimmy just made such a difference. We had homecooked meals and no checkout time and advice about driving (because our GPS Polly was marginally better than useless) and "let's have champagne".

I know that much of why my trip to Australia was so special was because of Broghan and her family and friends. All the Australians I met were so generous and good spirited. And if I met any who weren't, well, I've already forgotten.

If the previous photo left you disappointed because it was an oversize koala, perhaps this one will make up for it.
Wendell, by the way, is far heavier than he looks. Koalas are dense little beings. He smelled good, and was very clean. All the animals in the park were. Except the goats. I always think of wild animals as being a little on the unhygenic side, but at least at Lone Pine, it looks like cleanliness is the norm.
Because I was holding him, I couldn't pet him, so I did that after I gave him back. Sorry that the picture is a little dark, but the one with the flash is scary bright.

Me and the Koala.  One of the days we were in Sydney, we drove out to the Blue Mountains.  The Blue Mountains look blue because of the haze of the eucalyptus oil.  They are gorgeously beautiful and I think roughly the same size or a touch taller than my own Blue Ridge mountains back home.  B and I were walking towards the shopping center set up at the Blue Mountains overlook and I saw this oversize koala ahead of us. I suddenly got this burning urge to run at the koala and flying tackle it from behind. I realized that this may not have been one of my brighter ideas so I decided to run it by B first. She was actually (for once) the sage voice of reason and pointed out that scaring the Koala might not be a good idea.
I decided to ask the Koala if I could have a hug instead because it was just so cute! And she said I was really cute, too and of course, I could have a hug. Then I went back later and asked if I could take my photo with her and she said sure, though I have to admit, I don't think she remembered me, or maybe it was a different koala. You know, they all kind of look alike.

One of the best books by Robert Munsch is the story of a little boy whose parents check/double/triple-check whether he has to go to the bathroom before such activities of long car rides, snowsuits and going to bed.  Of course, it never fails that within minutes of beginning any of these, he will say, "I have to goooooo" 

I admit that I have the bladder about the size of a mustard seed.  This is not good news in a school teacher, but thankfully, the library is right across from the teacher toilet upstairs.  I have a good friend who I can call when in downtown Geneva, and I mean anywhere in downtown Geneva to find out where the nearest publically accessible toilet is.  In the U.S., if you serve food/beverage and have a place for patrons to sit down, you are mandated to offer a restroom. 

Not so much in Australia.  I have to say that public toilets I have been in have been exceptionally clean, but they can be few and far between and we stopped at one, I don't remember where, but rural town and it had a deposit box for your used syringes.  And I don't think this was aimed at diabetics.  Anyways, I digress.  Little snack bars and light lunch places are not required to offer a restroom.  It becomes almost a game to choose either a place to eat or find a public toilet.  Hence why I know what the staff lunch room looks like at the Woolworth's in Coonabarrabran (and if I got that right, yay me, I did it without looking. If I got it wrong, well, I did it without looking!). 

So, if I were to change one thing about Australia it would be that there should be restrooms in every place that offers food and a table at which to eat it.  (That and move Australia to the middle of the Atlantic so it would be more accessible to me, but I'm pretty sure that one is not going to happen)

If you have spent any amount of time on my blog, you know that I have a thing for public transport.  When it works, it's awesome.  I have taken public transport in Noosa, Sydney, Brisbane, but not Toowoomba.  Why didn't I take the bus in Toowoomba?  Because it would have taken me an hour plus to where the taxi delivered me in twenty minutes.  That is why I didn't take the bus in Toowoomba.  Why did I take the bus in Noosa?  Because I was able to plan my massages around the bus schedule, so even though the buses maybe ran once an hour, it still worked for me.  And getting back after the massages, I wasn't constrained by needing to be somewhere at any given time, so I could just wait for the bus, walk a bit, whatever. 

Public transport in Sydney worked very well.  The bus came when we expected, the trains were relatively easy to maneuver (there were just so many of them it was a touch confusing if you rushed) and we found our way 'round. 

