Return to Oz, 2005

2005-11-28T20:02:00.000-05:00

We've had a very nice final day in Sydney/Australia following a somewhat bleak day yesterday. It rained heavily for most of the day, and it was cool. Cynthia and I wandered around the shops a little to make some final purchases, but we preferred to be inside. I finished reading Gilgamesh by Joan London, a writer from Western Australia, and the story was evocative of that place. Last night we had a fine dinner with Margaret, Susan and her parents at their home. The oysters and bouillabase were outstanding, and the company charming. Their view of the city skyline is inspirational.

Today it rained in the morning, but not enough to deter Cynthia and me from walking down to Potts Point and around the shoreline to Mrs. Macquarie's Seat overlooking the Botanical Gardens, Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We continued through the gardens and up to the State Library of New South Wales where we went to an exhibit of the Australian photographer David Moore. My favorite pictures were of the Opera House under construction in 1966 and 1967. Others were appealing as well.

Susan and Margaret picked us up for a yummy lunch in Surry Hills, followed by a visit to Bondi Beach where the surf was wild and beautiful. I had a short walk and foot bath in the ocean. They returned us to our hotel and we bid adieu, with hopes of seeing each other again sooner than later in the U.S.. Cynthia and I have packed our bags and laid in some final provisions for the journey home. We're gearing up for the trip and eagerly looking forward to our reunion with Jasper and Z. I'll post again from Greenfield, Massachusetts.

2005-11-26T21:11:00.000-05:00

The rain fell heavily at times this morning, postponing our planned trip to Saturday markets. I still took a run in Centennial Park, then Cynthia and I walked to and around Potts Point before meeting Susan and her mother for lunch in Surry Hills. Potts Point felt intimate, will nice shade trees, terrace houses and a great view of the harbor. The day cleared to bright, warm sunshine.

Our lunch was good, and afterwards we met Margaret at her office. Judith, Cynthia and I went to a market of goods and foods at the Fox Studios complex, then met Susan, Margaret and Alex for chocolate beverages at Max Brenner Chocolatier. We visited other specialty food shops and boutiques in Paddington and Surry Hills. We parted for the evening, with plans to do more shopping and dinner tomorrow.

I feel myself mentally transitioning back to life at home. I cheered myself this morning with the prospect of buying and decorating a Christmas tree next weekend. The lights should fend off some of the dark drear. Here the Christmas decorations have been out since I arrived, but don't feature lights. Rather there are glittery stars, red balls and Christian adornments. I'm not quite in the mood for Christmas here. Tomorrow morning Cynthia and I will head to Bondi Beach where cold and dark will be far away.

2005-11-25T20:32:00.000-05:00

We've made our way to Sullivan's Hotel in Sydney, but I must say I'm smitten with Perth and Western Australia. Perth is a gleaming and yet charming city, with a great outdoor presence from early morning to late evening in the central business district where we stayed. We found ourselves in the midst of a wide choice of excellent cafes and shops, housed in old brick and stucco buildings with open doors and windows. The sky is brilliant there too. The ethos seems to lean a bit towards "frontier wild west" with many folks flying in and out of the city from the numerous mines in WA. Our B&B host in Nannup as well as our cab driver today told us tales of working in various capacities in iron ore, diamond and uranium mines, the overall theme being that the money to be made is extravagant but the lifestyle quite unique. It's such a big country, with these extremely remote outposts. Our B&B host showed us a picture of her sitting in the center of this enormous wheel from a 250 ton truck. I've never seen such a massive piece of machinery.

The southwest of WA was different, between the agricultural interests, the beaches and the forests. We drove through a national forest of karri trees - tall and straight eucalyptus with a high canopy and ferns at the floor. In other places the marris dominate, and they boast substantial trunk girth and a broad canopy. The wildflowers are lovely too, and the state flower, the kangaroo paw, is prolific. This area is far from desert, and yet it too has relatively few people.

But now where back in the thriving metropolis of Sydney for our final days in Australia. I do hold dreams of returning to Western Austrailia.

