Trivia answer

Remember that last trivia question, from waaaaaaay back when? Thought you might be interested to know that the answer is c) 1400 miles. Further than I thought! (Sorry Rach, no dice. But once again, I love the reasoning out. You do, however, win the prize of most trivia questions attempted! Prize to be administered the next time I see you. Let's make it happen :))

On the photos front: my computer is not playing nicely with my cousins' internet. Not sure what the deal is, or even whether it's a problem with my computer or with the internet, but I'm not sure when it will get fixed. Therefore I have no idea when I'll get the rest of the photos up, but if you're still on the edge of your seat for the first batch of Australia tour and Melbourne photos, check back in a week or two!

Tour 1, Part 1

aka "There once was a tourist who swallowed a fly..."

The flies here are horrendous! They're not lazy like they are in the US - these buggers want water, and they want it NOW and they don't care if they get it from your sweat, your eyes, your ears, your nose, or your mouth. Most of us have pretty quick reflexes but our tour guide, Luke, definitely swallowed one while giving us a talk.

Moving on... We're back in Alice Springs for a couple of nights. The first four days of this tour are a loop between Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon and back to "the Alice", so we actually had five of our fifteen desert us yesterday. I don't have too much time, so I'll just list off the highlights and do details (and photos, and videos) later: Ayers Rock at sunrise and sunset (and learning about its Aboriginal history), a 3.5 hour "walk" (did I mention Luke is crazy?) up to and then around the rim of Kings Canyon, a sunrise hot-air balloon ride (!!!!! my favorite!), Dinky the Singing (and piano-playing) Dingo, sleeping under the stars at Kings Canyon, playing with a python and his lizard friends (I got some good photos of me and the other kids wearing the python!), and cooling off in hotel pools in the afternoon.

I'm a little surprised we haven't seen any wildlife along the side of the road, or from the balloon. Tomorrow we start our killer trek "up the track" (aka the Stuart Highway). With seven hours of driving per day, we're sure to see something, right? Luckily we have been stopping every hour or two to do whatever touristy thing we come across (there's not too much out here but I'm sure we've done it ALL) so it won't be too horrible ;) We're camping out at Banka Banka tomorrow night and then back in civilization at Katherine.

Trivia: Congrats to Deb - the BBC addiction has paid off!
New Trivia: Famous Australians Burke and Wills can be compared to which two famous Americans?
a) Washington and Jefferson
b) Simon and Garfunkel
c) Franklin and Edison
d) Lewis and Clark
e) Ren and Stimpy

Melbourne (etc) Photos Up!... later

Disclaimer - internet was not helpful so I didn't upload hardly anything. Sorry...

I am uploading as we speak! It was a bit of a fiasco as apparently cameras and the internet don't play well together (meaning it's a darn good thing I bought that USB drive, even though it's full now and I'll just have to keep deleting stuff - oh well) so it was tough finding a place to get it all done. (I know, doesn't seem like it should be a fiasco, but trust me. It was.)

Anyway, on to funner things: Trivia! Deb wins the prize (and bonus points!), the capital of Australia is Canberra, in the appropriately named Australian Capital Territory, which, like DC, was carved out of two states: New South Wales (where Sydney is) and Victoria (where Melbourne is). Apparently people think you're nuts if you go visit there, as it's quite a boring place, so that's where the similarities end.

So, I haven't come up with a new trivia question, so I'll just pull an "easy" one out of my back pocket and hope that the next time I get to the internet, I'll have learned something new! New trivia question: Who is the Prime Minister of Australia? (Bonus points if you can name the guy who preceeded him.)

Today I basically took it easy, although I did get up early to hike across town and call my mom on Skype (again, a fiasco - don't ask). It's good to have one day to decompress and not be out in the boiling heat. I have no doubt we reached our high of 40C (105F). What a way to kick off the Grand Prix! Hope everyone down there's got plenty of water and sunscreen. We can hear the pre-racing whine all the way at the hostel!

I'm off to bed early tonight for a 5am start tomorrow to get me to the airport for my 8am flight to Alice Springs and the start of my first tour the day after. Fingers crossed for NO fiascos!

Kangaroo Point!

