The Great Journey Continues

Great Changes

2012-01-26T22:00:00.004+11:00

The new year has brought many great changes to my life and the lives of others. With my time in Canberra nearing an end, I am anxious and nervous about starting my new life in Katherine. I find it hard to believe that I've been in Canberra nearly 4 years. The time seems to have flown by so quickly and tomorrow morning my stay in Canberra ends as I get on a plane, destined for Australia's tropical north.

In the last month, there have been some extraordinary events, though. The first was the opening celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Plast (Ukrainian Scouts). The larger ceremony will be a world gathering in Ukraine in August but as Australians get their summer now, the Plast executive decreed that the first celebrations will be in Australia. I was a counsellor for the scouts and they had a very interesting camp program over 9 days. I think, though, the highlight must have been the 3-day hike through the Australian Alps. Starting in a valley, the group I was with, the advanced group, hike some 45 kilometers across very mountainous terrain to the very top of Australia, the summit of Mt. Kosciuszko. Named after a Polish war hero, Mt. Kosciuszko is 2 229 meters above sea level. The scouts had been divided into beginner and intermediate groups as well and all 3 met up at the summit. It was truly a spectacular hike. Both nights, though, were very cold and frost formed on the inside of the fly sheet. Even though I was bundled up, I froze.

The camp was held in Canberra's Camp Cottermouth, a Scouts campground in the ACT just west of Canberra. There we had various activities including something called the Golden Guitar, a music competition, which the scouts ended up winning with a remake of the Gorillaz hit Feel Good Inc., involving more scout-related lyrics. They even had a scavenger trip around Canberra. It was nice to get so many people together in 1 location as typically troops have their own camps each year. In December I plan to be at the Melbourne camp but I hope to make it to the big celebrations in Ukraine and possibly see some of my friends there too.

After camp, the next big even was my admission as a lawyer on January 13th. I arrived at the Supreme Court and found my friend, Rohan, who had agreed to move my admission. Once inside we were approached by the Deputy Registrar, the person who starts off the ceremony and happened to be a fellow Aussie rules umpire, and we went inside the court room. I had expected it to be fairly sparse but there were quite a few people there: myself, Rohan, the Deputy Registrar, the clerk, the judge, the judge's associate, 4 corrections officers, the Admissions Board secretary and 3 other lawyers there on separate matters. The whole ceremony lasted only about 10 minutes once the judge arrived. I was happy to find out it was my favourite ACT judge, Justice Richard Refshauge, one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Well, the Deputy Registrar called for admissions, Rohan moved it, the Deputy Registrar administered the affirmation and the judge ordered that my name be entered on the roll. The judge then had a very brief speech and then I went up to sign the roll. Normally there can be 20-40 students in this process but because of my special circumstances, I got a personal one. I felt very proud and relieved to have finally finished the process. Afterwards, myself, Rohan, Roland (a friend from law school), Kendra (another friend from law school) and Amy (Rohan's friend) went out for lunch and dinner to celebrate. It really was a great day.

A week later and another milestone passed, I turned 29. I only have 1 year of "youth" left and although I am very rapidly approaching 30, I do have 2 small consolations. The first, the interpretation of the Mayan calendar may be right and the world will end in December, the second, if the world doesn't end, 2012 is a leap year meaning I get 1 extra day of being young. We'll see how this year goes.

Of course the biggest news for me is that I'm starting my new job in the Northern Territory. I'm all packed up and ready to go. I've shipped most of my things via Greyhound's freight service. I'll pick it up in Katherine. Hopefully I won't be without permanent accommodation for long. Packing up was quite the challenge and it took some 16 items to pack everything up. Luckily NAAJA is paying for it so it's not too bad. The great joy will be having to unpack everything again once I'm settled in.

By coincidence, my brother will be starting a new job in a remote area as well, Iqaluit on the same day. My brother has moved to the Arctic and I to the tropics. He'll be starting a teaching position up there and, I'm very jealous, but will be making more money than me, at least before taxes and expenses. It seems that things are changing for many of us as the Earth turns and makes another trip around the sun. I just hope the changes are for the better and that great things will come of them.

(Photos will be added at some point)

Meritorious Service

2011-12-22T01:12:00.002+11:00

On December 15th, I finally completed the last step in my legal education --- I graduated with the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from ANU. With merit, I might add. According to my diploma (or testamur as it's called at ANU), I finished the course of study with merit, which means better than average but one step below distinction (distinction being the highest level). I'm pretty happy with my result and it now means I can go forth into the world and seek admission into the legal profession. This was the last step, academically anyway.

Speaking of admission, I handed in the paperwork to the Supreme Court Registry today. The woman at the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board sent an e-mail to the registry and I was told that a file would be created right away, Hopefully this means that there won't be any hiccups like last time. All things being equal, I'm only about 3 weeks away from admission. I really can't wait. I'll finally be a full member of the legal community and I can go up to the Northern Territory confident that I have what it takes to succeed.

Interestingly, I had lunch with some of my law school friends. 1, Roland, still has a semester to complete while the other, Rohan, is working for ACT Legal Aid and already has a practising certificate. In order to be admitted, an already admitted lawyer must move your admission before the court. Since Rohan is such, I asked if he would move my admission and he agreed. So, that's another issue all sorted.

2 world leaders died in the last week or two, Kim Jong Il and Vaclav Havel. Coincidentally, the day before he died I was just thinking of Vaclav Havel in a very roundabout way. As Christmas is coming up I got the tune Good King Wenceslaus into my head and Wenceslaus is an English rendering of Vaclav. From there, I just started wondering what Vaclav Havel was doing and then I read the news. Life is full of these odd coincidences. I wasn't really thinking of Kim Jong Il except in the context of the wonderful caricature of him in Team America: World Police. I hope that North Korea starts to come in from the cold but I realize that is unlikely. Still, it would be nice if North Korea can emerge from its frozen state but only time will tell.

Finally, I'd like to wish everyone a happy Hanukkah. It started on the 20th and in the words of Adam Sandler, it goes for "8 crazy nights."

Oh, and here's a photo of my from my GDLP graduation. It's myself and Dr. Dominique Dalla-Pozza, a professor at ANU who taught me Commonwealth Constitutional Law and now teaches that and Australian Public Law. I'm the one on the right.

The Best Laid Plans

2011-12-09T03:07:00.001+11:00

It seems as though my plans have been set upon a new and unplanned course, for reasons not of my choosing. I was supposed to have been admitted tomorrow in the Supreme Court as a lawyer. It would have made me a full member of the legal profession. The plan was to be admitted and then sort of just wait around until my job started in the Northern Territory. I could take pride in my accomplishment and tell everyone I was a lawyer. As it turns out, it's not going to happen precisely as planned.

On the Monday before my admission I sent an e-mail to the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board (LPAB) asking what time my admissions ceremony would be on Friday. The ceremonies take place one after the other but the time slot is important since you know when to show up and you're not left waiting around. I then received an e-mail saying that they did not have my paperwork so I would be unable to be admitted. This was an unwelcome surprise for me, particularly as I had submitted my paperwork many months ago. I quickly phoned back and asked how could this be. Luckily, I had copies of everything I had submitted as well as the receipt showing that I had paid the requisite fee. I was told that they would try to find my paperwork as there didn't seem to be anything in the system against either the receipt number or the admissions number (a sort of reference number).

The next morning I received a call and was told that my paperwork was nowhere to be found. The Secretary of the LPAB was at a complete loss to explain the situation. Even given the months that had gone by, my paperwork should still have been on file. We agreed that I would come in to discuss the situation and I had the added complication that I had to be admitted before I left for the Northern Territory, which was before the next scheduled admissions ceremony.

I arrived that afternoon at the LPAB, which is housed in the Supreme Court building, and I discussed my options with the Secretary. She was quite contrite and it seems my paperwork simply vanished without a trace. It seems that whoever took my paperwork hadn't followed proper procedure to enter the information into the computer system in addition to filing it. The best explanation we could come up with was that it had somehow been thrown away. A few months ago, the Supreme Court Registry, which is the body which accepts documents, moved from the Supreme Court building to the Magistrates Court building next door. At the time I submitted my paperwork it was still in the Supreme Court building and I have a feeling my paperwork may have been misplaced during the move. At any rate, it meant admission at the December ceremony was not possible.

Luckily, there was a solution. The Secretary suggested that I be admitted at a special ceremony tentatively set for January 13th, which was exactly what I was thinking. Although admissions ceremonies are held for convenience a court is entitled to admit someone whenever they want. Given the circumstances, a special ceremony was warranted. What it means in practical terms is that I will show up at the Supreme Court on that day and a lawyer will make a motion for me to be admitted, exactly as would've happened tomorrow except that I will be the only person there in January. Assuming nothing else goes awry, I will be admitted as a lawyer then.

While the solution is acceptable it is a hassle as it means I must resubmit virtually all my paperwork. This includes an affidavit from myself, copies of various documents and 3 character affidavits. It's an unnecessary headache but a necessary evil given the circumstances. In case you're wondering why I can't be admitted sooner it's because the Supreme Court is in recess for most of that period and copies of my paperwork also go to the Law Society who vet the application as well. While I'm happy to have found a solution, I would rather one was not necessary. I'll also impart something else that has kept with me over many years, a saying I have taken to heart since I was very young, nothing vanishes without a trace.

On the lighter side, in an article in the Canberra Times, it was revealed that ACTTAB (my employer) and a few other gambling providers, mostly private bookmakers, had been operating under invalid licences for the last 10 years! The situation stems from an oversight following a change in legislation in 2002 when a new bookmakers' act came into force in the ACT. Under transitional provisions, existing licences (like whose for ACTTAB) to provide gambling services continued but had to be renewed after 6 months but that never happened. The people and agencies just kept going along as per normal. The mistake was somehow discovered during day-to-day operations, not because of a specific check, and the government's lawyers advised that the current licences were technically invalid. The ACT Legislative Assembly then stepped in and enacted legislation which legitimized those licences retrospectively, meaning now there's no problem. I just think that it's funny how I've spent virtually my entire career with ACTTAB while the agency was operating with an invalid licence. What a strange thing it is, or was, to be more specific.

I guess everyone has paperwork issues sometimes.

Requisite Fees

2011-11-30T20:08:00.001+11:00

I've reached that time of the year when things seem to slow down considerably for me. Many people call the lead up to Christmas the Silly Season because of the frenetic gift buying and organizing of family functions. I guess as someone who doesn't have any real familial obligations in Australia, I just find myself with a lot of free time. Most of Fenner Hall has emptied out and so there aren't many people around. Also, as I don't have to worry about exam marks, the only thing I have to do now is wait for graduation. I do still find ways to keep busy, though.

I still have my job at ACTTAB which gives me a few shifts every week and I'm still studying for those Canadian law exams. I also took a job at Fenner over the Summer as a Summer Duty Warden. This is sort of a caretaker position on evenings and weekends, which is when the front office is closed. SDWs just keep an eye on things and make sure there are no problems. If any issues do come up, we're trained to handle them. It's not a very hard job and it does give you a bit of extra money.

Just yesterday there was a very intense line of storms that passed over the Canberra region. I've never seen lightning and wind of such intensity. There were multiple lightning flashes per minute and some peels of thunder were deafening. I find storms so fascinating and exciting to watch. There are few things I like more than going on the roof balcony and watching an approaching storm front as the lightning bolts light up the night sky. Such things happen as spring draws to a close and raises the curtain on summer.

I was going over my admission to practice and I realized that assuming all goes well at my admissions ceremony on December 9th, I will very shortly be eligible to practice law in several jurisdictions and in multiple countries. Under Australian law, once a person is admitted in one jurisdiction (a state or territory) then they are entitled to practice in any Australian state and/or territory, provided they file some minimal paperwork and pay the requisite fee. What will happen is I will be admitted to practice (I hope) in the Australian Capital Territory. Now, this doesn't mean that I can just go out and do lawyering things, that requires a practising certificate, but admission to practice is the necessary step to get a practising certificate. To get a practising certificate, you have to produce a Certificate of Admission which is what you get when you're admitted and then pay the requisite fee to the Law Society. In my case, because I will be working in the Northern Territory, I will not get a practising certificate in the ACT but my admission here will entitle me to a practising certificate there.

The journey doesn't end there either. In order to be eligible to practice in federal jurisdictions, like the Federal Court or the High Court of Australia, you have to be admitted in the High Court. Luckily, that's pretty easy and if you have a practising certificate from a state or territory, you just send the High Court Registry a copy and they admit you onto the roll, as it's called. If you want an official certificate, you send them the requisite fee. I plan to do this very soon after being admitted.

There is also a great little international agreement called the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement (TTMRA) between Australia and New Zealand. It allows people who are qualified in most jobs in one country to have those qualifications recognized in the other. For lawyers, you first register for recognition in the state or territory you have a practising certificate in, in my case, the Northern Territory by filing some paperwork and paying the requisite fee. From there, you make an application for admission as a barrister and solicitor in the High Court of New Zealand by filing some paperwork and paying the requisite fee. I think I'll do that sometime after admission as well. It's not expensive and if for some reason I ever had to practice in New Zealand, I would be eligible to get a practising certificate without much issue. I wonder how many Australian lawyers do this?

So, the total comes out to that I'd be eligible to practice law in the ACT, the Northern Territory, Australia's federal jurisdiction and New Zealand. Not too a bad tally for a few months after admission. Also, if I pass all my Canadian law exams, I'll have a Certificate of Qualification which means that I could apply to a Canadian law society to do their barrister and solicitor exams to be admitted there too. I may one day be eligible to practice in no fewer than 5 jurisdictions spread over 3 countries on 2 continents in 2 hemispheres. That's quite an exciting prospect assuming I can cope with all of the requisite fees.

Continuing

2011-11-23T01:23:00.001+11:00

This will be a very short post as I can't think of much to report. With the exam season winding down, Fenner Hall has been emptying out slowly. I think a lot of people are eager to leave for the summer and get home for those precious few months of freedom. Those that are staying are in for a quiet time until February. Summer in Fenner Hall is actually quite pleasant and it's nice and quiet. This year, though they're moving everyone who's staying in South Tower over to North Tower as they're replacing the carpeting and taking the asbestos tiles out of the floors. The administration is also planning more activities than in previous years so at least we'll be occupied.

Beyond that, the only other event of note was last Sunday I got together with some friends of mine and we had a venison and mead roast dinner. As you may know, venison is deer meat and mead is an alcoholic drink made from fermenting honey. My friends Kai and Eleanor are engaged and recently moved to an apartment. Kai is a blacksmith who makes Dark Ages weaponry and is a bit of an enthusiast of the era. A few months back I suggested that Kai, Eleanor and I get together for an old-fashioned dinner involving mead and venison, 2 staples of the Viking diet.

The original idea was that Kai would hunt the deer and prepare the venison himself. Unfortunately, this year feral deer have been scarce in the mountains so I said that I would buy the venison and supply the mead if he and Eleanor would prepare it and supply the side dishes. I got a hold of 2.6 kg of venison from a butcher who had to order it in. I then handed it over to Kai and Eleanor and they agreed to make a roast on Sunday. In Australia there is a tradition of having a lamb roast on Sundays, called the Sunday roast, so this was a nice little spin on a tradition.

So, last Sunday I arrived at Kai and Eleanor's and along for the dinner were Eleanor's brother, Nathan, and a mutual friend of our's Hagen. It very much a meat, potatoes and vegetables affair and we each had about 1 glass of spiced mead, which is meant to be served hot. I commended Eleanor and Kai on their preparation of the venison as it was quite excellent. It's a shame venison is not readily available in supermarkets as it is quite a delicious meat. At any rate, everyone had a good time and I'm sure the Vikings would have been proud to see their noble customs carried on today.