2005-11-24T18:34:00.000-05:00

Last night we returned to Perth after meandering back via Augusta and the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, notable as the spot where the South and Indian Oceans meet, Redgate Beach to sample Western Australian surfing culture, and Margaret River where we had lunch. The lighthouse and beaches were unbelievably gorgeous, the water filled with colors from light green to deep blue. The township of Margaret River was bustling and crowded with noisy construction trucks. Following lunch we went on to the Margaret River Regional Wine Center where we heard an informative overview of local winemakers and purchased a very small sampling. This made Cynthia's day. As the day was getting on towards evening, I was eager to head north ahead of the active animal time. Many of the towns in the area end with "up" - Yallingup, Manjimup, Nannup, Balingup, Dardanup, Giddyup (just kidding.) We noted the signs as we drove another 3 and a half hours up to Perth. Both of us were beat, and we retired immediately upon arrival.

Perth has much more to offer than we can do in a leisurely day. I think we'd both like to return and spend more time at the beaches, Rottnest Island, Fremantle, the museums, etc. On first impression this is a gorgeous place. I was in need of a slow day today, after the trials and tribulations of driving over the past few days. After returning the rental car this morning, we took a bus up to Kings Park and Botanic Gardens which is a lovely spot overlooking the city skyline, the Swan River and the Canning River. We spent the day there and had a slow, fantastic lunch, what Cynthia aptly called a "peak experience", at Fraser's Restaurant. Yum yum. We are eating very very well in this country.

And so are many of you eating well, I imagine, on this Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A. I wish you all a great day of good eats and good peoples. Cheers!

2005-11-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I published my blog post with the "last call for flight ... to Perth" ringing in my ears. In my haste to catch the flight I neglected many details of the weekend on Kangaroo Island. The lighthouse outside our cottage at Cape du Couedic was tall and proud, built in about 1909 of local sandstone with a red cap on top. The lighthouse at Cape Borda was a bright white, more squat structure. The New Zealand fur seals emit a rather pungent odor, signalling one's approach to the water. The local oysters also rank very highly in my experience. Cynthia and I shared a half dozen before catching the ferry at the place calling itself "Fish" in letters cut out of rusted, corrugated metal. This place also displayed an antique Indiana license plate superimposed with a wooden carved fish. The proprietor spent the American summer in Scituate, MA. The drive on Friday night to our cottage dissuaded us from crossing the island again on Saturday night to see the fairy penquins come in to the caves, but we saw other very interesting animals.

Our flight to Perth was uneventful and we picked up our rental car and came dowm to Nannup yesterday afternoon. The countryside is beautiful with sheep and cattle grazing, wine vineyards, fruit orchards and rolling hills. Nannup is a charming little town, calling itself the "gardener's village." Fittingly, flowers abound and it smells good too. We slept well and had an excellent cooked breakfast this morning. I finished reading Tim O'Brien's "July July" on the terrace and then we set off to see big trees down south. Unfortunately my evasive maneuver, this time to avoid a lizard crossing the road, was less successful and landed us in a ditch. Thank god we're both okay, with only sore shoulders from our seat belts. Lots of people stopped to help, and we now have a replacement rental vehicle on the way. We'll take tomorrow as it comes and count our blessings.

2005-11-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

The drive from Penneshaw to Cape du Couedic on Friday night was a white-knuckle crawl as dusk turned to dark, and the roads were strewn with evidence that speed kills. I made an evasive maneuver once to avoid a scurrying possum, but was forced to slow down numerous times as wallabies and kangaroos looked out at us from the road with expressions that said something like "What are YOU doing here?" I don't think they minded what side of the road I drove on, but rather that I was on the road at all. After two and a half hours of driving, at 10:30 p.m. we got to our dark lightkeeper's cottage where our headlights landed on yet another kangaroo awaiting our arrival in the driveway. We fumbled around to find a back door with a key. Once inside we were thrilled to discover three large bedrooms, a gorgeous old kitchen and living room, fine wood floors and charm abounding. I slept very well.