Trivia answer: Unfortunately, Rachel, the answer is actually (a), but bonus points for the reasoning out! (Mmm, flecks of coal...) Manchester refers to the section of a department store (or Target, or whatever) that sells linen and towels and things. I learned this the hard way when I tried to buy a new shower curtain for the house and ended up giving the saleslady the look of blankness ;)

New trivia: What is the capital of Australia? (Bonus points if you can name which state/territory it's in!)

Sunday the book group had a barbecue. We were there for probably three hours and talked about the book for maybe 15 minutes, but it was all good fun. Meg and I walked there and then back to her house together, so she could lend me a blanket. March 1 marks the official beginning of fall here, and the weather has changed a bit. It's still hot during the day (well, as hot as it was this summer, which is to say, not so much - it was an extremely unusually cold and rainy summer, so they tell me) but really cool at night. So cool that with my windows closed and winter pajamas on, my sheet was not enough to keep me warm. So Meg lent me a heavy wool blanket and I have been sleeping like a champ!

The barbecue was at Kangaroo Point, which is one of the peninsulas formed naturally by the Brisbane River's winds and twists. I think it's almost directly across the river from the part of downtown where I work. There is also a fairly substantial cliff face (not exactly sure what from) in the park that is very popular with the rock climbers. I took a few photos down there, they're on the "Photos on Picasa" link to the right.

We've also had a couple of people interested in the room, and one came by last night. She's already friends with a few of Alex's friends (that's how she learned about the room - she just dropped in) so I have high hopes. After she finally left, I rounded up the kids and we took off for Ray's mom's restaurant where we had a full-on feast as a little going-away party for me. It was a good time. Here's a photo of us housemates (and Mark, who also happened by last night and got swept up in the group):

L-r: Mark, Mia, Alex, me, Ray, Dan.

Visaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Trivia answer: (d) Australia is home to 17 of the 851 World Heritage Sites (see the list here). I will leave Australia having seen four of them (I think).

New trivia: To what does "Manchester" refer, to an Australian?

a) a department store section

b) an ice cream flavor

c) a town in Queensland

d) an ABC (PBS) television show

Visaaaaaaaaahh!

After too much stress, I finally determined that today would be the day I would head down to Immigration and try to sort out my application for a tourist visa. My program recommends that you give the government 2-3 weeks to sort themselves out and approve your visa change. I, of course, dared to be different and marched my manila envelope of papers into their office myself. There were so many variables to take into account and I just hoped that this being the wonderfully laid-back Australia I've come to know and admire, that there would be no snags and all would fall into place my way.

First up was the question of the timing - if I went too early, they could revoke my work visa entirely and leave me up a creek for a couple weeks with no work. If I went too late, they could not grant it in time, leaving me here illegally. They could also ignore my request to work until the end of my visa and give me the travel visa as of today, putting the kabosh on any more work. They could not accept the ATM printout as proof of funds and demand a full-out statement (for which I'd have to stand in line and pay at the bank - argh). They could tell me I needed to present myself at an office or be able to receive something in the mail after March 9, the day I fly out of Brisbane. They could be picky about the fact that I hadn't gotten their name exactly right on the money order and send me away, having wasted $10 on a worthless piece of paper. I could have bungled the application. The line could be a million people long and take all day. The office could have moved. It could not be the right office for my particular question... the list goes on and on.

Miraculously, none of these things happened! It was all smooth sailing. I did get a little anxious waiting in line to get a number, and then waiting for my number to be called, but once I found Cubicle 26 in Cubicleland, the girl was friendly as could be. She told me I could work through next Friday, and that on that day they would email me my new visa information, which I could then print out and keep with me as proof, and that's it! The entire process took about 45 minutes and I sauntered in a whole 15 minutes late to work (I'd called to remind them today was the showdown), which I easily made up at lunch, and was so giddy and relieved the rest of the day! It's amazing how you don't realize how stressed something is making you until it's suddenly resolved and you feel TONS better and happier.

Phew! Now on to the next tasks: finding a new housemate to replace me (Alex and I already collaborated on the ad tonight, and they're ready to be put up on the way to work tomorrow), and make sure all the details are in place for traveling!

