Tag: Uncategorized
-
Reactivation
I’ve moved over my web activity to this blog now . . . the other website is currently being “worked on.” In the meantime, here is a picture of butterfly we found in the garden yesterday.
-
Redirection to Election Blog
I have a new blog that is going to feature all the election stuff. This one will stay on for everything else.
-
Street Scene Dunedin
I attended an interesting protest action today on behalf of the Alliance Party with a couple of other local activists. A local disability group called Gutted is asking for better treatment for those with disabilities and their caregivers. It was a small but very spirited demo and made the TV3 news. Earlier on I had…
-
Blog Watch
Some blogs on the loose: Left wing science fiction author Ken MacLeod has a heavy duty but interesting blog. I’ve only read one of his books – the Stone Canal – but I’ll be reading more if and when I get the chance. I was a big fan of 1980s hardcore/pop group Husker Du (still…
-
Fear and loathing on the campaign trail
That was the name of the late Hunter S. Thompson’s book on the Nixon/McGovern fight for the US Presidency back in the early seventies. Of course the wrong candidate won then, as is so often the case.But Thompson’s title has suddenly come to have a new meaning for me.This blog may have a change of…
-
Dormancy terminated
The blog has been on the ice for a few months while some other projects got priority. Glad to say that I have had some time to get the beast cranked up again. Over the next few days I’ll roll out some posts dealing with some of those other activities – such as getting my…
-
whiteout
No posts lately. That’s because since I’ve got back from Australia I’ve been digging through snow. The drive over the hill from Warrington into “town” has been interesting!
-
Melbournia
We spend the last several days of our visit in Melbourne. I had never been here before, and wasn’t sure what to expect. I was surprised at the size – even though it’s smaller than Sydney, it’s still enormous. Stayed at the Nunnery in Fitzroy, big city prices but a nice place, very convieniently located.…
-
The Man from Snowy River, and Quokkas
After returning to Perth, we’re tired and spend the day recovering from The Big Drive. Heading down to “Freo” we get an overpriced ticket for the ferry to Rottnest Island. It’s a great short trip and we get to see our first “Quokkas”. They actually do look like large, friendly rats . . . Then…
-
For the birds, and wave watching in Lancelin
We stay at the Kalabarri Motorcamp, which reminds me of Christmas holidays as a kid. More pelicans and galahs. We are turning into birdwatchers so decide to get serious and head down to Rainbow Jungle, an enormous local privately run aviary. The place is built around a series of enclosures where every parrot under creation…
-
Pelican Encounter at Shark Bay
Awake in the cool dawn and depart early from Dongara. The countryside around Geraldton is nothing as I expected – rather than dry, it is green lush farmland for around a hundred kilometres. The temperature is cool and rainshowers periodically pass over us. The landscape gradually changes into a flat, endless expanse of scrubland with…
-
Stopping for Emus on the Coast Road
We have decided to head north from Perth to see some real Australia and I go down to Budget to get a rental car. I take the wheel of the V6 Magna and within a minute I have somehow got myself onto the southbound freeway out of town, and have also managed to lose my…
-
Wake up age 32, on a night train outside Perth
After three nights on the train, we arrive at Perth 9am on 20 July (my birthday). We are feeling a bit crumpled after our journey and head to Governor Robinson’s a small hostel in inner city Northbridge. It’s a great place, very sharp, clean and comfortable, well-priced and run by a friendly guy by the…
-
Indian Pacific: 2 Dimensional Drift
The train pulls up in the middle of the plain. This is in theory a station called Watson. There is nothing but small grassy clumps and red soil. An aboriginal woman and her small child step down from the train together with a steward with their bags. I overhear their conversation at the door. She…
-
Indian Pacific: Plain Talking
The country outside Adelaide is initially greener than I imagined (no drifting sand dunes or camel trains yet.) However the ubiqitous red soil is there; and after some time you realize the landscape is impercetibly changing. The last distant low uplands slide away and the perspective is of a vast surrounding tabletop. Small scubby plants…