Saturday we celebrated Cynthia's birthday among exquisite wildflowers and creatures. At Admiral's Arch we watched the New Zealand fur seals, the young frolicking and the old bulls facing off. At Cape Borda we took a bush walk and came upon a kangaroo and an echidna, and on the return journey over the dirt road we saw more echidnas, kangaroos and wallabies, including little joey who quickly burrowed into mama's pouch, feet and tail sticking out as she bounded away. Once back at the cottage we enjoyed a wood fire in the kitchen stove, simple fare and an excellent Kangaroo Island cabernet sauvignon, followed by champagne and chocolate courtesy of Margaret and Susan. Cynthia pronounced it her best birthday ever! It was truely a memorable day in a very beautiful place.

Sunday we meandered back to Penneshaw, stopping to walk amongst the eucalyptus favored by koalas and looking up at the big males in the tree tops and the mothers and young ones lower down in the branches. They are really fun and quite relaxing to observe -- they don't move too quickly you know. We also stopped at Clifford's Honey Farm. KI is famous for being a protected area for the pure strain of Italian bee, the Ligurian. We sampled different honeys and ate honey ice cream made there. It certainly ranks very high in the annals of Christine's Ice Cream Hall of Fame.

We had some time in Penneshaw to drink coffee and eat fish and chips. And we returned the rental car safely, the windshield wipers lever getting more accidental use in the intended turn signals. Getting the placement of those controls is harder than driving on the left side. The ferry ride back was lovely and we got back to the hotel at 10:30 p.m. Today, we're off to Perth and the southwest part of Western Australia.

2005-11-18T14:44:00.000-05:00

We have a little spare time to spend at this gaming/internet space - there's not much "cafe" to it - before catching the bus/ferry to Kangaroo Island. Donald Rumsfield and his entourage just whizzed by outbound towards the airport, so traffic and tension should disperse.

Cynthia did indeed have a productive tour of the awesome food market here yesterday. We enjoyed pate, cheeses, cucumber, bread, figs, cherries and other nibblies in our room last night, then had a walk around in some quaint residential neighborhoods. This morning I took a run around the Festival/Arts Center, riverfront, cricket grounds and central shopping district. We packed our things, and I went off to the Underdale campus of UniSA for meetings this morning. I put more pieces together, and everyone was very generous with time and explanations.

I met Cynthia for lunch at a very nice tea bar and we walked around the food market again, my first view of it in operation. It's open Thursday - Saturday and has many stalls of breads, sweets, cheeses, meats, produce and many specialty items, many locally produced. The trick was to resist buying what we can't transport or consume, but the temptations were many.

My favorite new Australian phrase, which I heard for the second time yesterday, is "and Bob's your uncle" when a positive resolution has or will be reached. As in, "You pay off your parking fines and Bob's your uncle."

We're both looking forward to this weekend sojourn, during which I expect to be far away from a computer. And we'll celebrate Cynthia's birthday with the fairy penquins tomorrow - wa-hoo!!

2005-11-17T17:00:00.000-05:00

This is a whirlwind tour of both Adelaide and the University of Australia. I've had a busy day at the Mawson Lakes campus and have just a few minutes to write. My computer access has decreased between guest pressure on the hotel computer to tight schedule and limited network access here. I'll try to fill in some links later.

Yesterday was basically devoted to travel. A rainy, cool day in Sydney became a warm, sunny day in Adelaide. We found our way to our hotel shortly after 3:00, and I met my host here for dinner at 6:00. In between Cynthia and I got a basic orientation to our whereabouts. Adelaide seems to be another good food city, and I trust Cynthia will have more to share with me from her wanderings today. I had a very tasty dinner of Thai food and Australian beer with Irene, over which we talked travel, politics, cultures and libraries. I returned to our hotel room to find Cynthia fast asleep in front of the Australia vs. Uruguay World Cup/FIFA qualifying match. I watched a very exciting game as Cynthia continued to snooze. The Socceroos pulled off the win on penalty kicks to secure their first berth in the World Cup in over 30 years. Very exciting!