Brisbane, Brisbane, Brisbane.  If you need to get somewhere for a certain time, do not, do not, do not count on the bus.  Taking it home Saturday night worked well, because it was just about right there (though it did take a really long time to get home or maybe it just seemed that way, remember copious amounts of beer).  Taking it into the city today...  well, let's just say they seem to be taking a page out of Liverpool's book.  I was there in time for a bus, like ten minutes early.  But it was sunny and lovely, so I enjoyed sitting in the sunshine.  When it seemed that I had been sitting there a while, I asked the woman next to me if the buses tended to run late.  She said, "if the bus comes, it will be late, but it's entirely possible it won't come at all".  Hmm.  The bus arrived, not sure if it was the bus that was twenty five minutes late or the bus that was five minutes late. 

Which leads to my question.  How does a bus not arrive? Where is the bus that is supposed to be on that route?  Did it leave the depot and just not follow its route, it stops for coffee and never starts again?  Did it just not leave the depot, but they decided it doesn't matter? 

Apparently, for commuting, the train is the way to go.  Or more likely, get a job that offers a parking space with it and drive the car that you absolutely have to have. 

Remind me of these experiences when I moan about Geneva public transport again! 

Um, lots to say, not so much time to say it in.  We left Canberra after spending way toooooo long at the War Memorial.  So long, in fact, that we missed out on B's one wish, the Australia Institute of Sport.  The War Memorial has a great museum, but spending close to two hours reading profiles and stories of Australian war dead totally wore me out.  I wallowed in a dark place for a good couple of days.  But, that night we drove to Sydney and stayed with B's auntie and uncle who are just the loveliest!  They really made us feel welcome and at home and I loved the time we spent with them. 
In Sydney, we took a cruise around the harbors.  The next day, after discovering that they actually have peanut butter and chocolate ice cream at BnR here, we boarded a catamaran for a four hour whale watching cruise.  Yes, we saw whales and dolphins but not from a distance so that you'd recognize them from my photos.  Well, maybe you would, but I haven't actually looked at my photos to see.  Instead, we discovered that though this was B's idea, it wasn't one of her best.  She went home to recover from rough seas and I met up with Izzy who I had met at the hostel in Noosa.  We went for hot chocolate which was DIVINE at Max something or other, Brenner, maybe; he's very proud of his baldness is really what I took away from that experience.  Anyways, the hot chocolate was so good that I had hot chocolate in the Blue Mountains the next day to repeat the experience.  SO, Izzy and I wandered the Rocks, walked back to the Opera House, and I actually went inside.  And then I went home, and she went home and the evening was over. 
Blue Mountains, the Three Sisters rock formation, absolutely gorgeous, though I have to say that if this is the low season for tourists, I am never coming back in the high season.  It wasn't jam-packed, but I'm not averse to using the word crowded.   Lunch was at a cute little place with great hot chocolate called the Parakeet?  Probably not, but I wanted to give it a name and I know there was a brightly colored bird on the sign.  
Thursday, we did the marathon drive from Sydney to Byron Bay.  Byron Bay is awesome, but they're a little flexible with their opening/closing times.  Subway's signage indicated a 9pm closure, while the staff inside said, no no, 8:30.  No cookie for me.  Instead we went and had sushi. 
Friday, we had our surfing lesson and it was awesome.  I have to remember to get that disc from B before I go, because the owner's sister came out with a camera and took photos of our class.  Good times!
Friday night, B decided I needed a backpacker bar experience.  We went to Chunky Monkey (so not the correct name, but I'm not doing them that favor).  The food was good and cheap, but the games...  Well, I wasn't near drunk enough for that.  After Happy Hour, the beer prices massively jump, so I'm not sure how all these "backpackers" can afford it, but whatev, by the time I got my third wind, B was ready to go home.  thankfully, I'm a pretty agreeable person and we left in a good mood.  We dropped our new friend home.  The German girl from our surfing lesson who I'm pretty sure was a ringer because she totally rocked the surfboard.  Anyways, she got home safe and then B and I went for pizza. 
I won't say that I'm too old for this shit, though, honestly I am.  Between surfing, beer, and the top bunk, again, I was not in my best shape Saturday morning, but oh my gosh after the divine brunch at the Balcony, I perked right up. I think it really comes down to there isn't much a poached egg on toast (served either Benedict or with feta and grilled tomato) and a great latte can't cure. 
We drove back to Brisbane and stopped off at the Gabba.  The Gabba, named for the suburb in which it stands, is the BCG or Brisbane Cricket Ground.  Thankfully, we weren't there to see cricket, but rather Australian Football League.  I had hardly recovered from Friday night when beer appeared in way copious amounts.  And I discovered many interesting things about this AFL thing.  The Brisbane Lions are, apparently, fourth quarter specialists, meaning they will get their asses handed to them on a platter until the 4th quarter in which they will pull it  out and win by a decent margin.  There are EIGHTEEN men on each side on the pitch (field of play) and the pitch is ROUND.  There's something called a Mark and "catching it on the full" (maybe, it all gets a little hazy) and behinds, and I don't remember what a goal is called, but it involves the ref waving either one white flag (if it's a behind) or two white flags.  The quarters are 25 minutes each, so umm, well, you so get your money's worth. 
Somehow, we ended up in Fortitude Valley, experiencing the night life of Brisbane.  I took the bus home and died, I woke up in time to shower and get to B's parents for another splendid bbq where I got to meet more of her awesome family and some of her friends from high school. 
Monday, I went to Toowoomba to take a photo for my dad, but my experiences with public transport here and in Toowoomba are a totally diffferent post.  Today, I am in downtown sunny Brisbane.  And I leave tomorrow.  No, I haven't thought about packing. 