Considerations

First, trivia. I have to apologize - it turned out this was a trick question as my internet research apparently came up short. Sooooo... they are all tourist attractions - including, yes Rachel, the Big Buffalo. Good guess though, and I love the reasoning out ;)

New Trivia: There are 851 World Heritage Sites. How many are in Australia? (Bonus points if you can name any!)
a) 4
b) 62
c) 109
d) 17

The other night, I was watching the Australian version of the US show So You Think You Can Dance. In addition to having much more diversity than most US reality shows, because this one included an Aboriginal man there was an interesting disclaimer at the beginning of his segment that piqued my curiosity. For those unfamiliar with this type of competitive reality show, they do a little biographical segment on the dancers before they do their routine. In this one, they showed footage of the dancer's mother, and so before the segment they showed the disclaimer "The following shows footage of an Aboriginal or Torrest Strait Islander who has passed away." A quick google search revealed that "[i]n many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the depiction or mention of a person who has passed away can cause great distress to people, as can showing their image through visual media. Even using the same name as the deceased person, or a similar sound, can cause distress for a period of time." Very interesting!

A Very Aussie Sunday

Trivia: Rachel wins the prize again, it is indeed the super cool emu and kangaroo. (Deduct one point for use of "totes" ;))

New Trivia: Which of the following is NOT an Australian tourist attraction?
a) The Big Pineapple
b) The Big Penguin
c) The Big Mango
d) The Big Prawn
e) The Big Banana
f) The Big Buffalo
g) The Big Egg

So yesterday Dan and I met up with two of the book group girls at a movie at the Moonlight Cinema called Hunting and Gathering (with Audrey Tautou, aka Amelie). We took blankets and wine and a little dinner - and of course the Aerogard (bug spray)! It was a lovely evening.

Before that, Alex, Dan and I watched The Castle. It's worth mentioning that every person I've told that to has immediately grinned in recognition and nostalgia. It's the hilariously mocking story of a bogan (white trash) family who lives right next to the airport outside Melbourne and go to court to save their house from being bought and torn down by the airport. Brilliant. As I said, everyone I've mentioned it to knows it, even though it was only made about 10 years ago, and I feel very Aussie for having seen it.

New Stuff!

Trivia
Well, old trivia first: Congratulations to Rachel, the seventh (eight-pointed) star on the Australian flag stands for the number of states and territories. (And even though she didn't name them correctly, extra credit for creativity, and for making me laugh out loud at work!)

Ok, new trivia: Which two Australian animals appear on the country's national coat of arms?

Photos
Photos from last weekend's camping trip to Byron Bay are up! Check the Picasa link on the right.

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time, you understand now why you came this way...

Trivia answer: The five stars form the Southern Cross.
Next trivia question: So we've got seven stars on the Australian flag: five are the Southern Cross, one is the Union Jack, and what does the last star represent? (Hint: It has 8 points.)

Last week was a busy one, with book group and then preparing for the camping trip. After much hemming and hawing about whether to leave Friday right after work or Saturday morning. We compromised (mostly because we had decided on Friday and couldn't get our act together - and by "we" I mean "Alex") and left at 8:00 Friday night. With a half-hour pit stop for beer, two-hour drive, half-hour dinner stop and one-hour time change, we got to Byron Bay around midnight in the pouring rain. Thinking this did not bode well for the rest of the weekend, we hemmed and hawed a bit more when we got there about whether to bother setting up the tent or just sleep in the car! Eventually the rain let up a tiny bit so we threw the tent up (5 minutes - must have been a record), crawled inside and passed out.

We had stopped at a gas station to ask directions, partly because we were relying on Alex's stellar memory from the last time he was at the campsite, and partly because we couldn't see a thing in the pouring rain. We asked the gas station attendant when it had started raining and he said, "About a month ago..."! We'd been hearing on the news that northern New South Wales had been pounded with rain recently, to the point of flooding, and yet this had not registered with any of us. Luckily it knocked that off the rest of the time we were there and was absolutely gorgeous the entire time after that. The campsite was about a one-minute walk from the beach, so any time we got too hot we just ran down and jumped in the surf. We also bought a tarp and rope and Alex and Dan rigged it up to stretch from the tree to the car so we had a nice big shady area to lie under in the heat of the day.

Speaking of the Southern Cross, the nights were so clear that we were able to do some star gazing, and I did see it. I couldn't see the fifth star, but I did learn how to find south from it (there are parallel lines and perpendicular lines and intersections... don't ask me to explain it!). We could also see Orion and Casseopia and Pegasus and had a bonfire on the beach and singalongs, and much fun was had by all.

