8:59am
Steve, Aileen and I are on the road early heading for "some real Australian bush". They
seem to enjoy taking me places. I think it gives them an excuse to get out of the house and
do some cool things that they wouldn't otherwise. I'm trying to think of some things I could
take the Grays to see when any of them come to visit me in Canada. We are driving through
farmland now. One might be tricked into thinking it was Saskatchewan if it weren't for the
misty hills in the distance and all these very green trees. Bob Dylan came on the radio as we
made our way through a sleepy town and I daydreamed a small veterinary clinic for Maggie
in one of the Victorian looking houses along the main street.
Last night we had a "traditional" Australian dessert called Pavlova (like a lot of things here it probably originated somewhere else. That's something this place has in common with Canada.) It's mostly egg whites and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Amy, who always eats the merangue off my lemon merangue pie, would love the Pavlova.
I'm getting a bit carsick so I'll have to finish this entry later. 9:38pm
9:42am
Shaughn had a bad dream last night. I did the online equivalent of stroking his head
until it was all better. I love that boy.
11:43am
We just stopped at the Gray family's favourite camping spot in the bush. Somehow I
can't picture Robert camping, but Steve seems made to be out here. He would like northern
Saskatchewan I think.
We've seen four kangaroos on this drive so far. Well, actually I think two of them were wallabees (sp?). Matthew wants me to bring one of those home for him, but I don't think I could catch one and I really don't think they'd let me through customs with it.
Yesterday I told Angela the story of Shaughn, Amy, Riki, Shavonne and I getting lost in the woods. It is an amusing story now. I wouldn't want to get lost in these woods. I have a feeling you could stay lost here for a very long time.
I think I'm gonna stop drinking Coke for a New Year's resolution (don't have a heart attack, Torin).noon
12:07pm
I want to be making more sounds today, but I can't think of any that would be worthwhile.
12:15pm
About Robert
Everytime Robert slouches,
I remember to sit up straight.
That's one of the things I like
about Robert:
he corrects my bad posture.
He fixes a lot of things for me
that way.
Cows
look strangely
outofplace
in Australia.
12:58pm
My whole life
is a word association game.
1:43pm
Walking back to the car after seeing the majestic waves and clean fine sand of the 90
Mile Beach for the first time, Aileen said, "Are you sure you don't want to stay here in
Australia now that you've seen that?" I didn't get a chance to answer but if I had, I'd say, "Yup,
I'm sure. But I'm also sure I'll be coming back."
We searched Golden Beach for a while for the elusive cabin of Steve and Aileen's friend, Wilson, only to find out that he wasn't at home. Now we're sitting at a picnic table, (I can see the ocean thru the trees) having a bite to eat. They wonder what I write in this book, I told them it's on the internet and they can read it anytime they want. The figure they'll go online and check if I'm saying nasty things about them for everyone to read. If they get this far they should know how much I appreciate everything they've done for me and that I think this family is very groovy indeed. 2:01pm
4:06pm
At the 90 Mile Beach, I sang oldies love songs to the ocean ("You've Lost That Lovin
Feeling" and then "Chapel of Love", my Ally McBeal theme songs) as it tried to get further
up my skirt. It was a wonderful, sensual ocean. The ocean at Frankston beach is like a
soothing daddy ocean, but this one is a player. It seduced me with the strength of its waves
rushing between my legs and I wooed it with my love song. I've never met a more sexual
body of water. All good things though....
We're heading back to Frankston now so Steve will be back in time to go out with his mates. The first Saturday of every month is his "night out with the boys". I think that's a pretty good idea, but can't decide if I want to suggest it to Shaughn. It would probably help us to remember not to neglect our friends, but I want to be greedy with him when I get home. At least for a little while.
We went back to Wilson's before we left and he was home so we had a short visit. He and his wife are Scottish so I had a little trouble keeping up with their accents. I have just nearly mastered comprehension of the Australian accent and now they throw this new one at me. Wilson's wife adorably inquired as to how us Canadians can possibly cope with the temperatures below -20. "You must have to wear a hat all the time," she said. This sparked a tangent conversation about ear muffs and brown bears.
We stopped in at the real estate place and now I'm thinking about holiday houses and about the kind of people who live by the beach all year round (I think they must be happy people). Today I was introduced to the Australian mosquito, or mozzie as they say here, which is at least as annoying and ravenous as its Canadian counterpart, and I reflected upon the fact that it would be virtually impossible for me to live in a place like that without killing them. Isn't there some beautiful warm place somewhere in the world that doesn't have bugs that bite? I remember that Shaughn thinks trimming trees is bad and I think that even for all the good intentions combined from he and I, it is inevitable that we are going to leave some impression on our natural enviroment through the activities of our day to day lives. We can only strive to be as good as we possibly can to our plant and insect neighbours. Sometimes a little murder is necessary. 4:49pm
4:58pm
I've been carsick a lot on this trip. It reminds me of when I was a little girl, but I can't
remember whether my daddy told me it was good for my stomach to look out at the fleeting
scenery or not. I do know that he said it was bad to read when you're carsick and I
assume
(Australians pronounce that word aSHume) that the same goes for writing, so I'll stop now.
5:06pm
6:08 1/2 pm (so says the radio)
Hey Amy, remember that fight we had over that boy from that band that one time? That
was sure silly of us, wasn't it? hohohehe
to Sunday, December 3, 2000
to australian tour diary
oz = can
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