Big News and a Big Move

2011-11-12T23:59:00.001+11:00

This last little while has been filled with exciting times and exciting news. It looks like my life is going to take a very interesting change and I'll be doing something in a place I've always wanted to. I think the coming months and years will prove formative and productive.

Firstly, I'll mention that Australia's great Melbourne Cup was run on Tuesday, November 1st. That day I was stationed at the City Hellenic Club in what is called a temporary venue. Essentially, I was in a little booth and took people's bets. The day was quite busy but very enjoyable and the good people at the club provided lunch, which was a grilled BLT, fries and free drinks. As the race approached, everyone became glued to the TV and when it finally jumped everyone cheered and waited with anticipation as to which horse would come first. This year, it really went down to the wire and only the smallest of distances separated the winner from 2nd place. And when I say smallest of distances, I mean less than 5 centimeters! It is the closest Melbourne Cup finish in history and it was won by a French horse, Dunaden. Everyone cheered and gasped when the result was announced. The owner must have been the happiest person in the country since they got about $5 million for the win. Although my working day was a bit long, 08:30-18:30 without any real break to speak of, it was so much fun. I'd gladly do it every year.

The next big thing for me was that I finally finished the last component of my diploma on Monday, November 7th. That was the day I had my last placement at Legal Aid. On that rotation I observed a disciplinary hearing at the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the returned to the office to help with some client interviews. At the end of the day, it sort of really hit me that I'd completed everything and my long road is almost over. Since it was the last day of the Legal Aid placement for the group, we all went for a quick drink at a local pub, as lawyers are wont to do. With the GDLP completed, all that's left is my admission ceremony which will be in early December. Assuming everything goes according to plan, I'll be a lawyer on December 7th.

The biggest news, though, is that I've been offered a job as a lawyer. The organization is the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) and I'll be working in their criminal law section in the Katherine Office. Katherine is a town of 5 000 people in the Northern Territory but an important regional center. I don't know exactly what I'll be doing but I expect it will be providing legal advice and going to court. Essentially, this is legal aid for indigenous Australians. The climate will be hot year-round but I've always wanted to work in the Northern Territory and although Darwin has always been my goal, I don't think I can pass up an opportunity like this. The pay and conditions aren't bad either. I get about $56 000/yr to start, which isn't much, but 5 weeks of vacation time which is great. I'll also get to travel around to remote communities and I can't imagine something more fun at this point in my very earliest career. I don't expect to be at NAAJA forever but I think the experience I gain will be invaluable to wherever I move on next.

I think the story of how I got the job is quite interesting as well. I found the job posting in an online search but noticed that I had just missed the deadline, or was about to. I fired an e-mail to the contact person and asked if I could submit a late application and I was told I could. Having heard nothing from some of the other places I applied to, I jumped at the opportunity. 2 days after I applied I received an e-mail saying that NAAJA would like to interview me. Somewhat surprised at the speed with which this happened (things tend to move at a more leisurely pace in the Northern Territory), I quickly responded saying I would gladly interview for the position if it could be done over the phone. 3 days after that, I had the phone interview and I thought I went well, but not necessarily stellarly. The phone interview I think was pretty standard in my opinion and I was nervous after it was over, hoping that I'd done well.

From there, it was just a question of NAAJA contacting my references and then I received THE phone call. Brian Cassels, the director, told me that I was 1 of 2 successful applicants. You cannot imagine how thrilled I was to hear this. I was worried a search for a job would be protracted and difficult but I got one fairly quickly, and it was one that I was keen on doing.

So, this means that sometime in the new year I'll be moving to Katherine. The logistics and the finer details will be worked out later but it's going to be an adventure. I'll be a "bushie" (someone who lives in a remote area) in not time. Actually, while Katherine may not be much visited it is not exactly remote, being on the Stuart Highway, the main road from Adelaide to Darwin. I look forward to this job with NAAJA and I can't wait for the adventure to begin.

The has been one interesting development, though. The day after I got the phone call from NAAJA, I received a phone call from someone at CridlandsMB, a law firm in Darwin that I had sent an expression of interest to. They said that they would like to interview me to see if they could work something out. I thanked the person on the phone but apologized that I had only just accepted the job offer from NAAJA the day before. However, she went on to say that if things didn't work out with NAAJA and/or I wanted a change, I should let them know and they would see if they could work something out. If nothing else, it means I have options although I would like to stroke my ego and say that it means that I'm in high demand.

At any rate, my life is taking a big turn. Just as I wanted, I'll be staying in Australia, at least for the foreseeable future, assuming all goes well. I think that this is a road I have to travel, if only to see where it leads.

2-0-0

2011-10-31T00:43:00.002+11:00

According to postings list on my blog, this is my 200th post. It feels like a bit of an achievement and it's hard to believe that it's been so long since I came to Australia. I've spent such a long time here that in many ways I consider myself Australian, although the Department of Immigration and Citizenship would disagree. Still, even if I don't end up living in Australia permanently, I think Australia will always be alike a second home; perhaps sort of like a cottage, not where you live, but where you go to relax and have a fun time. I wouldn't mind living here permanently, don't get me wrong, but bureaucracy is mighty fortress.

There have been a few interesting events in the last few days, my brother's birthday for one. He's now 26 and almost in his late 20s. He tells me he enjoyed the dinner mom, dad and he had so I guess it's another enjoyable birthday for him.

Yesterday was also the yearly Fenner Hall Valete Ball, a celebration of those who are graduating and/or moving out. Since I was finishing my diploma this year I was entitled to attend and I received, like last year, a metal cup with Fenner Hall's crest engraved on it although it is smaller than last year's. Interestingly, I was the first person called up. The whole affair was quite formal and everyone was dressed in their best. There were also awards to those who had made special contributions to Fenner Hall over the year. I think everyone enjoyed it.

The big news out of Australia, though, is, of course, the grounding of the Flying Kangaroo, QANTAS. The lockout has caused quite a stir and I can assure everyone that there is little else talked of in Australia. The government's called in an arbitrator for mandatory talks between the parties so we'll see what comes out of that; I suspect probably a back to work order. If this does go further, then the parties may have to resort to another great Australian innovation --- binding wage arbitration. Apparently, the practice of having an arbiter decide wages during a dispute and having the decision enforceable at law was pioneered in Australia. I think it's actually a very good idea, and it has been picked up the world over, so we'll see if it's played out in this little escapade.

Of course, Halloween is coming up too --- boo! However, Halloween is really a Canadian/American thing and while there may be Halloween parties in Australia, no one goes trick-or-treating. It's kind of a shame, really, as all those children miss out on free candy. It also means that Australians have to put up with Christmas decorations in their stores from early October, so I think it's lose-lose all around. If I could, I would import trick-or-treating into Australia and I think it would be a better country for it.

The next big thing is the Melbourne Cup, running on November 1st. With its $6.2 million purse, this is the most lucrative horse race in Australia, possibly the world. It stops the country and 80% of the population has a bet on the race. Some bets are small, only a dollar or two, but there are serious betters with far too much money on their hands who will lay out thousands of dollars. As it is the premier race day of the year, all ACTTAB staff are working and I'll be close to home, the Hellenic Club in the city. I've been told to brace for a long day as I start at 08:30 but it I'll pass the time by thinking about all the money I'll make. And when I say the race stops the nation, I'm not really exaggerating. When the race is run, everyone stops what they're doing and the day is a public holiday in the state of Victoria. Most people take it as good fun but if you win, especially something like a trifecta, you are looking at a major return.

To all my Australian friends, good luck in the Cup and to all my Canadian friends, happy Halloween.

The Cup and Beyond

2011-10-26T00:39:00.001+11:00

Over the last 6 weeks, the largest international event that New Zealand has ever hosted, possibly its largest even ever, was played out on the sports fields of some of New Zealand's finest cities. The 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) saw 20 countries divided into 4 pools all hoping to hoist the Webb Ellis Cup. The New Zealanders were particularly hopeful as the All Blacks, New Zealand's national team, was ranked the best in the world and had the possibility of capturing the championship since the first one in 1987. Rugby is New Zealand's national sport and the Kiwis take great pride in their abilities.

I'm proud to say that Canada made a very good showing in the RWC this year. Many Canadians wouldn't know, but Canada is the 2nd strongest rugby team in the Americas behind Argentina. Canada was placed into Pool A which included Japan, Tonga, France and New Zealand --- a very tough draw. The Canadians played very well, beating Tonga, tying Japan although losing to France and New Zealand, although those teams are some of the strongest in the world. Although Canada did not advance to the playoffs, the Canucks hold the distinction of being the only team to score first against the All Blacks at the RWC.

The playoffs were very exciting, especially in Australia. I watched as the Wallabies narrowly defeated the reigning champs, the South Africa Springboks and then face New Zealand in the semi-finals. Australia lost and had to contend itself with beating Wales to take the bronze medal. New Zealand defeated its opponents with relative ease and advanced to the final as heavy favourite against the France Les Bleus.

The championship game was a titanic struggle between two great nations of the sport. The All Blacks performed one of their hakas, the Kapo o Pango (the other one is the more famous Ka Mate) and the French walked up to stare them down. The game was very close and neither team seemed to be kicking well. New Zealand scored the first try but failed to convert although they managed a penalty goal giving them an 8-0 lead. Les Bleus retaliated within minutes and scored a try on a brilliant series of plays that left the All Blacks stunned. After the conversion the score became 8-7. Despite both teams trying valiantly neither could get any more points on the board and in this exciting game that went to the wire, the All Blacks were able to cling to the win. You can rest assured that all of New Zealand was celebrating that night and probably still is.

I decided that I should get into the spirit of the tournament and I decided to buy myself some official team jerseys. To that end, I got jerseys for Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The last 3 I got from the official RWC website but the Canadian one was a bit trickier. The Canadian jersey was unavailable at the online store because, apparently, they had sold out of them. To me, this was incredible given that the exposure to rugby Canadians get is fairly minimal. However, it is a very nice jersey with red, white and black elements and embossed maple leaves. Perhaps it is that jersey's aesthetic quality that made it so popular. In the end, I got the Canadian jersey shipped in from the UK and I got the last one in my size, so I felt very fortunate.

Despite the fun of the RWC, there is a serious side still to my life Down Under. After the utter joy of having the privilege of writing the Canadian Criminal Law and Procedure exam in October, I am now studying for the Foundations of Canadian Law and the Canadian Constitutional Law exams in my continuing quest to be qualified to practice law in Canada, should the need arise, and giving myself a stress-related illness. Those exams are in January and I'll be writing them again in Sydney. I've given myself 10 weeks to study plus 2 weeks to review, which I think will be enough given the similarities between Canadian and Australian constitutional law and what I already know. I'll write the Canadian Administrative Law exam in May and hopefully, that will be the end of it. Assuming I pass everything, it means that I will be qualified to practice law, subject to other regulations and applications, in Australia, Canada and New Zealand (thanks to the handy Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement).

Earlier on there was also the annual ACTAFL Umpires' Association dinner. This year, it was a bit more low key than usual but fun nonetheless. There was some lawn bowling and a very good dinner afterwards. It was good to recognize those who had made high achievements throughout the year and have some gentle, good-natured fun at everyone.

I am fairly rapidly coming to the conclusion of my graduate diploma which will mean that I shall soon be admitted as a lawyer in the ACT. All I have to do is complete this placement at Legal Aid I'm doing at the moment. Every Monday I go in, along with a few others, and over the course of 8 weeks we take part in different aspects of Legal Aid's work, like client interviews, domestic violence matters, civil tribunal matters and just about everything else too. It's part of the practical component of the diploma and I am learning a great deal though it. I had an excellent experience at the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions where I spent 2 weeks in September. I feel I've been exposed to so much of the law and I think these experiences will stand me in good stead.

My placement finishes in November meaning I'll have completed all components of my diploma. I should be admitted to practice in early December and graduating about a week later. It's all been leading up to this. I'm a little excited and scared by what's to come. It's the uncertainty of the future that I do not like but maybe, with a bit of luck, there'll be some certainty soon.

The Long Way Back

2011-10-17T00:17:00.001+11:00

In the last couple of months, my blog has changed from its initial format. It migrated from a being a sort of weekly update to me providing narratives of the days of the various adventures I had in the last few months. Unfortunately that took a little more time than I thought but I am now in a position to start writing weekly updates again.

In the months that have gone by since I last provided a weekly update, much has changed in my life. I've almost completed my GDLP and I expect to be admitted to practice in December. That means I'll be a fully-fledged lawyer. That in itself is frightening enough, not to mention the prospect of having to move out of Fenner Hall, find somewhere to live and find a more permanent job. I've applied to several jobs in Darwin, one place in Alice Springs but I do have a very good chance of getting a job with a company here in Canberra. We'll have to see where I end up but it's the uncertainty that I hate.

I've also written 1 of 4 exams to get a Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada's National Committee for Accreditation (NCA). Basically, once I pass those 4 exams it will mean that I have the same level of knowledge as a Canadian law school graduate. The test I took was Canadian Criminal Law and Procedure and I wrote it at the College of Law in Sydney. I had intended to write the Foundations of Canadian Law exam as well but due to a public holiday, they were unable to administer the exam and the NCA forbids writing exams on non-scheduled days. I wrote that in early October so I don't expect to hear the results until about mid-December or early January. I think I've done quite well, actually, but you never know with these things. I've staggered the other 3 so that I'll write 2 in January and the final one in May. With any luck, I'll have no trouble with them and if necessary, I'll be able to practice in Canada if I wanted to.

In August I took part in the International Cup for Australian rules football in Sydney. This is a tournament where teams from several countries come together. I officiated games of both the Canadian men's and women's teams. The highlight, though, was officiating the curtain-raiser at ANZ Stadium, the venue for the 2000 Olympics. This was a game between the USA and South Africa before a game of the Sydney Swans vs St. Kilda Saints. I felt quite proud of my accomplishment and excited to be doing such an important game in front of quite a large number of people. Afterwards, my umpire coach said he was impressed with how I handled myself.

In June and July I visited Canada on a sort of working holiday. I worked for 4 weeks in a dad's friend's law firm as part of the practical legal training aspect of the GDLP. I feel like I learned such a great deal during my time there. I also had a great time visiting and catching up with people I know. I even managed to get some soccer time with the Ukrainian team.

I guess that's about it in terms of my life in the last few months. I expect to provide updates on a weekly basis as the year goes on. It's been a long road getting back but I'm here now.

Another Great Journey -- One Last Day

2011-10-10T16:10:00.003+11:00

The final morning of our trip was wonderfully sunny. The sky was clear and blue and Akaroa took on a more inviting feel in the light. As Isabella and I had only seen the town after dark we were pleasantly surprised by how quaint everything looked. Although we had to leave for Christchurch fairly early, we took the time to take a stroll down the main street. It wasn't very long, underlying the town's small population, but quite a pleasant little walk. Having mostly packed the night before, Isabella and I made our way back to the hostel and drov towards Christchurch.

We wound our way up the mountain road that we had taken the evening before and were treated to some truly spectacular views. Along the way, by a roadside coffeeshop, we pulled over and gazed at the valley before us. We were up on one ridge and there was another set of mountains on the other side but between them, you could see an arm of the sea. There were some sheep, lots of trees, but no houses. You got the feeling that though close to civilization, the Banks Peninsula was still somewhat removed from it. There is no denying, though, that the peninsula is one of New Zealand's most beautiful places.