My bus ride out to Mawson Lakes this morning displayed a city which has grown since I was last here in 1988. And Donald Rumsfield came to town today, so I caught the bus under the watchful presence of a sharpshooter on a nearby rooftop. I'd like to see more of the city without that particular presence, but probably won't before we head down to Kangaroo Island in the afternoon. In the morning I'll visit instructional design and learning management system developers at the last remaining building of a closing campus. I look forward to returning to vacation mode and pursuing wild creature sightings on Kangaroo Island.

2005-11-16T07:33:00.000-05:00

We were very busy yesterday, the 15th, beginning with a 10:00 a.m. tour of the Opera House. In some ways I feel like I'm seeing the Opera House for the first time this trip, perhaps due to new appreciation for the architect. The highlight of the tour was seeing the function room and bathrooms which have been renovated according to designs by Joern Utzon. The bathroom was exquisite and the Utzon Room was lovely in an understated way. It's been about 25 years since my last visits to the Opera Hall and the Concert Hall, so those were a treat too.

The day started off warm and clear, but weather blew in in a hurry late morning. A driving rain and gusty winds covered most of the afternoon and evening. We crossed the Botanical Gardens, weaving with the wind, to go to the Art Gallery of New South Wales. We had a fabulous lunch there, then meandered through the galleries. We avoided most of the rain by taking buses back to the hotel. After a quick shower and change we went to Bondi Junction for dinner at a Japanese restaurant, Wa, with Susan, Alex, and Susan's parents John and Judith. Margaret joined us later. Dinner was very, very good, and it was a pleasure to visit with John and Judith again. They feted my birthday, which was very kind.

We're packing up this morning before our flight to Adelaide just after noon. I'll be getting back to work over the next couple of days. I'll work on shifting my mindset during the flight.

2005-11-14T22:10:00.000-05:00

We've had a very full and lovely day. I started with a run Susan recommended, up Oxford St. through Paddington and around Centennial Park. Then Cynthia and I had breakfast in the beautiful courtyard here. Tea, oranges, fruit bread with butter and yogurt gave us the energy to begin our touring. We walked down to the Royal Botanical Gardens and around the Opera House. The sun was very bright and the skies mostly clear, save for the passing fluffy cloud. I took many photographs from views I haven't taken before. The SOH is a truely magnificant landmark. I looked for the sign announcing the renovation project under the direction of Utzon Architects and found it in the midst of ... lots of construction activity. Cynthia and I will take a tour tomorrow.

We had a delicious lunch at the Museum of Contemporary Art overlooking Circular Quay and the Opera House. Cynthia had oysters and I had a leek tart, followed by salads. It was a leisurely lunch, and we took the 2:15 ferry over to Taronga Zoo. It's a short but scenic ride. The zoo itself is terrific and the view is unbelievably picturesque. We took the cable car over the top of the zoo, and meandered our way down through the animal exhibits. Those koala bears are just wha-aye too cute. We watched little and big for quite some time. The zoo wasn't crowded today so we had very good views. We also spent considerable time watching the chimpanzes interacting. I've made the trip to Taronga Zoo each time I've come to Sydney, and it never disappoints. In fact it's exhilirating.

We took a bus back to our hotel and had a brief rest before dinner at Bill's. Yummy. More scenes tomorrow.

2005-11-13T20:58:00.000-05:00

Yippee!! She's here! Cynthia's flight came in pretty much on time at about 8:20 a.m., though it seemed like forever before she got to the greeting point in the terminal. We took a taxi back to the hotel, on the way seeing the arrival of the first Airbus230, the world's biggest airplane, in Sydney. Crowds lined the streets to see it come in from Melbourne. Apparently it's touring Australia.

After Cynthia showered, we went to the cafe/bookstore next door for refreshment and looked in a shop before going down to Susan's and Margaret's at 1:00. Little Alex was in need of motion, so we walked down to Rushcutter's Bay, had lunch and toured the park. It was a beautiful day, and we had a very nice visit outside and in their home. Alexandra is very cute indeed. We left them at 4:30 or so with plans for dinner tomorrow night and subsequent engagements. After looking around the neighborhood and getting some breakfast groceries for the room, we went out for dinner.