In my opinion, Monday was the best day. We took our time packing up camp (we were supposed to be out by 10am... rolled out about noon) and headed into the town of Byron where we picked up a picnic of fish and chips. After we ate them in the park, we headed out to the lighthouse. Most of my photos (which will be up soon) are from the lighthouse - it's apparently the easternmost point of mainland Australia. You can even take this path down from the lighthouse all the way out to the furthest rocks that go into the water, which the boys did while I waited (more or less) patiently in the shade and listened to the Portuguese and Spanish on either side of me.

On the way down from the lighthouse, we stopped at a very calm beach where it was actually possible to swim and cavort and play around in the very calm waves. It was a perfect way to cool off mid-day before jumping in the car and battling the mildest post-holiday-weekend traffic I've ever seen. Made it home safe and sound around 6pm yesterday and just finished cleaning up the disaster area that was the kitchen :)

The Sound of Silence

Congratulations to Mindy (aka Manisha) for getting the answer right on the nose! There are 8 states, and since no one apparently wants to take a stab at naming them, here they are: Western Australia, Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria, ACT (Capital Territory - very similar to Washington DC), New South Wales, Queensland, and Tasmania. (Ok so technically there are 6 states and 2 territories, oh well.)

New trivia question: Of the seven stars on the Australian flag (including the Union Jack), five form the shape of what? (I'll try to give you guys about a week to get up the nerve to post... remember, you don't need to register anymore in order to post a comment, and you also can't cheat by looking up the answer!)

Yesterday, Dan and I ventured out into the wild world beyond Brissy, aka the Northern Hinterland (they really do call it that!). We had stopped at a lookout place on our adventure to the beach a few weeks ago that was just across the road from a "scenic preserve" so we decided to go back up and check it out. It turned out to be a rainforest (called Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve) and it was beautiful. The walk was less than 2km but we ambled through and it took us about 2 and a half hours. There were lots of families and other assorted really loud people (including one girl on her cell phone, which was completely baffling), but when they were out of earshot it was wonderful and hardly quiet at all. Between the occasional rustling of pademelons (small reddish marsupials in the wallaby/kangaroo family) and the various birdcalls (one sounded like a crying baby!) were the soft sounds of falling leaves, the hum of insects, and the creaking and sighing of trees. I mostly took photos of the trees, since I'm not a good enough birdwatcher to spot them and the pademelons were too quick. The trees were spectacular, though, as you will see. Most of them had vines curling around them, one even to the point that the trunk was growing over around the vine! Some were really big around, a lot looked like many trees growing extremely close together, and a few had fallen down, creating holes in the canopy which let in lots more sunlight than I was expecting to see in a rainforest!

At one point I mentioned to Dan that I'd never been in a rainforest before. About five minutes later when he had registered and digested this information, he said, "But you lived in Guatemala!" I explained to him that the rainforest parts of Guatemala were found in the north, waaaaaaaay the heck away from anywhere, and in a malaria zone. Even had I had the money and inclination to travel around, I still would not have because I didn't have malaria medicine.

It was nice to be quiet for a while and let the world do the talking. Try it sometime! In the meantime, check out the photos on Picasa (album called "Rainforest").

Just Kidding - Ray Fixed It!

I think Alex sabotages the Internet connection when he goes away, because this is the second time he's gone away and the second time it's gone out! Anyway, I'm writing this at work while covering reception because it's too distracting to get anything else done, and I will stop at the library on my way home to post it.

Trivia: Since no one took a stab at it, I will tell you anyway. The didgeridoo comes from the Aborigines that live in the nothern region of the country, up near Darwin. If you haven't looked at them yet, there are some photos in the newest sets (Woodford - on the Picasa link) of a Didgeridoo-Making Workshop that was at the festival. Ok, new trivia question: How many states are there in Australia (and can you name them)? (If it makes your brain hurt too much, don't worry - most Aussies don't know the answer off the top of their head, they have to count. Hint: They can count them on two hands.)

Pretty quiet week - just book club last night. We discussed A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers and chose the next book, Praise by Andrew McGahan, because I wanted to read something by an Australian about Australia. In the big bookstore here (the Aussie version of Barnes and Noble), they have a whole section on Australian authors, which I think is a really cool feature. I also pronounced the name of the store (Dymocks) as DIE-mocks, and everyone got the look of confusion and then burst out laughing. "Oh no, what did I do now?" Apparently it's pronounced "dimmicks." We all had a good laugh about that one! That's about all that's going on here.