After our quick stop, we continued on to Christchurch. Akaroa is not that far away, only about 60 kilometers, but it takes some time to get there owing to the mountainous road and then you have to take some pretty busy suburban streets. There was more traffic on them than usual because cars were still not allowed into the city center. We drove cautiously around the Christchurch before getting to Main North Road.

Isabella would be continuing her excursions by bicycle in New Zealand and she needed to get north to Cheviot and then Kaikoura, and this was the principal route. Bicycles are forbidden on the main highway north out of Christchurch for some 30 kilometers which necessitated Isabella taking the road. We parked by a city park and loaded the bicycle. Isabella was quite well prepared and in very short order was ready to proceed north. We said our goodbyes and I watched as Isabella pedalled with all her strength towards Cheviot.

I turned the car around, filled it up and returned it to the rental agency. Their van then drove me back to the airport where I boarded my plane and flew off.

I very much enjoyed this trip, both for the company and the fact that I saw places I never had or had not visited for quite some time. It was good to get out of Canberra for a while and just relax, and I think everyone deserves a vacation every now and again. I hope this is not the end of my great journeys and adventures and I look forward to many more in the future. Who knows where my next adventure will be?

Another Great Journey -- The French Connection

2011-09-30T00:05:00.002+10:00

This was our last full day in New Zealand and Isabella and I had to make it to Christchurch, or as near as possible. I was flying out the next day and Isabella would be continuing her bicycle journey north form there. She had a few weeks to reach Auckland and this would go quite some ways to helping her out. Also, our adventures in the dark trying to get to Invercargill the night before meant we were a little apprehensive but this journey was set to be straight and along mostly major highways.

Isabella managed to get a reservation at a hostel in Akaroa, a small town on the Banks Peninsula just east of Christchurch. It was near enough that it wouldn't take too long to get to Christchurch and this particular hostel had very good reviews. We decided first, though to do some exploring of Dunedin.

The central part of Dunedin is a circular collection of streets called the Octagon. Many of the oldest and most important buildings of the city are in this small area. For relaxation there's even a little park in the middle transected by Princes and George Streets. We first walked up to the statue of Robert Burns, the great Scottish poet. As Dunedin was founded by Scots, in fact the whole of the southern South Island to Invercargill was colonized mostly by Scots, things Scottish have a sort of pride of place. It was one of Robert Burns' nephews who was the first minister in the local Presbyterian church, I think. It's a good landmark to use if you want to meet someone. Across the road is the impressive Anglican Cathedral with it's towering spires and beside it is the Municipal Chambers building. The Municipal Chambers is perhaps best known for its clock tower which gives it a distinctive look.

From there we took a short walk down Stuart Street to perhaps Dunedin's most famous landmark, the train station. Built when Dunedin was the second largest city in the country and center of a gold rush, its design is in the Franco-Flemish style. That might not mean much in itself but among British colonies that use of architecture makes it more or less unique. It has this sort of ornate quality about it that just makes it unmistakable. The actual foyer to wait for trains is pretty small and most of the rest of the building is offices and the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame which is a bit anticlimactic, but the building itself is thoroughly enjoyable to look at. Our next stop was the First Presbyterian Church not too far away which doesn't receive as much credit as the Anglican Cathedral or the train station but it is an excellent example of Scottish Gothic architecture.

Getting in our car, we then drove to the north of the city and drove up Baldwin Street. This is, supposedly, the steepest street in the world and I can categorically say that it is quite the adventure to drive up it. You have to use the lowest possible gear and as you drive up you are in constant terror that you will stall. Once you reach the top, the only thing you can do is turn around and head down where you're in constant fear that the car will get away from you. Isabella got the whole drive on video and it's quite the experience if you like a bit of adventure.

Isabella and I decided that we wanted to try some Bluff oysters raw, or as near as possible. The price in Dunedin was quite high but Isabella said she remembered cheaper prices in another town on the drive in. We drove to Mosgiel, a town I mentioned earlier, and it is only 15 kilometers from Dunedin. There we found some Bluff oysters for half the price they were selling in Dunedin and decided to see if they really were worth all the hype. We sat down on a bench and I took the first one and instantly cringed. It was far too salty to leave them in the brine so we drained the brine and shared the oysters. I don't think they were particularly good and Isabella agreed that they tasted far better deep-fried than raw.

From Mosgiel we drove back through Dunedin and off to the north. Our only stop long the way was the famous Moeraki Boulders. These are a series of boulders on a beach that have been rounded off by the erosive action of the sea. They are quite well-known but there weren't that many people around when Isabella and I went for a walk. They were interesting and certainly set in a scenic coast of New Zealand.

We didn't linger long and then made for Akaroa with all necessary haste. Progress wasn't as fast as I'd hoped but I suppose we did it in about the average time. To get to Akaroa you turn off the main highway and then cut across top the highway for the Banks Peninsula. As we drove the lonely highway to Akaroa the highway turned from flat to mountainous as we crested and troughed the peaks of the Banks Peninsula. By the time we finally reached Akaroa, darkness had set in.

The connection between France and Scotland runs deep and it seems that New Zealand is no exception. The town of Akaroa, which may be the South Island's first European settlement, was founded by the French. Even today the street names have mostly French names and the name of our hostel was Bon Accord. Although it was dark, Akaroa was a pleasant little town and is a bit of a tourist destination precisely because of its unique French heritage. Our hostel was also very well apportioned and I think it could've even rated as a hotel. I keep saying that the Kiwis know how to treat visitors.

As it was dark, I was worried we wouldn't be in time for dinner but the manager of the hostel managed to get us a reservation at a very nice restaurant; it is probably Akaroa's nicest. Isabella and I got dressed for the occasion and walked to the restaurant. It was small, crowded, lively and magnificent. It was clearly a very popular place as it seemed that every visitor was there. We felt fortunate as there were some people who were turned away because the place was simply too full. It had such a great atmosphere and the food was fantastic too. At the end, they gave us each about a shot of a homemade liqueur produced from the feijoa plant. This is a type of sweet fruit that is grown in some quantity on the South Island. Even though I'm a teetotaller, I found it quite tasty and an excellent end to the evening. With the crowd thinning out, Isabella and I took a nighttime walk along Akaroa's principal street before returning to the hostel.

We were both a bit sad at the realization that we would be parting company tomorrow but glad of the adventure. We talked a bit and prepacked what we need to before turning in for the night. We had seen quite a good portion of the South Island, from its towering mountains to the cold sea. All that was left now was the next morning.

Another Great Journey -- The Catlins

2011-09-23T22:48:00.000+10:00

The south coast from Dunedin to Invercargill is quite ruggedly spectacular and has been given the name, The Catlins. It is sparsely populated but has some very interesting things to see. I'm trying to think of an equivalent place in North America but I can't; perhaps something like the south California coast if it were transported to the eastern seaboard. At any rate, Isabella and I decided to try this area next.

Our first stop was actually at the semi-rural house of some people Isabella had met earlier in her travels. They lived in a house on the hills overlooking Dunedin and the view of the city was very good. Isabella's friend, whose name I now forget, lives a sort of bohemian existence with her partner. There are 2 couples, I believe, and they share this one, reasonably big house. As I mentioned it's just outside Dunedin and it didn't take us long to get there. Isabella and her friend chatted for quite some time and I joined in when I could and we stayed about an hour, maybe. Afterwards, we drove back through Dunedin and to the south towards the Catlins.

To get to the Catlins you have to drive along the main highway before turning off at Balclutha. I remember there being quite a lot of construction on the roads which made them rough and slowed down traffic. I don't know if this was because of the earthquake a little while before or if it was simply seasonal work that had to be done. We eventually reached the turnoff and headed down the road network known as the Southern Scenic Route. This is not a major highway, you have to understand, but country roads. There was still a fair bit of traffic but you could tell that the Catlins, while certainly well-visited, were probably often overlooked by travellers who merely wished to get to Invercargill or Dunedin.

Our first stop was Kaka Point where, like Sandfly Bay the day before, we took to hiding behind a blind to see hoihos. There were a few in the grass on the hills. It seems that hoihos go to great lengths to set their nests in the grass where the eggs will be safer from predators.

Our next stop was nearby Nugget Point with its famous lighthouse. Here there were quite a number of people milling about and it seemed to be one of the more popular spots. It was a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the actual lighthouse but the view from was quite lovely. The The coastline on either side of the lighthouse is quite rugged and has no doubt claimed many vessels in its time. The day had been quite sunny up to this point but as we left Nugget Point, the clouds were truly coming and it was clear we would be in for some wet weather. This is not unexpected and this part of the South Island is prone to such changes as there really is nothing between it and Antarctica so cold, wet weather is a feature of existence here.

From Nugget Point we drove to Purakaunui Falls, a smallish waterfall in the area. The roads to the falls were paved but mostly through woods and I don't recall there being any other cars really. We made it to the falls, parked the car and walked down. The falls were quite nice, a series of cascades in the forest but nothing truly spectacular.

From there we drove to Niagara Falls. This drive took us along some very hilly terrain but it did offer some great views of the area. We had noticed the name on one of the maps we had and decided to check it out as our Canadian heritage impelled us. Niagara Falls, in this case, is a small rapid and the person who named them after the famous North American falls did so expressly out of irony.

From Niagara Falls we drove along the coast to Curio Bay which has a famous petrified forest. The rain was coming down hard now and reminded me of the last time I was in Invercargill. The petrified forest sits on a sort of rocky shelf right on the ocean and you can step out onto it. Although it was raining quite hard, I decided to take a walk on the rocks. At various points you could see what were once trees and they had now hardened to solid rock. It was actually quite informative and there were 2 volunteer conservation officers who explained various things.

Our last stop for the day was Slope Point, the South Island's southernmost point, and here were truly alone. There not another car on the whole road there and when Isabella and I exited, there was hardly a sound. The walk down to the point goes through a farmer's field but I imagine there is a public right of way, at least, no one came out and told us to get off their land. Slope Point itself is just a rocky outcrop that juts into the sea. I went right to the edge and thought that this was the last point of land between here and the Antarctic ice, over 4 000 kilometers away. From Slope Point though, in the distance, through the sun's rays, you could just make out Rakiura (Stewart Island) and the rugged coastline extending to Invercargill.

Isabella and I climbed back into the car for the trip back and this is where the harrowing part of our journey began. We made it to the village of Fortrose which marks the end of the Catlins. I had intended to skip Invercargill altogether and simply head north towards Edendale where we could meet up with Highway 1, the principal route in the south part. I noticed we were a little low on gas but decided to press on and fill in Edendale. Unfortunately as we followed the signs to Edendale we were going through back country roads that while paved, had few settlements about them. Luckily there were signs to Edendale until we hit a crossroads and the sign only pointed to Wyndham. I decided to turn in the opposite direction, which turned out to be a mistake. I later saw on Google Street View that I should've turned towards Wyndham and we would've reached Edendale quite quickly.

As it was , our current situation was that we were lost along country roads, low on fuel, in the dead of night, but heading towards Invercargill. We could only hope that we would reach that city before our fuel ran out. As it turned out, after making our way long these country roads and through back streets, we reached Invercargill and found a gas station. I apologized to Isabella as profusely as I could for our situation but promised to make up for it by taking here to the Lone Star, a steakhouse my brother and I had gone to when we were in Invercargill. Luckily it was still open and we had a very good meal, including some wonderful deep-fried Bluff oysters. These oysters are farmed in Bluff, only 30 kilometers to the south and are known for their taste. I who generally am apprehensive of seafood had a taste and they appealed to me.

After this rather late dinner, I took Isabella to Invercargill's famous water tower. It was lit up and we drove around it. After getting a little lost in the city we managed to find our way back onto the principal highway and raced back towards Dunedin, which is only 200 and a bit kilometers away. Isabella slept most of the way for which I cannot blame her. We passed through some towns and villages but all over there was quite and very few other cars on the road. With so little traffic it was easy to make it to Dunedin and when we finally reached our hostel, we crawled up and fell asleep as soon as we could.

Another Great Journey -- The Otago Peninsula

2011-09-20T11:34:00.003+10:00

Instead of just hanging around Dunedin all day, Isabella and I decided to take in some sights around Dunedin. Luckily, Dunedin has a very picturesque area within easy driving distance --- the Otago Peninsula. This is a large spit of land that just out of the South Island and Dunedin is situated where the peninsula meets the mainland. The Otago Peninsula has some remarkable things to see and we were determined to see as many as we could.

The first place we stopped was Taiaroa Head at the eastern edge of the peninsula. This place is known for having the only mainland breeding colony of Royal Albatrosses in the world. There is a visitors center that leads to a walk to an observation platform above the breeding colony. Isabella and I stepped in, saw the prices and decided to step out again. It was quite expensive for short viewing and there were no discounts for students or anything. Isabella and I decided to drive up a side road to get some better views of the surrounding area and the panorama was exquisite. Sunny days do not often happen in Dunedin and the sun provided excellent light for the views. Isabella and I also had some lunch on the grass near Taiaroa Head, looking out over the Pacific Ocean.

At this point I figured that since we'd come this far, why not at least check out the colony. I went inside and bought the necessary tickets. I tried to get Isabella a discount as she is a conservation officer in Alberta but the staff declined. Before the tour began Isabella and I looked around the visitors center which had many displays regarding the habits of albatrosses, the establishment of this particular colony and its subsequent protected status. From there the tour group marched up to the observation platform. There was only 1 albatross flying around and I didn't see any others in the thicket but an albatross is flight is quite an impressive sight to behold. The wingspan is enormous but even the Royal Albatrosses wingspan is less than that of the Wandering Albatross, which can be up to 3 meters. An albatross doesn't actually use and energy when it glides because it has a tendon that locks the wings in place. They really are fascinating birds.

From the albatross colony, Isabella and I drove along the ridge of the Otago Peninsula to Larnach Castle, New Zealand's only castle. It was built by a businessman and Member of Parliament who made his fortune in New Zealand and decided to build a home for his family in the Scottish style. He found a beautiful spot atop the peninsula and set about having the structure built. Mr. Larnach also made sure that the grounds were well ornamented with gardens. However, the story of Larnach Castle is not a happy one. Eventually, Mr. Larnach committed suicide and the children began fighting over the estate. While Larnach Castle in its heyday had seen fantastic balls and functions, it eventually fell into decline. The current owners bought it in the 1960s and it was in dire need of repair. I'm sure that they got it for a steal and all I can say it has probably reaped dividends for them.

Larnach Castle, now fully restored, is a high end hotel and museum. It's probably the most expensive hotel in the Dunedin area but people pay a fortune to stay here regardless. It has a sort of charm about it and the views are undeniable spectacular. The grounds contain gardens which are divided into several sections, each with different flora. The inside of the castle, where photographs are not allowed, contains memorabilia from Larnach Castle's history and the rooms are preserved as they were. The master bedroom had quite a nice view of the mainland on the other side. However, my favourite place was the turret. From there, there was an unobstructed view of the whole surrounding area.

You don't have to a be a guest of Larnach Castle to visit it, though you will have to leave by a certain time. However, if you do want to visit the castle just as a visitor, be prepared to pay quite a substantial amount for the privilege. It seems everything on the Otago Peninsula is expensive.