Cynthia has shown remarkable fortitude and endurance today, but now it's time to retire. The weather forecast is better for tomorrow than Wednesday, so we'll probably take the ferry over to Taronga Zoo. It's great to be here together.

2005-11-12T17:52:00.000-05:00

Exams finished yesterday, both HSC (higher school certificate) and university. There was a bit of celebrating around Campus East last night, but among it's many other attributes, my flat had good sound proofing. I awakened this morning and had my customary cup of tea sitting out on the balcony, looking up at Mt. Keira. Then I went over to the beach for a beautiful morning walk, camera in hand. I returned to pack up my things and catch the 10:48 train to Sydney.

I've settled in at Sullivan's Hotel. It has a lovely courtyard and is quite well located. I spoke with Cynthia at the L.A. Airport. She was keen to get on the final leg of her journey. She's on her way now. I've arranged transport to the airport in the morning.

I wandered around the neighborhood a little. It's bustling. I read my book with a snack in Berkelouw Books next door, then looked around. I anticipate more bookshop browsing over the coming days. Can't wait for Cynthia to get here. I'll go out and find some dinner in a bit, then turn in for the night.

2005-11-11T16:15:00.000-05:00

Entrance to the University of Wollongong Library
Christine and Lynne Wright, Associate Librarian for Client Services

Pond across from Library entrance

Path around campus

Campus view

My week at the University of Wollongong is drawing to an end, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have come here. People have been so generous with their work and time, and I have great respect for their professionalism and dedication. I'm sure this is a simplistic and naive observation but the Australian education system seems to work more smoothly and effectively than ours. Perhaps that is partially a function of the vast difference in population, as well as government policy.

Today I've had a final meeting with the Information Literacy Coordinator, finished typing up my notes, and wandered around campus taking pictures. It's a very bright, clear day - a beauty. When I return to Campus East I'll head to the beach for a run, and then organize my things in preparation for returning to Sydney tomorrow. I leave with a mix of gratitude, sorrow, and anticipation. I'm most eager to greet Cynthia on Sunday morning at the Kingsford Smith Airport. Then, if she's conscious, we'll meet up with Susan and Margaret at their place for lunch. And we'll meet little Alex, born in August. Susan and I were schoolmates at Pymble Ladies' College in 1981 and have stayed with each other on our trips here and there. I look forward to our reunion.

Last night I had a lovely dinner with Lynne and Rob at their newly renovated home in Austinmer. Lynne and I took a walk to the very nearby beach and around the neighborhood which is more forested and quaint than Fairy Meadow. Rob prepared for us a very tasty chicken, lemon zest and pasta dish, and we had a pleasant chat. I hope and expect to entertain them both in the U.S.

I'll bid my adieus and catch the shuttle.

2005-11-10T16:55:00.000-05:00

We're in the midst of some formidable thunderstorms with driving rain and hail. This "weather" is supposed to clear the 90+ degree air. It's been hazy and humid for a couple of days. After "work" last night, Lynne took me up to Mt. Keira, a lookout point on the Illawarra Escarpment, and the view was wonderful, if somewhat filtered. I had a good enough view down over the campus, Campus East where I'm staying, the beaches, North Wollongong, Wollongong Center, and down to the steelworks of Port Kembla. Afterwards I attended a Australian College of Educators awards dinner at the local T.A.F.E. (Technical and Further Education).

I ran over to the Puckey Estate and Fairy Meadow beach this morning before the heat set in. The ocean was cooling anyway, and beautiful. I've had another productive day. Tomorrow I have my final meeting at 9:00 a.m., then I'll concentrate on typing up my notes. The week has gone quickly.

I'm off for dinner at the home of Lynne and her husband Rob.