Literally. 
Well, it can't all be fairy penguins and sunset on gorgeous rock formations.  So, this is a slight return to cranky Kate with a moan about bug bites from the Backpackers in Anglesea where we also had to pull out our sleeping bags because there was no heat and no potential for heat in the room.  I have two bug bites on my throat, one on my cheek and two on my left hand.  And no, it wasn't a good night's sleep.  SO, after a surfing lesson in Torquay where I got totally confused because they teach you to stand differently (I guess there is such a thing as too much instruction) in 12 degree water wearing the oh so chic full-length wetsuit and booties, we drove back to Bendigo to the lovely heated YHA where we had stayed before.  Um, I was on a top bunk this time and as heat rises, I couldn't sleep because it was too hot.  I got up at about one to turn down the heat and of course, turned it off.  It was a little chilly this morning, but nothing like Anglesea.
We hadn't actually planned on Bendigo, but when we got to Ballarat and paid our $9.- to see only PART of the Gold Museum and it turns out that the gold nuggets on display aren't real and then got a little skeeved by the hotel we stopped at (again no heat in the room, no women's bath/toilet), Broghan said that the best thing about Ballarat was the road leaving it (not entirely true, the people we met were absolutely lovely, just the facilities leave a lot to be desired), we decided to go back to where we knew we had been comfortable. 
We got up today and went to the Deborah Mine in Bendigo where we wore hard hats and headlamps to go down 65 meters.  Pretty much, what I took away from that experience was a)you could not pay me enough to be a miner and b) there is still a lot of gold in them thar hills.  After lunch and leaving Bendigo, it was off to Canberra.  Since I had had two nights of less than fab sleep, I slept for the first three and a half hours of the drive.  I wasn't too impressed with Aylbury (possibly not it's real name) and kind of twisted Broghan's arm into continuing on to Canberra. I took over the driving as it got dark and three hours after that, we arrived to a hostel that has a pool and a gym and a bar but no elevator (under renovation).  Guess who's room is on the second floor?
We have named the GPS on Broghan's phone Polly.  She doesn't always bring her A game, to say the least.  Sometimes it takes a while for her to show up and other times, she's had us in the meadows and fields.  But tonight, to her credit, when we brought her in off the bench (after an excessive warm-up period), she got us safely through the streets of Canberra.  We're mostly trying to work on her tone of voice.  She gets a little edgy when we don't do exactly what she wants immediately when she wants it.