Our trip through Larnach Castle took us until the early evening so we decided to see some wildlife in Sandfly Bay. This is a reasonable large bay on the peninsula's southwest. It is one of the homes of the hoiho, the yellow-eyed penguin. We drove to the parking lot and then walked the length of the beach to the blind to observe the penguins. Along the way, Isabella and I observed many sea lions lying about in the sand. They didn't become active until we were leaving so I guess they are mostly active at dusk and dawn. We also saw a little hoiho walking along the sand dunes. Once we reached the blind we were greeted by a volunteer conservation officer who explained where the hoihos like to make their nests. He lent us a pair of binoculars and we observed some in the tall grass in the hills surrounding the bay. These are quite sheer and I find it hard to imagine that a penguin could have climbed the distance. It seems that they are tenacious little devils and simply hop as necessary. After a solid viewing session, we hiked back to the car and drove towards Dunedin.

On the way back we took the high road along the peninsula's ridge. Fog is a very common feature of the area and it was rolling in as we drove back. It was a sort of fast moving fog that rolled and curled like smoke. Once we were in the lower areas, though, the fog lifted and we could continue unimpeded.

Our Otago peninsula adventure was fantastic as we saw so much of what the area has to offer. I hope to go back one day and, if I have a little more money, I'll stay at least one night at the castle. The next adventure Isabella and I had was also very interesting, but at one point became quite harrowing.

Another Great Journey -- From the Highlands to the Sea

2011-09-15T22:19:00.004+10:00

With the morning sun, Isabella and I set out for Dunedin from Queenstown. First, however, I wanted to show Isabella and excellent view up Lake Wakatipu north to Glenorchy. I first laid eyes on it in 2005 on a trip to go horseback riding in Glenorchy. That day was sunny and virtually cloudless which gave a magnificent view of the Lake and the mountains behind. This day was a little cloudy which obstructed the view but did give the lake a sort of mottled blue and green surface.

From Queenstown we headed east on the highway to Dunedin. We decided that since we had virtually the whole day to get there we would take the scenic route through the Otago Highlands, a mountainous area filled with grasslands and tors. Our first stop, though, was Kawarau Gorge with its famous bridge, the birthplace of bungee jumping. When we got there there were many people, mostly foreigners I gathered and some were taking the plunge from the bridge to the river far below. I'm told that you choose the length of rope you want and you can either skim the river's surface or go for some form of immersion. But you can't do it on a whim as the price is a hefty NZ$180, which is a bit expensive in my opinion. However, to those who need the adrenaline rush, I'm sure it's money well spent.

Not too far away we stopped in a little highway fruit shop and Isabella picked out a huge quantity of greengage plums. These are plums, as the name suggests, but they have a sort of green and purple skin that makes one think they are unripe. I was a little apprehensive at trying them but once I did I immediately enjoyed them. Greenage plums are small but very sweet, despite their appearance. Isabella bout a box of about 50 or 60 for about NZ$4, I think, which was a steal. They were a source of nourishment for many days afterwards and in hindsight the choice was inspired. I went mad trying to find them in Australia but couldn't.

A little further on was a set of rapids called Roaring Meg, apparently named after a boisterous pub owner during the days of the local gold rush. As we drove on we eventually reached Cromwell, the center of the South Island's fruit growing area and if there was any doubt about that there is a large statue of fruit outside town. From Cromwell we passed through the likeable towns of Clyde and Alexandra before turning north onto Highway 85. Here the landscape became grassy with many rocky tors punctuating the landscape and there was a very real sense of isolation. There were few other vehicles on the road, though we did pull over on one occasion to let cattle pass. It kid of highlighted the rural way of life, that cattle were droved along the major highway without any real impediment.

The next town was Ranfurly, which at one point had served as an important stop when the railway ran through this part of the highlands. The railway has since been torn up but the old train station serves as a museum so Isabella and I decided to stop in. Inside there were various relics and photographs of bygone days and we were invited to watch a video on the railroad's history. I don't exactly remember why, but the video was just awful. I think it had been produced about 20 years ago and had terrible music and was quite boring. Isabella and I stayed as long as we thought we were being watched and then made a hasty retreat.

From Ranfurly, it was only a short drive to the Highway 87 turnoff which took us south towards Dunedin. For its whole length there were virtually no towns except for Middlemarch and that only just deserves the name as it is so small. Middlemarch, however, does have the distinction of being the end of the Taieri Gorge Railway, a rail line that runs from Dunedin along the scenic Taeri Gorge but is for tourism really. From Middlemarch begins the Otago Central Trail, a walking trail that used to be the rail line. However, at length, we reached Mosgiel, Dunedin's primary suburb and then drove into Dunedin.

We were booked in for 3 nights at Chalet Backpackers, which we found quite enjoyable. One thing I will compliment New Zealand on is its excellent quality of hostels. Dunedin would serve as our base for the next few days and we were going to make the most of our time there, seeing some of the city, but also some of the intriguing surrounding areas.

Another Great Journey -- Just Getting There

2011-09-12T00:31:00.001+10:00

As I alluded to in my previous post, Isabella and I had one more adventure together before she returned to Canada. Isabella decided to take a 2.5 month bicycle tour of New Zealand and we decided to meet in New Zealand a little before she left. She had many adventures in New Zealand herself, some of great excitement, other harrowing. Nevertheless, we decided that the best place to meet would be in Queenstown, the South Island's Mecca of Adventure. I managed to find some time, almost a week, where there was a break in my studies and I could afford to take some time off. However, just getting to New Zealand proved to be an adventure in itself.

For a while it looked like I mightn't be able to go on the trip for reasons beyond my control. The story goes like this. In order to stay in Australia I had to apply for a new visa. I sent out the necessary paperwork by express courier one week before my visa expired, assured by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) that it would be enough time to have receipt acknowledged. Under the Australian system, once you apply for a visa you receive what's called a Bridging Visa, a sort of visa that says you've validly applied for a substantive visa and that you're legally in the country. It's not an assessment of whether or not your application will succeed, but it says that on the face of it, your application is valid. Well, as the days went by and my student visa was about to expire, I still had no acknowledgement or bridging visa.

Then, in the early hours of March 16th my student visa expired and I was technically illegally in the country as I had no bridging visa. I went to the DIAC office as soon as it opened and they communicated with the Adelaide office where I'd sent my application and the policy branch in Canberra to see how to deal with the situation. Luckily, I had copies of all the documents I'd sent to DIAC as well as a computer printout from Australia Post that showed the documents had been delivered and signed for. Unfortunately, the Adelaide office said that they would not specifically look for mine so I was left in a little bit of a jam.

Now, you have to understand that there are 5 types of bridging visas in Australia, A-E. I needed a Bridging Visa B to let me travel to New Zealand but that was only possible if I were given a Bridging Visa A, which is the bridging visa they give you following receipt of your application but since Adelaide was unwilling to look for it, I wasn't going to get it. This was problematic as I'd already booked the flights and the rental car, some of which was non-refundable. That day, after being technically an unlawful non-citizen, as the law puts it, I was given a Bridging Visa E which let me stay legally in the country. I decided not to try to put off the trip just in case Adelaide cam through. Then, 3 days before I was to fly off, the acknowledgement came through, along with the Bridging Visa A and I raced down to the DIAC office to get my Bridging Visa B. Luck was with me this time and I was able to fly off without further incident. But I'll tell you, I was uneasy until I finally cleared New Zealand Customs in Christchurch.

Finally in New Zealand, I proceeded to the rental agency where I'd rented a car. I was driven there from the airport and the driver and I talked about Christchurch's recent earthquake. The damage was more considerable than I had thought and he said it would take years for the city to recover, if it ever really does. A little shocked by this, I proceeded to take charge of my vehicle and headed out on the drive to Queenstown.

The Christchurch-to-Queenstown drive is one of the most scenic in New Zealand. Once you take the turnoff to Geraldine, the traffic thins out and you're on some pretty lonely stretches of road, though quite beautiful. The highway to Queenstown runs into the central highlands and offers great views of the Southern Alps. There are also Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki, at the end of which is Aoraki/Mt. Cook, New Zealand's highest peak. The interior is also mainly grasslands as the early Maori burned the trees hunting for the now extinct moa, a large flightless bird. As I drove on towards Queenstown the sun set behind the mountains and before long all was dark. I was not the only person on the road but at various times, it felt like I was the only person in the world.

After several hours of driving I finally reached Queenstown and met up with Isabella. We stayed at a hostel she had picked out and she was quite glad to be driven around for a few days. It seems that the day before she came to Queenstown, the weather on the South Island's west coast had turned ferocious, as it is often want to do, so she took a bus down. Even still, the winds were howling and the rain torrential such that even the bus swayed on the road. At any rate, we were happy to see each other and glad that nothing like that was predicted to happen in our time.

We walked around the town a little bit as it was night and had a pleasant dinner at a pub; it seemed to be one of the only things open. But you have to understand that Queenstown is Adventuretown and as such attracts the young like penguins to microwaves so there were plenty of nightclubs just opening up. We went to another hostel where we met up with a guy Isabella had acquainted and he took us to one of the nightclubs but we didn't stay long. I dare say we were both exhausted from our travels and were looking forward to some sleep. After our brief nightclub visit, Isabella and I returned to the hostel and turned in for the night, ready for our next series of adventures.

The Greatest Journey -- The Last Steps

2011-08-26T23:49:00.011+10:00

Having covered such a large expanse of Australia, it was welcome pleasure not to have a long drive ahead. Canberra to Sydney is only less than 3 hours and there isn't much to see along the way, although a few points of interest there are. This was Isabella's last full day in Australia as she flew out to New Zealand to begin a magnificent bicycle tour. This would also be our last couchsurf experience and we would be staying with a young German man named Julien Mueller in his apartment in Sydney.

On the way out of Canberra, we stopped at the Weerewa Lookout over Lake George. Lake George is a very ephemeral lake that fills and drains depending on the climate. In drought, it is empty but in the recent past there has been enough water to reach the highway. With the recent rains, Lake George's southern end was filled with water and ACTEWAGL, Canberra's water and electricity provider, had built some large wind turbines on the far shore. There's still water in it today, probably more than in January and I hope that I get to see it full one day.

From Lake George we drove to Goulburn, Australia's oldest inland town, or so it claims. The thing Goulburn is noted for is the Big Merino, a large merino ram constructed out of concrete. In keeping with our tradition of stopping at large things, Isabella and I got out and took a photo of it.

From there it was on to Sydney and although we got a little lost along the way, we eventually found our host's home, a small thing on a side street but very pleasant. It turned out that our host sang in a band called Julien Mueller and the Full House and they would be singing at Darling Harbour that evening. They specialize in sort of Frank Sinatra-type songs. Deciding that it would be worth a look, Isabella, myself and another couchsurfer went down to Darling Harbour to check it out.

Darling Harbour is quite an active place. There you find the Powerhouse Museum, the Sydney Aquarium, the Maritime Museum, an Imax theater and a sizeable shopping center. We arrived in the evening and there were many people there. The big attraction, though, was the buskers who plied their craft wherever you walked; some were better than others. Eventually Julien and his band got going and I must say they were very good. I was impressed with the quality of the musicians and Julien's voice. Quite a crowd gathered in the sort of amphitheater created by the semicircular steps. By the end of the show, several people had bought the band's CD, including Isabella, and I think it was not out of pity but out of genuine admiration.

By the time we got back to Julien's it was quite late and Isabella had a plane to catch in the morning. We were all too tired for any sort of farewell ceremony so we just sort of lay down and nodded off to sleep. I was sad that the adventure was over but glad that I'd had an opportunity to travel the country with someone and to see some unusual and not often visited places.

I drove Isabella to the airport in the morning and bid her fair winds on her upcoming adventure. Isabella had decided to take a 2.5 month bicycle tour around New Zealand so she was off to Auckland. As she flew off, I was on my way back to Canberra. Returning the vehicle I calculated that I had driven exactly 10 700 kilometers in the month or so Isabella and I had been around Australia, an average of over 400 kilometers a day. Taking into account that I drove the Canberra-Sydney route twice alone, I think we covered roughly 10 200 kilometers together, not a bad sum.

Although Isabella and I had finished this adventure, there was still one more to come.

The Greatest Journey -- Parliaments

2011-08-24T15:39:00.011+10:00

Having been somewhat disappointed with the National Zoo and Aquarium, I decided to take Isabella to some of Canberra's more famous institutions. Canberra, as the capital of Australia, of course is the home of the Australian Parliament. The current structure was opened in 1988 as part of the bicentenary celebrations and because the old Parliament House was, by that point, unsuitable for a variety of reasons, mostly to do with size.

So, that morning, we drove to New Parliament House and had a look around. It's a very interesting building with a sort of unmistakable architecture. Because the drought had broken and there was now plenty of water to go around, the water feature in front of New Parliament House was filled with water, which was a nice touch. Inside, there are many portraits of former Prime Ministers, Speakers of the House, Presidents of the Senate and Governor-Generals. There were exhibits on the Magna Carta and the evolution of Canberra as the national capital. We saw the House of Representatives and the Senate chambers before heading to the roof for a magnificent view of Canberra.

Old Parliament House is not far away, in fact, just a short walk, and so we made our way there next. This was Australia's first Parliament House, completed in 1927 in the art deco style, and it was never intended to be permanent but the Great Depression and World War 2 prevented the construction of something more permanent. When it was opened 300 people worked inside and by the time it closed, 61 years later, that number had skyrocketed to 3 000. There had been some additions over the years but it was clearly not up to the task anymore and that's why New Parliament House was built. Old Parliament House is now the Australian Museum of Democracy and it has many excellent exhibits about the evolution of democracy around the world, moments in Australian history and it preserves the layout as it was in 1988.

I happened upon this museum when my cousin Laura was visiting me. I had suggested it for no real reason other than I had never been inside before. We went and I was impressed from the start. The admission was only $1.00 for students or $2.00 if you had to pay full price and I found the exhibits enthralling. Laura and I both had a great time.

Well, Isabella and I started our wanderings and we passed by the main foyer and some other rooms. We then had a private tour of Old Parliament House and went to the old House of Representatives and Senate. We were shown models of how Old Parliament House looked upon its completion and what alterations were made until it closed in 1988. We were then taken around to the Prime Minister's Office and the Speaker's Office.

We also had a chance to participate in a little interactive exercise called Cabinet-in-Confidence a sort of play where visitors re-enact a political debate from the past. The group is given the topic, ours was the Vietnamese Boat People, and are then asked to debate the issue assuming they had been in government at the time. I thought it was interesting, although not terribly exciting. From there, we went up to the press gallery and media rooms and finally the interactive democracy exhibits.

I had a good time but Isabella found herself out of her element, unfortunately. For some reason I had assumed that she was into all this type of political stuff but apparently she wasn't. Apologizing as profusely as I could, I told Isabella that I'd make it up to her somehow and decided the best way would be dinner.

Courgette is a very nice restaurant in Canberra, if a little out of the way and hard to find. I phoned and hoped against hope that they could accommodate the 2 of us that evening and luckily, they could. So, Isabella and I both got well-dressed and made our way to the restaurant. It was quite lovely and we sat down to an excellent meal prepared, no doubt, by some expert chefs. I can't recall exactly what we had, although I do remember I had some delicious duck. It was a little expensive but well worth the expense and I could tell Isabella forgave my misstep with the choice of venues to visit. I was worried that Isabella would be left with unfavourable memories of Canberra but I think this dinner was a high point.

This was the penultimate night of the trip as the next day we were off to Sydney and Isabella was flying off to New Zealand the day after. We had nearly circled Australia, covering over 10 000 kilometers in the process, and now our month-long adventure was drawing to a close.