2005-11-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning I awoke to a driving rain, followed by thunder. Apparently it was the heaviest in months, perhaps the year, with flash floods in parts of the state. I can't begrudge the rain, given the dryness over the past couple of years. By the afternoon the skies had cleared and the wind picked up to produce a lively surf. It's in the high 80's today, quite summer-like.

I had a relatively light day of meetings yesterday, though informative. I took advantage to head back to Fairy Meadow by 4:00. I returned to the Leisure Coast Fruit Market for more groceries and stopped at a bottle shop for a couple of bottles of beer, a variety of Toohey's and a Foster's lager. Then I went for a run around Puckey's Estate Reserve which is bushland adjacent to the Fairy Meadow beach. Mr. Puckey was an innovator of saltworks at the beginning of the 20th century. My run was of the exploratory sort as I checked out vistas and dodged many a lizard scuttling underfoot. Eventually I found a rhythm with the breaking waves.

I took in the news with my dinner and bottle of beer. The top story was a raid in Sydney and Melbourne on an alleged terrorist network thought to be in the later stages of planning the first attack in Australia. Anti-terrorist legislation was modified just last week, and John Howard has been under attack for it and proposed workplace reforms.

Whether it was the run, the beer, or generalized fatigue, I couldn't stay awake passed 8:45 last night. I slept well, and am perkier today. Good thing because I've had a succession of 4 meetings. My brain is straining, and I could use at least another week here for the work alone. Actually, I'd like to stay longer. Yes, the grass is always greener ... but it really is.

This campus is just gorgeous, built within the landscape rather than over it. Gum trees shade every building and pathway, and open lawns surround small ponds or water features. Jasmine and other flowers form embankments and borders. Helpful signage and maps are everywhere. Bunnies and birds of a variety of feathers are common. The library, though wanting for space, feels spacious, and it's liberally appointed with all kinds of artwork. Even the tiles in the bathrooms are nice. I'll bring my camera along at the end of the week and try to catch some good views. But I'll stay out of the bathrooms.

I am aware that one is susceptible to the fresh bloom of new environments. The bloom does fade though, and home is where my family, friends and furries are. Still, I'm revelling in this refreshment, even as I feel pressed to process all that I'm taking in about this place and its ways.

2005-11-07T17:15:00.000-05:00

I'm brain dead - more than usual - but still present here at the UoW Library. I've met lots of people, navigated my way to and around this lovely campus, and spoken at length with the Associate Director for Client Services (Library), an Education faculty, and an instructional designer leading the conversion from WebCT CE to Vista. I can't say yet how and to what degree everyone works together here, but it's safe to say that I haven't completely recovered from jet lag. I was brightly awake at 4:00 a.m., and I'm quite dim at 5:00 p.m. I'll type up some notes and then join my host and her husband for dinner. Everyone has been very good to me.

2005-11-06T14:25:00.000-05:00

The rewards to that flight are immediate. The jacaranda are in bloom, the air scented with eucalyptus, jasmine, gardenia, and the sea, and birdsong fills my ears. I started my Australian wave as soon as I left the airport. The fellow, Alan, who drove me down to Wollongong, said the flies were a sign of rain; I responded that I thought they were a sign of Australia. The skies have cleared but the flies remain.

I shared my ride to Wollongong with two Chinese students who arrived in Australia for the first time. The woman has come to UoW to study English. She didn't speak much. The fellow has come for a year or two to study environmental engineering. He said there isn't much demand for that work at home in China at present, but he hopes there will be by the time he finishes his studies in 5-6 years. I told him I came to Australia first in 1981, and he informed me he hadn't been born then. Ouch. He was wide-eyed on the trip, sharing his excitement with "Wow" and comments about the architecture.

Exterior of building holding my 1 bedroom flat

Campus East is in a northern Wollongong suburb called Fairy Meadow. My one bedroom flat is new and well appointed. The funny thing is that the bed barely fits in the bedroom, and it blocks access to the built-in desk and armoire. This design flaw is so blatant. Still, the bed is comfortable, and I can crawl over it easily enough. I kept myself awake until about 6:30 last night and feel quite refreshed after a 12 hour sleep. Yesterday I found a great little market and stocked up on some groceries: guava juice, mandarins, asparagus, eggs, Turkish bread and organic milk. I did enjoy those dried fruits and mixed nuts on the way over, but what remained was sacrificed to quarantine before I came through customs. Same for that "real Wisconsin cheddar."