The Greatest Journey -- Lions and Tigers and Bears

2011-08-15T21:20:00.010+10:00

Having arrived in Canberra, I was quite anxious to show Isabella what the city had to offer. There is no shortage of cultural institutions and things to see, but I proposed that we go to see something I hadn't yet, the National Zoo and Aquarium.

The NZA is kind of out of the way and sits just past the Scrivener Dam which gives Canberra its Lake Burley Griffin. I'd been told that it was something that should be visited and as I hadn't been inside yet, Isabella agreed to accompany me. I was kind of looking forward to it as something new and exciting. The entrance fee is a hefty $30/person so we were already expecting quite a bit.

We first decided to visit the aquarium portion of the NZA and found it to be quite small. It had some interesting exhibits like the wonderfully colourful Sea Apple and the large fish tank but it wasn't all that impressive. There was also a section dedicated to Australian reptiles but that also wasn't particularly interesting.

Having decided that the aquarium was a bit of a bust, we decided to walk around the rest of the NZA. The first enclosure was that of the grizzly bears but Isabella had already had her fair share of adventures with wild ones in Alberta. Further on there were the Sun Bears, bears from southeast Asia with a sort of halo of fur on their chests and extremely long tongues. One thing that was impressive was the small pride of white lions the NZA had. I'm sure they would have been even more impressive if they'd been awake.

The zoo portion is divided into zones, each corresponding to a type of animal, like mammal or perhaps by geography. In one section there were red pandas, another had playful meerkats while another was the haunt of primates. Further on was the African sections that had zebras, giraffes and springboks. There was even a section for Australian marsupials like the Tasmanian Devil, a cute sleeping wombat and koalas. Across from them were 2 enclosures, one for cougars and the other for cheetahs. There was even a play area for little Fairy Penguins.

Perhaps most impressive, though, was the tiger enclosure. There was a demonstration happening to some school kids or something and the zookeeper managed to coax a large Bengal Tiger out of its den with some meat. You can't help but be impressed by that animal and it's almost a shame to keep in caged but due to poaching in the wild, this may be the least of all evils.

By about mid-afternoon, Isabella and I had seen everything and we decided to head up Mt. Ainslie for a good view of Canberra. We both agreed that while the NZA had potential, it didn't really live up to its admission price; it's alright but not great. In my opinion, this is something you should see if you've never seen it before and after going to the other, less expensive, options in Canberra.

The summit of Mt. Ainslie offers excellent views of Canberra and was supposedly used by local aboriginals as a sort of scouting platform. The top now has a radio beacon and a landscaped lookout and you can see virtually every Canberran landmark from there. And on a sunny day in January, there aren't many better places to be in Canberra. I think the views from the top somewhat compensated for the shortcomings of the NZA and as we only had 1 more day in Canberra, I was hoping to take Isabella to one of my recently-found favourite spots in the city.

The Greatest Journey -- Outlaws

2011-08-09T01:01:00.009+10:00

Getting out of Melbourne is no easy task. It requires a degree of intrepidity and vehicular legerdemain to avoid finding oneself in the path of a tram. Even with fairly decent maps, it is reasonably difficult to judge when your turn is coming up and, especially in roundabouts, which way you're to turn. The whole looks much easier on a map but when confronted with it in real life, Melbourne traffic proves exceedingly tricky.

I have always thought that Melburnians are the least accomplished drivers in Australia. Although I'm told that the Victorian Police are among the most stringent at enforcing the traffic laws, it seems routine that Melburnians speed and drive as if no laws applied. It is only by good fortune that you negotiate the traffic unscathed. Howsoever hard it may have been, after some harrowing driving through the city, Isabella and I made it to the Hume Highway, the principal route between Melbourne and Sydney.

The Hume is a very interesting highway as highways go as it passes through some fairly scenic terrain and fairly colourful places. To be honest, though, there really isn't all that much between Melbourne and the Victoria-NSW border. The drive was set to be about 6 hours, excluding stops, but we anticipated making Canberra well before nightfall. To pass the time, we turned on the radio but it seemed that every channel was either Christian-based or 30 years behind the times in terms of music. I guess rural Australia hasn't caught up with the rest of the world. It was mildly entertaining though, knowing that some parts of a First World country could be so underdeveloped.

The first place of note we stopped was the town of Glenrowan, just off the main highway. It would be just another small town but for the fact that Australia's most famous outlaw, the bushranger Ned Kelly, and his gang were captured there. In 1880, after terrorizing or fighting for northern Victoria depending on who tells the story, Ned Kelly and the 3 other members of his gang found themselves in Glenrowan. Knowing that the Victorian Police were hot on their trails and coming to Glenrowan by rail, the gang took apart the tracks with a mind to derail the train, thereby killing their pursuers. They then took several hostages and holed everyone up in a local hotel. One of the hostages managed to escape and warned the train of the state of the tracks. The train stopped and the police proceeded unharmed. They set up attack positions near the hotel when Kelly and his gang walked out wearing armour made from steel plows; this has gone down in Australian history as an iconic moment. After a shootout that lasted several hours, the police set fire to the hotel to smoke out the gang. In the interim, Ned Kelly's 3 gang members were killed by gunfire. Eventually Ned himself emerged but was wounded by gunfire. Captured, he stood trial in Melbourne, was convicted and finally hanged. His last ordswere reported to be, "Such is life."

The life of Ned Kelly has made him sort of a folk hero in Australian history. Even today his motives and impact on the Australian psyche are debated. His detractors claim that he was nothing more than a murdering bandit who got what he deserved while his supporters proudly proclaim that he was unjustly vilified, fought for the poor against the government and serves as a symbol of defiance of authority. I think that part of the reason he is still supported is because his adversary was the Victorian Police. Even though they've cleaned up their act in the last few years, the Victorian Police was at one point the focus of major anti-corruption probes, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s. There were massive scandals involving officers taking bribes and doing favours for drug dealers. Combine this with an already heightened mistrust of the police in general and I think it is easy to see why Ned Kelly is so liked in some quarters. People's everyday experience was that it was the cops who were the villains while preaching that they protected the community; the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Glenrowan makes the most of this notoriety by milking the Ned Kelly legend for all that it is worth. There is a large Ned Kelly statue right on the road into town just off the Hume. There are signs showing where the hotel used to stand and a walk you can do. The small railway station still exists. Everywhere there are wooden posts disguised as either Ned Kelly's gang, police officers or members of the public. The police and gang posts are placed as the participants would have been during the shootout. It's very historically interesting but a little bit gaudy. Isabella and I didn't stay long and after a short stroll around we headed back onto the Hume.

The next important settlements are the twin towns of Wodonga and Albury, collectively called Albury-Wodonga. Their fame lies in the fact that they sit exactly opposite each other on the Murray River which forms the border between Victoria and NSW. Wodonga is in Victoria while Albury, the larger of the 2, is in NSW. I think we stopped for lunch there but there wasn't really any point in stopping there for any longer so we were back on the road in short order.

Just past Albury, the terrain began to take on a familiar feel. The green hills of Victoria now gave way to the yellow, more barren hills of the NSW highlands. This was the terrain of Canberra, though we were still a ways from it.

Along the Hume, we briefly stopped at a town called Holbrook which, very strangely, had a submarine in the middle of town. Apparently Holbrook was named after a famous Australian admiral who happened to be a submariner. In the vein they had the HMAS Otway dismantled and rebuilt, at least the shell, in a park. It seemed like such a strange and surreal thing. You never know what you're going to see in rural Australia.

Continuing on, Isabella and I drove through Gundagai, a small town known for having a sculpture of a dog on a tucker (food) box. Not too far from there, we reached the Barton Highway and from there turned towards Canberra. I should point out that Canberra does not sit on the main highway, the Hume, even though it is the capital. No matter which way you come from, be it Sydney or Melbourne, you have to get off the main highway and take another highway. I think it goes to show the mentality Australians have towards Canberra.

We arrived in Canberra early in the evening and because there wasn't much traffic, I finally conceded to let Isabella drive for a bit. I was a little concerned because it was the opposite to what she is used to in Canada but she handled herself very well. Isabella drove for a short while before deciding that I should take the wheel again. We were quite happy to be in Canberra and I was very anxious to show Isabella the city that I call home.

The Greatest Journey -- Australia Day

2011-08-08T00:51:00.006+10:00

Australia's national holiday is Australia Day, held on January 26th. It commemorates that day the First Fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour and established the first permanent European settlement in Australia, January 26th, 1788. Much like Canada Day, Australia Day is meant to be a patriotic celebration of the country.

Australia Day, though, is different things to different people. To some it is indeed a celebration of what it means to be Australian. For others, particularly indigenous Australians, it is symbolic of a new culture that devastated the old; many go so far as to call it Invasion Day. To others, it's just another day off and an excuse, as if Australians needed any, to gather with friends around familiar quarters and drink beer.

Our host had promised us a somewhat unique Australia Day experience. In all the time I've been in Australia my Australia Days have been pretty low key. Unlike Ottawa which has buskers, extravagant shows and acrobatic flying, Canberra doesn't seem to put on much of a show. The fireworks are reasonably good, not only because they explode fairly low overhead, but beyond that there really isn't much done. In Melbourne, I was fairly certain that there would be something going on. Our host, though, gave us a more or less traditional Australia Day which entailed cooked sausages, beer and sitting on the beach with a myriad others doing the same. And you know what, I had a great time.

After buying and preparing our sausages, our host said, with a mix or sarcasm and irony, that we would do something decidedly un-Australian and that was honour aboriginal Australians. In a park not too far from his apartment there is a tall tree call the Aboriginal tree. It is quite old and is believed to have been used by local aboriginals to make canoes. It isn't much to look at but it's historical significance makes it worth a short trip.

From the park, we walked to the St. Kilda beachfront and sat on the grass. There were many other people there lounging about, playing cricket and engaging in another Australian tradition, listening to the Triple-J Hottest 100. Triple-J is a radio station that plays mostly non-commercial genres and every year on Australia Day they count off the top 100 songs of the previous year as voted by the listeners. People sort of make a point to listen to them all to hear what song made it to #1. I'm sorry to say that the Barons of Tang didn't make the list.

As we sat on the grass, we enjoyed some sausages and company as some of our host's friends had turned up. We had picked up some beer in a local store earlier and I was so surprised to see that Foster's was actually sold; I was so surprised I took a photo. Although Foster's is one of the world's best selling beers and is perhaps the beer most people associate with Australia, it is virtually impossible to find in Australia. No self respecting Australian would drink Foster's and the general consensus is that it is the equivalent of swill. Other beers were on hand and I think Isabella tried her first Victoria Bitter, or VB.

One think I noticed which was a bit unusual was the lack of non-Caucasian persons in the crowd. While Melbourne is one of the most multicultural cities in Australia, not many of the non-European ethnicities seemed to be represented. I thought it strange but I'm told that's the norm.

After a good long spell at the beachfront, we all took a walk and continued the party at the St. Kilda Botanical Gardens. There were a few more people there with their friends playing around and just generally having a good time. I witnessed some young lads getting a ball out of a palm tree using a metal pole. The whole Australia Day was fairly lively, but not hectic, although I suspect in the city it might have been so. With the sun setting we eventually reached #1 on the Hottest 100, which happened to be Julia and Angus Stone's Big Jet Plane.

An Australia Day with friends and no injuries is always a good one. This was Isabella and my last day in Melbourne. Tomorrow we were heading to my town, Canberra and the excitement therein. Turning in for the night, I remember thinking how pleasing it was that we only had 1 more long driving day ahead.

The Greatest Journey -- Culture with a Tang

2011-07-28T23:18:00.007+10:00

Melbourne, as the great bastion of culture in Australia, prides itself on its cultural institutions. I decided to take Isabella to the Melbourne Museum, a very modern and informative museum just north of the CBD. As you approach the area, you are confronted by the imposing Melbourne Exhibition, a building that was once the center of Melbourne's late 19th Century world exhibition and Australia's first Parliament House. Although now it is generally empty, it still has a certain majestic grandeur and the interior is decorated with various motifs. We couldn't get in because the building was locked so we proceeded onto the museum, around back.

The Melbourne Museum with its large glass frontage is, I think, one of the best such places in the world. Its exhibits are informative, exciting and interactive. You can easily lose a whole day looking around the place and that's just what Isabella and I did. We strolled at a leisurely pace around the various halls which showed things like dinosaurs, modern fauna, spiders, an Australian forest environment, Pacific Islander kites and even preserved human organs. It was all quite exhilarating.

From the museum portion we watched a movie at the IMAX theater attached to the museum. It was a piece about dolphins and whales narrated by Darryl Hannah. Unfortunately, Isabella and I agreed that it wasn't really all the great, especially when compared to other IMAX features.

After the museum closed, Isabella and I caught a tram, another Melbourne institution, back to St. Kilda and took a walk along the waterfront. There were people out paragliding and it looked like they were having immense fun.

At night, our host took us to a bar/club where some bands were playing. Melbourne's night life, especially its music scene, is very vibrant and I think it's great to share it. The club where we eventually stopped had band playing called the Barons of Tang. They played a sort of polka-trash metal mix that I found surprisingly appealing and so did most other people there. Everyone was having a great time and there's a loud collective cheer when the set finally ended. Quite exhausted, we all made our way back to St. Kilda to rest for the night. The next day was Australia's big day, Australia Day, and we would need all our energy to get through that.

The Greatest Journey -- Fairies and Fairy Penguins

2011-07-26T16:29:00.009+10:00

Melbourne is Australia's 2nd largest city and, at least according to people not from Sydney, it Australia's best. Melbourne is widely regarded as the cultural capital of the country as it is home to some very interesting musea, galleries and other artistic institutions. It also has a vibrant music scene, innumerable ethnic restaurants and is a mosaic of cultures. It is also a growing city and some estimates predict that Melbourne will overtake Sydney in population within the next 30 years.

If Melbourne has one downside it is its unpredictable weather. It can be blistering hot one day and frightfully cool and raining the next. Melbourne's summer almanacs are full of days well over 40C followed by days where the temperatures hover around 20C. Our first day in Melbourne was a bit like the latter. It was particularly cool but I do remember a brisk breeze and some gray skies. Coming from the baking interior, though, it did make quite the difference. I took the opportunity to show Isabella around the city and the neighbourhood.

Our fist stop was the St. Kilda waterfront. St. Kilda is an old neighbourhood of Melbourne, not too far from the city and has always been a bit of an urban getaway. When Melburnians attempt to escape the hottest summer days, they head down to St. Kilda. Melbourne doesn't have the beaches of Sydney so Melburnians make do with small rocky beaches on cold Port Phillip Bay. St. Kilda's beachfront, though, has been built up and there are parks, restaurants and an old pier.

Isabella and I walked along until we reached Luna Park, an amusement park with a clown's head entrance. This is actually one of a chain of Luna Parks and each one has a different clown face entrance. It's not very big and Isabella and I sort of walked around not entirely impressed. As it was coming to the end of the school holidays there were quite a few children running around. I'm sure it's fun when you're that young but seeing how small it is, it doesn't really attract my attention.

From Luna Park, we walked back along the water's edge but on a bike path we noticed some scale models of the planets. It turns out that there is a scale model of our solar system and the nearest star that stretches along the waterfront for a few kilometers towards the city. It really gives a great sense of the vastness of space. Each planet was to scale and while Jupiter and Saturn were quite large, the Earth and Mars were miniscule. The sun was very large indeed and what really impressed me was that the model included Proxima Centauri, the star closest to our solar system. It stood only a few meters from the model of the sun but the plaque explained that on this scale Proxima Centauri was 40 000 kilometers away meaning that you would have to go around the world to get the true sense of distance!

From St. Kilda we drove into the city and I showed Isabella around the Fitzroy Gardens, a sort of urban park with quite a few things to see in it. There are several fountains that are now playing again, thanks to the end of the drought. There's a part made of tiles donated by people with various messages and designs drawn on them. Also in the park is a greenhouse called the Conservatory that has examples of many Australian flowers and a very nice little bridge. The Fitzroy Gardens also contains Cook's Cottage, the home of James Cook, the famous explorer. IT was taken apart brick by brick and reassembled in Australia and thus claims to be Australia's "oldest" building. Not too far away is a model Tudor village donated by the people of Lambeth, England as thanks for the food they received from Victoria during World War 2. Beside that there is the Fairies' Tree, an old stump with painted fauna and fairies designed by a children's book writer.

With that, we returned to St. Kilda and I think I may have taken Isabella to one of the many cake shops on Acland Street. This area was once, perhaps even still is, home to a large Jewish population. On Acland Street, Jewish entrepreneurs opened several bakeries and cake shops. As you walk down you can't help but stare. The sweets entice you and you find yourself just craving one. Isabella and I had some delicious cake with her drinking a cappuccino, I think, and me a hot chocolate. I've been here so many times that they all just sort of blur together.

As evening fell, Isabella and I walked to the end of St. Kilda pier to see the Fairy, or Blue, Penguins that come into shore at that time. They've taken up residence among the rocks that form the breakwater to a small marina harbour. There is also a colony of water rats who, despite their name, are actually quite cute. Still, for cuteness, nothing beats the Fairy Penguins, except perhaps puffins but there weren't any around. Isabella and I watched the penguins, along with several other people as this is a well-known feature of St. Kilda. We returned to the apartment tired but ready for another day.

The Greatest Journey -- The Great Ocean Road

2011-07-25T00:59:00.008+10:00

The Great Ocean, or GOR, is one of the most scenic routes in the world. It snakes along Victoria's south coast from Warrnambool to Torquay through along some very rugged coastline and through some dense forest. While not the most direct route to Melbourne, it is by far the prettiest.

The GOR was built after World War One as a make-work project for returning veterans. It took many years to complete, even though it isn't really all that long, because the had to blast much of the road from sheer cliffs. It wasn't easy and the GOR is still just a 2-lane coastal highway. However, many of the towns that dot the highway, like Apollo Bay, are now getaways for Melbourne's rich and I guess you could say the whole is sort of like an Australian Riviera or Cote d'Azure.

Isabella and I set out that day hoping for a great adventure. The rains that had plagued us in Queensland and NSW had come down to Victoria. Much of the west of the state was flooded or in danger and I was worried the GOR would be closed. There had been some landslides a few days before and I wasn't sure what the conditions were. As we reached the turnoff, to my great relief the Princes Highway was closed but the GOR was open so we turned and headed south.

The thing about the GOR is that it is made for tourists and there is much to see so travelling is sort of stop-start. The first place Isabella and I stopped was the Bay of Islands, a little inlet with some sheer cliffs. From the lookout you could see that the whole coastline was basically sheer cliffs to the water's edge. The whole area is limestone which erodes and has done so in some odd shapes. Where water had eroded the natural joints in the stone, there were now little islands just off the coast.

From the Bay of Islands, Isabella and I journeyed to the Grotto, an arch in the stone eroded by wind and water. Then it was on to London Arch. This formation was once called London Bridge because it was once connected to the mainland by a bridge of limestone. 20 years ago people could drive their cars directly onto the formation but one day, while some tourists and their vehicle were on it, the bridge gave way stranding them; they had to be rescued by helicopter. From then on, there has been no vehicular access to any limestone formation.

The crown jewels of the GOR, though, arethe 12 Apostles, our next stop. It was here that we saw masses of tourists and even a tourist information center. The 12 Apostles are a series of limestone islands that stand alone in the sea. There have never been 12 of them and there are now 7 or 8 I think as some have been lost due to erosion; eventually they will all collapse. The formation was originally called the Sow and Piglets and was changed to the 12 Apostles purely for reasons of tourism. However, they are spectacular in their own way.

As Isabella and I drove up, there was strange sort of thick mist in the air. I thought it might be smoke from a bushfire but it turned out to be just a sort of fog off the sea. We parked the car and walked to the lookout point and saw the amazing view of the Apostles. A little later, Isabella and I found ourselves the only participants in a free guided tour of the ecology of the Apostles. We were told about the reseeding projects to bring native flora back to the area and even tasted some saltbush. Since this plant gets much of its water from the sea via sea spray, its leaves have a distinct salt taste. Still, nothing could beat that spectacular view, especially on a sunny day.

The 12 Apostles was the last thing to see for a while so Isabella and I drove on. We had heard about a tree top walk in Otway National Park and drove out there. Unfortunately we reached it only minutes after it had closed. A little dejected, we drove to another part of the forest and took a walk through the woods to Triple Falls. The whole area was old growth forest that had once echoed with the din of sawmills. Now long since abandoned, the area has been made into a nice walking trail. The falls themselves were quite nice as the water cascaded down the rock face.

From Triple Falls, we drove to Cape Otway to see the famous lighthouse. When we arrived, it too was closed. It seemed very inconvenient to close things as it was only 18:00 and summertime. Along the way, though, we noticed that there were a few cars parked by the side of the road and then we noticed that everyone was looking at wild koalas. Isabella and I stuck around for a while and took some photos. They were just eating some eucalyptus leaves but for Isabella, who was on a mission to see as many iconic Australian animals as possible, it was quite the experience.

Since the lighthouse was closed, Isabella and I took a walk on some trails in the area. It wasn't particularly interesting as the view to the sea was blocked by dense growth. We though maybe there would be a better view somewhere along the walk but no such luck. With that, we continued east towards Melbourne.

As we drove out of the wild part of the GOR and onto the more developed areas, every so often there was a set of traffic lights. The landslides meant that there were still some boulders on the roads although the road was at least partially cleared. As we drove from town to town, wwe would see people milling about, nice hotels and homes and I definitely got the impression that this was a vacation area for wealthy people, though not exclusively for them.

The GOR ends around Torquay and from there its north to Geelong, Victoria's second biggest city. It was getting quite late as it was already nightfall by the time we reached Geelong. We just drove past it and finally made it to Melbourne. Our couchsurf host this time was a young man living in the very trendy neighbourhood of St. Kilda. We made it to his apartment and I was delighted to show Isabella that even late at night, there were parts of Australia that weren't asleep. We quickly got ourselves sorted before turning in for the night. Melbourne is an exciting city and we would have several days to get to know it.

The Greatest Journey -- Through Southern Ports

2011-07-22T10:01:00.010+10:00

An early morning departure was called for as we left Adelaide that day towards Melbourne via Warrnambool, our overnight stop. We would be travelling along the Princes Highway which abuts the southern coast of South Australia. We were hoping to perhaps doing some swimming on one of the many beaches along the way and we would get to see some of the quainter South Australian towns.

Our first stop was Mount Lofty, just outside Adelaide. This is one of the higher peaks of the Adelaide Hills and it offered a stunning view of Adelaide below. It was a crystal clear day with a stunning blue sky. We didn't stay very long as we had to get going but the view was truly magnificent.

Isabella and I drove out of Adelaide and began passing the many farming communities that dot the landscape outside Adelaide. We passed Hahndorf, a community heavily rooted in German traditions, and other places with names like Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend. And it was just outside Tailem Bend that we turned south along the Princes Highway.

The scenery changed from one of farmland to one of semi-aridity. Much of this land is unsuitable for farming and is punctuated by scrubs and saltpans. It was very interesting how such a bleak landscape could exist so close to the sea. Along the way we saw the water of Lake Albert, a local lagoon and part of the mouth of the Murray River, also known as the Lower Lakes. It gave the water a very unusual green colour; I'd never seen water that colour before. After some time we reached the Younghusband Peninsula, a protected long spit of land. It's home to several species of bird and I believe is composed mainly of sand dunes. The whole is a national park which is great but means that the view to the sea is obstructed.

Further along we finally got a view of the sea, bright and blue. Kingston S.E. is a pleasant little community and the largest on the coast south of Adelaide. It was given the addition S.E. (southeast) to avoid confusion with another South Australian town also called Kingston. Kingston S.E. is still a fishing community largely although tourism does play a large part in its existence. It is also the home of the Big Lobster which is in much better shape than the Big Prawn in Ballina.

Isabella and I found ourselves a nice little fish and chips shop for lunch. We figured that since we were in fishing communities we should indulge ourselves in the local cuisine. I don't remember what fish we had but I do remember that it tasted alright. We sat on the beachfront, eating our lunches, and looked out over the sparkling sea. From Kingston S.E. we split off the main highway and took the B101 the South Ports Highway along the coast.

The South Ports are now sleepy little fishing communities dotting the coast towards Victoria. In days gone by they were fairly important centers of trade and fishing but now, with their importance waned, they're just small places off the beaten path. Our first stop was Robe, small community that seemed to have a bit of a resort quality to it. There weren't many people about but it was by no means empty. We reached the beach and thought about swimming but the air was a bit cool and the wind quite strong, which would have made swimming and drying off somewhat uncomfortable. We decided that it might be better to try at the next stop, although Isabella did go for a walk in the water as consolation.

The other South Port town we stopped in was Beachport, a community much like Robe but smaller and less touristy. When we got to the beach, to our dismay, the wind was still blowing strongly and the water was quite choppy. We went for a walk along the beach but decided it was unsuitable for swimming. This was unfortunate as from Beachport the highway reconnects with the Princes Highway but at least we got to see an interesting part of South Australia.

From Beachport we reached the town of Millicent and from there we drove on to Mount Gambier. Mount Gambier is a mining town and we decided not to linger. We crossed the border into Victoria and headed along the highway stopping in small port town like Portland and Port Fairy. It was in Portland that I was randomly breath tested by the police for a second time. Actually, I asked the police officer the best way back to the main highway since we'd gotten ourselves spun around. We reached Warrnambool just as the day's light was fading.

Warrnambool is a large town west of Melbourne on the coast and the largest on the coast west of Geelong. It's also the entrance to the Great Ocean Road. Isabella and I decided to have some Mexican food at a restaurant in the city center. From there we got in contact with our couchsurf host, a young German engineer, who showed us our accommodation. He was very pleasant and has a huge house all to himself. He was an engineer working on some project north of Warrnambool and his firm had bought the house for him. It was very modern with furnishings that seemed to have had the price tag only just taken off. Isabella and I weren't the only ones couchsurfing as there was a young Finnish couple there too. I think we all got along quite well. It was sort of a shame that we could only stay there overnight but the road was calling in the morning and it was one of Australia's great drives too.

The Greatest Journey -- Adelaide the Wild and Wines

2011-07-21T08:45:00.008+10:00

Having had enough of the city for a while, Isabella and I decided to take a trip into the Adelaide Hills, just east of the city. Adelaide may be a large city but it is quite squashed up against the coast. While north to south Adelaide is expansive, from east to west it is quite a short trip. It didn't take us long to be out of Adelaide. Our first stop that morning was a free wildlife sanctuary outside Adelaide called Warrowong, which housed several native Australian species. It was originally a farm but one of the owners decided to turn it into a sanctuary for Australian animals and that's what we have now.

When we arrived, the sanctuary wasn't open yet so Isabella and I took a trip a little further down the road and found some a park where we could do a short hike. It wasn't particularly spectacular but it was a nice walk through the bush. After about 30 minutes we made our way back to Warrowong to see the exhibits.

Isabella was intent on seeing as many native Australian animals as she could and as we walked in there were some wallabies and small kangaroos. We walked on and saw many native birds but as we got to a pond we were hoping to see a platypus. We waited and waited but, unfortunately, no platypus revealed itself. We walked on and while it was somewhat interesting, the sanctuary wasn't particularly captivating. We saw a demonstration showcasing several animals, mostly reptiles like the large, but mostly harmless python, but in the end, we decided not to stay very long. We'd seen pretty much everything and now it was time to go to another of the treasures just beyond Adelaide, the McLaren Vale.

Adelaide is known for its wines and one of the areas best known for it is the McLaren Vale, just south of the city. It's very pleasant country and has been used for viticulture for about 150 years, I think. I'd been there with my parents and I decided to take Isabella who enjoys a fine wine. Virtually all the wineries have tasting rooms and let you sample their products, some for free, others for a small price.

We drove to about 3 wineries over the course of the afternoon. Isabella, who really knows what she likes, had a bit of wine at our stops. She even convinced me to try some sweet champagne, which I liked. I don't drink alcohol and don't like the taste of champagne because I find it too bitter but this one was nice and sweet. Isabella also found a grape, Traminer, which she was particularly fond of. Neither of us had ever heard of this type of grape before but Isabella thought it was very delicious and even bought herself a 375mL bottle of the stuff, which she would have back in Canada.

A lot of the wineries in the area have little sort of gimmicks to entice you to visit them. One of them had a black sheep statue on the avenue leading up to their cellar since that was their symbol. Another winery had big bottle made out of corks outside, a big cricket ball inside their tastery and a trebuchet with a wine barrel as the counterweight on the lawn. This seemed to be in keeping with Australia's tradition of having items that are "The Big Something".

With the day winding down, Isabella and I made it back to the McLaren Vale Tourist Information Centre to be on time for a local wine and jazz festival. First, Isabella went online and quickly bought herself a bicycle for her trip around New Zealand, at a very reasonable price; it was just one less thing to worry about. We stayed around for the festival which had food stands, wine tasting stands, cooking demonstrations and a jazz band. It was very relaxing and a great way to end off such a wonderful day. Isabella and I headed back to Adelaide to rest up as tomorrow we were off again, this time to Warrnambool in Victoria. It was another long trip but it promised to be a good one as it would be along the coast of the Great Southern Ocean.

The Greatest Journey -- Adelaide the Indigenous

2011-07-07T07:24:00.008+10:00

The day before, in a local brochure, Isabella discovered that there was a free tour offered by the city that focussed on Adelaide's aboriginal heritage. The Adelaide area, prior to European settlement, had been the home of the Kaurna people for thousands of years. It seems that Adelaide City Council, in an effort to boost the profile of this history, that has been ignored for so long, offers free tours to whoever is interested run by a local aboriginal guide. As we hadn't had much exposure to aboriginal culture in our trip around Australia and because it sounded interesting, Isabella and I agreed to take part in the tour.

We left our hostel and made our way to Victoria Square, a large urban park in the center of Adelaide's downtown. In Victoria Square there are always 2 large flags flying, that of Australia and that of Australian aboriginals. There is also a fountain that represents the 3 rivers of Adelaide: the Torrens, the Murray and the Onkaparinga. The fountain is my favourite place in Adelaide. Its design is quite imaginative and it's such a welcome sight on a hot day. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of it this time, though I have posted pictures before. At any rate, it was in Victoria Square that we met our guide.

There were actually quite a lot of us, some from Germany, Britain and Australia, as I recall. The tour guide said that this was the largest group he'd ever guided and I think there were maybe a dozen of us, maybe closer to 1.5 dozen. He explained the significance of Victoria Square and its aboriginal name. Most landmarks in Adelaide, especially civic points, have aboriginal names associated with them. It was in Victoria Square that the Australian aboriginal flag first flew.