Today I've been roaming around Wollongong, first thing this morning going to the closest beach and refreshing my feet in the Pacific. Lots of people were out on bicycles, some kids with surfboards strapped to their backs. It's Sunday, clearly a day of leisure as many families are on the beaches and in the parks. Practically the whole waterfront of this approximately 26 mile coastline city is a park. I've come into town and also walked along the City Beach. Before the week is out I'll go for a swim.

Tomorrow my work begins at the University. Time to return to my flat to iron some clothes and read.

2005-11-03T13:25:00.000-05:00

This morning I went for a run up to the Poet's Seat, over the Mountain Road and around Highland Park in a attempt to keep at bay that feeling of ache and atrophy in my body which comes over a ~20 hour flight. I think that effect is inevitable, even on shorter flights. Over a final two week bus trip back in 1981 I was known amongst my peers for doing calisthenics at every stop. That's hard to do in an airplane.

My bags are packed. I've got my Zire loaded with Pearl Jam and Stone Coyotes favorites, magazines and The Known World to read, and snacks. Lots of snacks. Mixed nuts, dried fruits, licorice, ginger, Smart Puffs "with real Wisconsin Cheddar," energy bars and ... chocolate. It's a long flight. I'll be alright.

I spent some lovely moments with Z and Jasper this morning, though they are watchful and fussy. They were decidely more relaxed when I took this picture last week, enjoying the vessel which brought Cynthia's new luggage, innocent of its implications. I will miss these Little Furries.

So I will go pick up Cynthia now and proceed to Logan Airport. My next post will be from the other side of the Earth. Imagine that.

2005-10-17T16:54:00.000-04:00

Greetings. I launch this small blog with the intent of offering family and friends updates on my whereabouts in Australia, and accounts of what and whom I encounter there. I haven't left yet. I'm still in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Consider this a preamble.

Here's my basic itinerary:

11/03/06 - Boston to L.A. to Sydney ...
11/05/05 - Arrive in Sydney at 9:15 a.m. and proceed to the University of Wollongong.
11/05 - 11/12/06 - Wollongong, staying at Campus East and visiting with folks at the Library and CEDIR.
11/12/05 - Return to Sydney, staying at Sullivan's Hotel Sydney.
11/13 - 11/16/05 - Cynthia arrives in Sydney on Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. We'll stay at Sullivan's through Wednesday.
11/16/05 - Travel to Adelaide and stay 2 nights at Director's Studios. I'll be visiting with folks at the University of South Australia; Cynthia will be discovering Adelaide.
11/18 - 11/20/05 - Travel by coach/ferry to Kangaroo Island and spend two nights at lightkeeper's cottage at Cape du Couedic in the Flinders Chase National Park. Return to Adelaide on Sunday night and put our heads down somewhere before taking off on Monday.
11/21 - 11/23/05 - Travel to Perth, arriving at 12:20. Rent a car from here and go to the forests and wineries of the south west region. We'll spend two nights at Argylle Cottage in Nannup.
11/23 -11/24/05 - Return to Perth, spending 2 nights at Hotel IBIS.
11/25/05 - Fly back to Sydney, getting in after 6:00 p.m.. We don't know where we're staying yet.
11/29/05 - Leave Sydney at 12:35 p.m., arrive in L.A. at 7:00 a.m. (love crossing the dateline in this direction), then to Dallas, to Boston, arriving at 8:05 p.m. Cynthia takes a different flight from L.A. and gets in to Boston at 8:34 p.m.

I expect to have good computer/internet access at most destinations, with the probable exceptions of Kangaroo Island and our foray to the south of Western Australia. I won't have a means of posting pictures I take on our journey while I'm there, but I'll add some when I return to Greenfield.