From Victoria Square we hopped on a tram for a quick ride to Parliament and Festival Square. South Australia is known as the Festival State because of the many music festivals Adelaide hosts. Behind Parliament was built the Festival Arts Centre and Festival Square. Around Festival Square there were many works of art that represented aboriginal myths about the land. Our guide even explained how the roots of a tree were used to make boomerangs. As we all walked on we saw a large mural depicting various aboriginal themes and when asked if we could find the widgetty grub, I found it first. From there we walked to a weir on the Torrens River and our guide explained the large gatherings that used to take place on its banks many centuries ago.

While there aren't many photos and the description might not be long, this whole walk took over 2 hours. It was very interesting and informative. I must commend the City Council for coming up with the idea and funding it.

At this point Isabella and I made our way back to the car where I found I had been given a parking ticket for overstaying the time limit. I later tried to get it expunged but the people at the City Council office refused, so I paid the $22. That's right, $22. That's very cheap for a fine in the center of a major city.

We drove to the south of the city where we met our host, a very pleasant man, somewhat older than I, who worked for the government. He and I got along great especially when we both put on very thick, very stereotypical Australian accents talking about beer and the barbie. And, as it was my birthday, Isabella bought a nice chocolate cake and some steaks as well. We brought them to our host who marinaded and cooked them quite well. A small birthday party, but a great one.

The next day, I resolved to show Isabella some wildlife, suitably caged of course, and giver her a taste of that which has made the area most famous.

The Greatest Journey -- Adelaide the Remarkable

2011-07-01T12:01:00.010+10:00

We awoke in the morning to a great symphony from above. The birds were singing their morning songs in the trees overhead as the sun came up. It was wonderful to hear the singing knowing that you did not have to get up right away and could take some time to enjoy the performance. With a drive of only a few short hours to Adelaide that day, Isabella and I could afford to take our time in getting to our destination. We decided to explore the surrounding parkland of Mt. Remarkable National Park.

Isabella, being the outdoorsy type, had wanted to do some hiking in Australia. Unfortunately, our route hadn't allowed for much of it and this would be one of the few chances we would get. We selected a short route of only a few hours that we thought would give us the best overview of the flora and fauna of the park.

The park is in a surprisingly lush corner of South Australia. Most of the path was through fairly well-wooded areas and it was only in the slightly higher elevations that the trees thinned out. Along the way we dodged large spider webs of the kind we saw outside Alice Springs. However, on our track we did see a wild emu. We kept our distance as it crossed the path and just admired it as it walked down the mountain and then into the brush. As we rounded a bend following our emu encounter we were treated to a spectacular view of the Spencer Gulf. We then ran into a rare yellow-footed wallaby, a park native. All-in-all, not bad for a few hours walking.

From Mt. Remarkable we headed south towards Adelaide. Along the way we passed several small port towns until we finally hit the northern outskirts of Adelaide. Adelaide is a city that is squashed against the sea. The city of about 1 million is not very wide east to west but stretches an incredible distance north to south. It is a city of parks, being the only major city in the world whose central area is surrounded by one. Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, also takes pride in the fact that only free settlers, no convicts, arrived here though the founder of South Australia had a shady past. Adelaide is also a city in quiet decline. The 2 major industries of Adelaide were the defence and automotive sectors. While defence still generates considerable employment the automotive industry has declined considerably and now Adelaide is losing people. Despite this, Adelaide still has a certain undeniable charm.

Isabella had wanted to go swimming in the ocean while in Australia so I took her to probably my favourite location in Adelaide, Glenelg Beach. Glenelg, where the first European settlers landed, is a very upscale neighbourhood of Adelaide and is the city's ocean playground. This is here everyone goes on a hot summer's day. Certainly when we were there the beach was well populated although not to the extent I would have thought. The sun was shining and the water was perfect so Isabella and I took to swimming in the Great Southern Ocean.

After a good deal of frolicking in the warm water we drove to our hostel. It was in the center of the city and quite pleasant. Unfortunately our coushsurfing host was unavailable for our first day in Adelaide so we stayed in hostel. It wasn't too bad from what I remember.

After getting our stuff into the hostel, Isabella and I found out that there was a food festival in another part of the city. We drove down to check it out and had a wonderful time. There were jugglers, buskers, cooking demonstrations, overpriced Moroccan food stands, beer tents, a live band, thousands of people and, at the end, a fashion show. It showcased several types of clothes like sportswear and evening dresses. While many were quite satisfactory, Isabella and I agreed that some of the dresses were positively hideous. At the end, there was a procession of bridal wedding dresses. Having fed ourselves well at the festival stands, Isabella and I returned to our host's home for some well-deserved sleep. With the Outback now well behind us, we were left to explore this great city the next day and what an interesting experience that turned out to be.

The Greatest Journey -- Out of the Outback

2011-06-26T15:27:00.011+10:00

I always hate leaving the Outback whenever I travel in Australia. To me, it somehow seems like the end of the journey, no matter what lies ahead. It was today that Isabella and I would be re-entering so-called "Civilized Australia" but I couldn't help feel a pang of sadness as we drove, knowing that our adventures in the Outback were over.

After awaking and having a quick breakfast, Isabella and I continued south along the Stuart. The aboriginal people who had camped the night before had moved on. We encountered their convoy on the way south to Coober Pedy and we later learned that there was some important cultural gathering happening in the hills around Coober Pedy. We can only assume that that's where they were headed.

Along the road to Coober Pedy we stopped at an inconspicuous fence crossing the highway. It doesn't look important, much like any other boundary demarcating fence, but this one is special for 2 reasons: it crosses the highway (which is unusual) and it's part of the longest fence in the world. This is the famous Dingo Fence that stretches more than 5 000 kilometers from the Great Australian Bight to southern Queensland. It is about 2 000 kilometers longer than the Great Wall of China.

The Dingo Fence, or Dog Fence or Vermin Proof Fence, was built by pastoralists who wanted to protect their flocks from ravenous dingoes. On the south side of the fence there tend to be sheep but on the north side there tend to be cattle, which are too big for a dingo to tangle with. It continues to be maintained by farmers and does, at least to some extent, keep out the dingoes.

After our brief highway stop, Isabella and I continued to Coober Pedy. We stopped there and took a brief trip down the Oodnadatta Track, nothing more than a flattened dirt road, to where the Dingo Fence crosses that road. The weather-beaten sign says that the fence extends to Surfers Paradise in Queensland but I suspect that is for tourists. As far as I can tell, the fence ends in Jambour significantly further inland. I suppose statements written on signs aren't written under oath.

At this point there is also the Moon Plain, a barren featureless expansive void of rock. It is aptly named as standing alone on the Moon Plain gives a sense of complete desolation and isolation. If not for the Oodnadatta Track, no one would dare cross this place.

After leaving this harsh place, Isabella and I returned to the Stuart Highway and continued south. Along the way we stopped for lunch at Pimba, the roadside gas station that serves as an entrance to Woomera. It was here that I remembered why I liked eating in remote Australian locales --- the portions. I ordered a t-bone steak and even though the meal cost $22, the steak was quite large. It was something I had noticed when travelling in Tasmania as well. Having dined heartily, Isabella and I continued south towards Port Augusta, and somewhere along the way, though no one can say where exactly, we left the Outback.

We drove into Port Augusta in the early evening and decided to take a stroll around the town. There really wasn't much to it but Isabella had a guide book that gave a self-guided tour of the city. We walked by many old buildings and some places where buildings had one stood but had since been demolished. There were even the remains of an old ship near the harbour. We also walked by Port Augusta's landmark domed Town Hall but on closer inspection, it looked rather run down. Having seen a few photos of it, though from farther away, I thought the Town Hall would be better maintained but I guess times are hard in Port Augusta.

Isabella and I decided to camp in the Mount Remarkable National Park, a way to the south of Port Augusta. We decided to camp in the back area of the park, as had many others it seemed. I thought the most interesting part was that to pay for the night you take an envelope from the park entrance, put in the appropriate amount, fill in your vehicle details and then deposit it in a box at the entrance. This was all new to me but Isabella knew the procedure well as a park employee. We settled down for the night in our tent under a large tree. After some fairly exhausting days of driving, tomorrow's drive to Adelaide would be short and we'd have a chance to hike in the park.

The Greatest Journey -- The Greatest Rock

2011-06-18T12:25:00.011+10:00

Perhaps Australia's greatest geographic landmark is Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock. It is just so iconic of Australia and so unlike any other feature on Earth. To photograph it is unmistakeable proof that you were in Australia. Uluru sits in the heart of the Australian continent and the Australian psyche. For many aboriginal groups it is a symbol of their culture while all Australians in general have adopted it as a powerful symbol of their country.

Alice Springs and Uluru are so closely associated in most peoples' minds that few give a thought to how far apart the 2 actually are. Alice Springs is 460 kilometers away from Uluru; 200 kilometers down the Stuart Highway to Erldunda Roadhouse and then 260 kilometers down the Lasseter Highway. In order for us to see the rock, Isabella and I had to set out at 06:00. This was going to be our longest driving day and we had quite a site to see.

So we set off from Alice Springs along the road we had travelled only a few days before. As we headed south we sped along and made it to Erldunda in short order. I then steered the car onto the Lasseter and we continued towards the rock. The wonderful thing about the highway is that with so little traffic, you can really get some speed and on one occasion I even made it just past 180 km/h! So as we flew down the road we saw Mt. Conner to the south, a sort of mesa. We eventually reached the park gates and paid the $25/person entry fee and drove to the Visitors Centre. I had been here a few years before and Uluru hadn't changed much.

Inside the Visitors Centre were displays about the legends of Uluru and the customs of the local aboriginal people. Isabella and I walked around for a while before deciding on the base hike. There are several walks around Uluru, the longest being the base hike at about 16 kilometers. Although you can climb Uluru, the local aboriginals ask you to refrain as they feel it is disrespectful. Interestingly, though, the walk up is not forbidden because the traditional owners are worried that forbidding people to walk up would dramatically reduce tourism and revenues; the almighty dollar wins again. In any case, that walk was closed as the temperature was forecast to be 42C that day.

I parked the car close to the climbing spot and Isabella and I set out to walk around Uluru's base. This was around 11:00 and I was surprised to see that there were very few people around. Isabella later surmised that this was because of the heat and that most people had done the walk or climb earlier in the day. Anyway, the heat was bad enough but Isabella had a problem with the flies that seemed to flock around her. She eventually covered her face completely with scarves to keep out the flies but with enough space to get the tube from the water pack to her mouth; the picture is actually quite funny.

Walking around Uluru gives you a different perspective on the rock. You realize that it's more pockmarked than you first thought, that there are more rills and divots than pictures seem to show and it has an irregular shape. You can walk under shady overhangs, step up to rain water-filled pools on the base and tough the rock itself. You really get an appreciation for its size. It just seems to keep going and going. Along the way there are signs that tell the aboriginal myths about Uluru. How the serpent Kuniya took her revenge on those who had killed her nephew and the pockmarks where the spears had hit the rock. The geological story says that Uluru is a large monolith, a single piece of rock, that is part of a larger subterranean feature. It was once part of the bottom of a large, shallow sea. Whatever you believe, Uluru is a unique place and really walking around it gives you the best view.

As Isabella and I marched on in the oppressive heat we stopped to take photos of what we could, as not everything can be photographed, in keeping with aboriginal custom. We saw where large chunks of rock had hewn themselves free from Uluru. We even saw some aboriginal rock art. Then, thirsty and tired from our 3-hour walk in the noon-day sun in high summer, Isabella and I returned to our car which, surprisingly, was not that hot on the inside.

From Uluru we drove to Kata Tjuta, formerly called the Olgas, another rock formation less than 50 kilometers away. It is composed of several dome-like structures and you can walk in between them. Isabella and I decided that we only had time to walk up to the base of the walk but we had a good time nonetheless.

I was glad I showed Isabella these features, especially Uluru. It would have been a great shame if she hadn't seen it while being relatively so close. We then sped back along the Lasseter before heading down the Stuart back south towards Coober Pedy.

As the sun set it became clear that we would have to camp for the night. About 110 kilometers north of Coober Pedy we reached one of the featured rest stops in our atlas. As we turned in we noticed a very large number of 4WD vehicles and aboriginal people. At first we were concerned that there wouldn't be enough room for us but as we drove further into the rest stop, it seemed as though the aboriginals were camping only fairly close to the road. We thought that a little strange but we parked in the quiet rest area where there were only a few other vehicles. We set up the tent, had a quick late dinner and the headed off to sleep. By tomorrow we'd be out of the Outback and ending that part of our adventure.

The Greatest Journey -- Just Deserts

2011-06-17T15:00:00.016+10:00

For our final day in Alice Springs, Isabella and I decided to visit an attraction that Bill Bryson had himself visited when he was in Alice Springs --- the Desert Park. While it may seem a little counterintuitive to recreate a desert in a desert, it's actually very informative. The park recreates 3 forms of desert, each defined by the amount of rainfall it reserves, and uses native flora and fauna, particularly birds. As a parks interpreter, as she calls it, I thought Isabella would find this particularly interesting and I think we both had a great time.

One of the features of the park is its interpretive talks. At certain times of the day various staff members give talks on, for example, how aboriginal people survived in days gone by, birds of prey, various desert reptiles and the desert's nocturnal animals. A short time after we arrived, there was a talk on aboriginal bush food ("tucker" in Aussie). Many plants were edible as were Widgetty grubs. The talk was very informative and gave everyone a better insight into how aboriginal people used to live. The staff member brought out all sorts of edible plans, decorative ochre and everyday tools for people to see. She also explained how aboriginal people found water and the complex nature of aboriginal society. I noted how aboriginals in Australia and Canada had devised very similar solutions to their problems. Isabella, having some knowledge of Canadian aboriginal culture, already knew what some of the herbs were used for even before the interpreter had finished explaining.

From there we wandered around the park. The Desert Park is rather large and getting around in the sun wasn't very easy. We walked around the various sections, seeing what salt and clay pans are like and the various birds that inhabit the ecosystems. There were even some enclosed sanctuaries with some very colourful birds.

At on point we went into the nocturnal animal enclosure and were the only ones there for the scheduled talk. This was in stark contrast to the aboriginal bush tucker talk that had been attended by 20-30 people. Anyway, the staff member took as around the displays and showed us the desert's various nocturnal inhabitants. There were trap door spiders, scorpions that glowed under UV light and the elusive bilby. There were also nocturnal birds like the Tawny Frogmouth. There were even some Thorny Devils and large snakes in glass enclosures.

From the nocturnal enclosures, Australia wandered around some more. We eventually made our way to the star attraction of the Desert Park --- the bird of prey show. This particular show involves various trained birds of prey showing off their various flying and hunting skills. There used to be a Wedge-tailed Eagle but he kept getting in fights with the wild ones that lived in the surrounding hills so they had to abandon that one. Still, the show went on with an owl, a kite and a hawk. The staff member, who had a very thick New Zealand accent, did a wonderful job of explaining how each bird flies and hunts. For example, the owl has a silent flight so it can swoop on its prey unsuspectingly. The kite, I believe, can move things from its talons to its mouth in flight. I managed to snap some pictures of the hawk just as it scooped up its food. For his first time, the staff member did very well.

Although it doesn't sound like we did a lot, the Desert Park took up the entire day. Isabella and I drove home excited because the next day we were hitting the road again, and very early at that. We had too because we had a lot of ground to cover, including a trip to Australia's most beloved boulder.

The Greatest Journey -- Gorgeous Gorges

2011-05-25T00:04:00.011+10:00

Our hosts were the adventurous type so they planned to take us on a hike through Redbank Gorge, a large cleft in the rock about 150 kilometers west of Alice Springs. In addition to us, a few of our hosts' friends would also be joining this little excursion. We left Alice Springs in the morning and had lunch at the entrance to Redbank Gorge. I remember it being a hot day, although there really is no other kind in this part of Australia, and after lunch we were all eager to get into the cool waters of the stream that ran through the gorge.

Redbank Gorge is actually the furthest in a series of gorges that run west from Alice Springs in the West MacDonnell Range. To get there you have to take Larapinta Drive west out of Alice Springs and just keep going. In fact, this is also the way to Hermannsburg, an aboriginal settlement even further west. As it is the furthest of the gorges, not many tourists get to it which is always a little fun. I guess because humans are explorers by nature we feel a sense of strange satisfaction if we come across something few others see. Somehow, we feel better about the experience.

Anyway, we all walked from the parking lot to Redbank Gorge's beginning. We changed into our swimsuits and had to run across the hot sand to make it to the water. That's how you get through the gorge; you have to swim for while before walking or grappling up to the next place. Think of it like a series of locks on a canal.

We swam for a while before we met our first obstacle, a rock face with a log that we had to climb to get to the next level. It wasn't an easy climb and I dreaded how we would get back down when returning. The next thing we noticed were these incredibly large yellow spider webs with what seemed like massive spiders in the center. They went all the way up the rock wall to the top of the gorge. This seemed somewhat disconcerting, that there could be vicious spiders lurking just above us. I said that I finally understood why it was called Redbank Gorge. If they'd tried Colossal Deadly Spider Gorge, the tourists simply wouldn't come.

We pressed on and continued to swim along the stream. There were a few more places where we had to climb up but eventually we reached a sheer rock wall that we couldn't pass. This wasn't the end of the gorge but it was pretty close and we all felt a sense of accomplishment. We turned around and started to swim back. Along the way, Isabella became terrified of an object in the water she was sure was a snake. Now, if it was a snake, this would be problematic as many snakes are venomous. Luckily it turned out to be a perentie, a large lizard. We made it out of the gorge without further incident and eventually got back to the car.

Our hosts and their friends wanted to check out another place further away but the road was only suitable for 4WD vehicles so Isabella and I decided that we would drive back to Alice Springs. Along the way we would visit some of the other gorges we had passed. The first one was Helen Gorge which has a much larger body of water in it so we just admired it from afar. We next stopped at Ormiston Gorge where we took a hike up to a viewing platform. Our last stop was the Ochre Pits where aboriginal people used to get ochre from. The ochre was used as paint for various reasons. If I recall correctly, this ochre has been found in ancient sites as far away as Western Australia and Queensland. Clearly, aboriginal people had long trade routes across the country centuries before Europeans arrived. At this point, the sun was starting to set so Isabella and I set off for Alice Springs.

On the way back we had an encounter that I think was very poignant and telling. About 26 kilometers out of Alice Springs, Isabella and I noticed a car on the side of the road. We stopped and noticed that it was an aboriginal family of about 6 or 7 people. We asked them if they needed help and it turned out that they'd run out of gas. We offered to take some of them into town to buy some gas and then return them to the car. Isabella cleared the back seats and 2 women and a young boy jumped in. They didn't speak much although we did talk about this and that. It turns out they were a family from Hermannsburg going to Alice Springs to visit relatives. When we got to Alice Springs I dropped Isabella off at Coles, a local supermarket, and then drove my aboriginal passengers to a BP service station. There they filled up on gas in a jerry, got 1 or 2 food items and then we got back in the car. As I drove back they told me something that has stuck with me. They said that they'd been waiting for 2 hours and no one had stopped to help them! I could scarcely believe my ears. Larapinta Drive is by no means a well-travelled road but there are cars occasionally. I couldn't believe that no one had stopped. I dropped my travellers off at their car and then drove back to Alice Springs with a sense of disbelief.

Anwyay, that night Isabella and I had agreed to treat our hosts to a Canadian dish as a thank you for their hospitality. We made them poutine, that quintessentially unhealthy Canadian dish. In return, our hosts had prepared a dinner of kangaroo meat, so it was stereotypes all around. Chris, Jo and Yuk said they liked the poutine and I can assure you that the kangaroo meat was first class too.

Our last day in Alice Springs would be spent in the city, but at a very interesting place. As much as I like to travel, I knew that the constant movement was beginning to take its toll on Isabella, and myself, I suppose. It felt good to be able to stay in one place for a few days and really get to know it, and its people, the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Greatest Journey -- The Green Red Centre

2011-05-24T01:08:00.009+10:00

The very heart of Australia is colloquially known as the Red Centre, so named because of the red earth everywhere. It's a baking expanse of semi-arid land the few could survive unassisted. It was here that Isabella and I travelled to next.

We set off fairly early in the morning from Coober Pedy. The beauty of the Stuart Highway, though, is that there is so little traffic that you can really let yourself fly. It was 700 kilometers from Coober Pedy to Alice Springs and I was determined to see how fast we could get there. After all, it's not like there's anything in between, really.

Driving out of Coober Pedy the land remained rocky and bare, a true desert. Kilometer after featureless kilometer clicked away as we sped north. However, slowly but surely, the landscape began to change. Here and there shrubs began to appear, later whole clumps and by the time we hit the Northern Territory border, full trees. That summer, with the brilliant end to the Australian drought, the Red Centre had been transformed into the Green Centre. Everywhere there seemed to be an abundance of plant life. The last time I was in the area, in 2005, the ground was much more bare, though perhaps not as bare as I remembered. Still, to see Australia's interior so wonderfully green was quite the treat.

The border with the Northern Territory wasn't much more than a rest stop so we continued on, refuelling at a roadhouse called Kulgera. Onward we drove until finally the traffic picked up a bit and we could see many cars and trucks in the distance. We drove through Heavitree Gap, a pass in the hills, and drove into Alice Springs. We'd covered the 700 kilometers in less than 5 hours. We had plenty of time to explore the city before we were to meet up with our couchsurf hosts. It would also be a chance for us to rest as we'd been on the move, more or less continuously for about a week. That is the unfortunate consequence of changed plans.

We walked around Alice Springs a bit. Isabella remarked how much smaller it was than she thought it would be. Isabella thought Alice Springs to be a proper city of 100 000+ souls, not the sort of large dusty town of about 20 000 it is. We wandered around the city center and looked at the parks and the dry bed of the Todd River. We also took a drive to the top of ANZAC Hill, which offered a great view of Alice Springs. I have to say, though, that Isabella also encountered her first taste of a less savoury side of Australia --- the relationship between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Australians.

I think that Alice Springs is the strangest city in Australia. If you ever want to see what post-apartheid South Africa looked like, I imagine that Alice Springs is pretty close. The dynamic in that city is so unusual. If you should keep in mind one thing, it is that the relationship between aboriginal and non-aboriginal Australians is very complex and founded on decades of mistrust. There are constant attempts to normalize relations between the 2 groups with some success but Alice Springs seems to be a world apart. What strikes non-locals the most, especially foreigners, is that aboriginals and non-aboriginals do not mix; they seem to be invisible to each other. It's almost as if they exist on 2 different worlds and never the twain shall meet. The aboriginals keep to themselves and talk amongst themselves, all the while ignoring the non-aboriginals; the non-aboriginals do likewise. In all the cities of Australia I've been to, none has this dichotomy on such a scale. I can't imagine a stranger form of existence.

Isabella and I decided to visit the School of the Air. This is an educational institution that provides learning to children in remote communities and stations, as well as the children of itinerant station hands. Its catchment is several thousand square kilometers but it has barely 100 pupils. Originally, the School of the Air was a radio service but in recent years it is mostly run online and beamed via satellite to pupils' homes. The lessons are contained in packs that the parents buy, or are subsidized, and the children complete the lessons and send them back for evaluation. This is under the supervision of a nanny or the parents. In the School of the Air there were examples of student projects and they were all basically the same sort of thing you'd find anywhere else --- model solar systems, model bridges, paintings, etc. Once they reach high school age, the children are sent to boarding schools as the School of the Air doesn't go beyond a certain grade. I think Isabella and I agreed that the enjoyment factor of our education would have been greatly enhanced had we been students of the School of the Air.

From the School of the Air, Isabella and I took a walk around the old telegraph station. This is where Alice Springs was born and it lies right beside the original Alice spring. This watering hole is actually not a spring but part of the Todd River's water table. John Stuart, the first recorded European explorer through these parts, happened upon this water and named it Alice Springs, after Alice Todd, the wife of his boss. Stuart was blazing a trail for a telegraph line to connect Adelaide to Darwin and, by extension, the rest of Australia to the rest of the world. The town that grew up was originally called Stuart until the 1930s when it was renamed Alice Springs. Isabella and I hiked a bit in the hot sun before we met up with our hosts.

Our hosts were 3 radiographers at the local hospital and were very gracious hosts. One of them, Yuk, took us out that evening to explore Alice Springs' many pubs. Jo, the girlfriend of Chris, the other host, did a very motherly thing and told us to call her if we got in trouble. Nothing happened to us that night, although we did see some rambunctiousness. We were sitting at a table in one of the pubs when all of a sudden a scuffle broke out. It wasn't long before those involved were ejected and took their grievance to the street. Luckily it didn't escalate into something more serious but Isabella and I were told that this happens regularly. Oh well, just another part of the rough and tumble of life in the outback.

Despite this, our hosts assured us that they had something special planned for us the next day, something that not many tourists get to see.

The Greatest Journey -- Rockets and Opals

2011-05-19T23:08:00.010+10:00

Unless you've driven on it, it's hard to describe the loneliness of the Stuart Highway. Even though it's the main road to Australia's tropical north and the only paved road that runs the full length, it is still quite a desolate drive. Even though we weren't really that far from civilization, there was hardly any traffic on the road. A few cars here and there but several road trains, the behemoths of the road, the juggernauts of the highways.

Road trains are an Australian innovation and were created to solve the problem of getting supplies to remote communities. They are primarily used to move livestock and fuel but can sometimes take other items. It was realized that it would be more economical to move these things en masse rather than in regular big rigs, so a sort of super big rig was invented. Imagine a big rig with three trailers attached to it, and that's pretty much a road train. But I saw something that I had never seen before, and I've only since seen them in South Australia --- 4-car road trains! I thought that 3 cars was the most you could have but there were some fuel road trains that indeed had 4. Imagine the power necessary to move that much weight. Unfortunately, and this will most disappoint my brother, I don't have a picture.

Isabella and I continued up the Stuart Highway at a fairly brisk speed. In this environment you can see to the far horizon and there are no police patrols, so you can really make some fantastic distances in great time. We were truly in the outback now and the thing about being an outback tourist is that in order to drive from one place of interest to the next, you need a lot of time. The drive to Coober Pedy would be long but there was one place to stop along the way, Woomera.

Woomera was built after World War 2 as a military community to support Australia's Cold War communications roles and as a base for Australia's space program. The community was built just off the Stuart Highway and for a long time was a closed community, though there is free access now. Woomera became the home of Australia's space program and from there Australia launched its first satellites, the 3rd country to do so from its own soil. Appropriately, a "woomera" is an aboriginal device which cradled a spear. Rockets were launched from Woomera for many decades before the program was shut down.

Isabella and I pulled in to Woomera and felt that we had stumbled across a town that had seen much better days. We stopped to get some produce from the local store but the shelves were mostly empty, as were the streets. Woomera seemed almost a ghost town. The town's main attraction is the Missile Park which has examples of Australian rocketry and assorted military paraphernalia. We sort of wandered around before driving the streets, many of which once had buildings beside them, but now were just through empty lots. The town wasn't very exciting or interesting, I'm afraid, so we left pretty quickly.

As we drove out of Woomera we entered the Woomera Prohibited Area. To support the military operations at Woomera, the Commonwealth declared that a very large area of South Australia would henceforth be prohibited from unauthorized entry. Further away, the Australian government had detonated British nuclear weapons on their behalf for testing. You still can't enter the Woomera Prohibited Area without permission except on certain public roads, the Stuart Highway being one of them. Every so often there was a sign on the side of the road reminding you that entry onto the land was prohibited.

Woomera was also in the news a few years ago when a refugee detention centre was built there on the nearby army base. It seemed to me to be such a waste of time and resources to move these asylum seekers halfway across the country into one of its more remote areas. However, politics is all about presentation and this "looked good". The center was eventually shut down due to health concerns.

Isabella and I drove on, watching as the kilometers ticked away and terrain became more flat and even less green. After some time there didn't seem to be any plants at all and it was truly a desert. Something we did see along the way which amused us were a series of signs that warned of camels and livestock on the road in 4 languages: English, German, Mandarin and Japanese. It seems that these 4 groups constitute the bulk of the people that come through this way. One thing we did see, which made us very glad, was blue sky and sunshine for the first time on the trip. We'd finally cleared the rainy patches and were on our way to sunny skies.

After driving what seemed like an eternity, we reached Coober Pedy, the opal capital of Australia. When a track was being blazed through this area, the Europeans found themselves in a bit of a fix as they were running out of water and the temperatures were searing. The leader told his son to mind the camp while they went off. The son didn't listen and when he returned his father was about to admonish him when the son revealed that not only had he found water, he'd also found opals. Now, what can you say to that?

After some time, news of this find spread and eventually others followed and set up individual mining operations. The local aboriginals came to call the area "kupa piti" which literally translates as "the uninitiated peoples' hole in the ground", but the sense is "white man's hole", and this became anglicized to Coober Pedy. This is because digging for opals requires deep holes to be dug. There were even signs to be careful as there were open shafts in the area. Because it's so risky, opal mining is an entirely private enterprise and there are no opal mining corporations as such, at least not in Coober Pedy.

Opal mining still happens in Coober Pedy and to help this, a local invented something called a "blower", which is just a truck with a big fan. As the rock is crushed up, the blower sucks up the rock and then blows it out the other end. The miner can then separate the poor quality opal, or "potch", from the fine quality. There's a giant blower on a sign as you drive in to Coober Pedy.

Another of Coober Pedy's innovations was the underground dwelling. These dwellings aren't really underground but built into the hills. In the days before air conditioning, this was the way to keep your property cool. The ground is an excellent insulator and the homes are fine all year round. Unfortunately all the land for this purpose has been used up so the only way you'll get such a dwelling is if you buy one, but what a wonderful existence. It's not only dwellings that are made this way, but a few churches as well. The most famous one is the Serbian church but as they charge admission, Isabella and I went to the free Catacombs Church. It was certainly much cooler inside than outside but it did smell a bit funny.

You'll have noticed that I just mentioned that there is a Serbian church. In case you think that Coober Pedy is some sort of backwards backwater, it most definitely is not. The town prides itself on its cosmopolitanism and states in the public literature that there are some 40 ethnicities in Coober Pedy; this for a population of 2 000. So Coober Pedy is a bit of a melting pot as well, and melt you might, given the local heat.

And the amazing things about Coober Pedy don't stop there. The city is not on the state's power grid and produces all of its power locally from generators, wind power and solar power. It's also been the scene of science fiction movies, like Pitch Black, lies close to the Dingo Fence (I'll write about that later), is the last truly populated place on the Stuart Highway until Alice Springs, some 500+ kilometers to the north and, in keeping with the Australian penchant for "big" things, had the Big Winch. Coober Pedy is a truly remarkable, if remote, place.

Isabella and I decided to rough it a bit and checked into a caravan park but we got a metered site; not too rough, now. We originally wanted to stay in an underground hostel but when we got there, even though there was a sign saying they'd reopen in January, it appeared closed. We were a little disappointed but liked the place we picked anyway.

Later on we went for a tour in the Opal Museum, which is mostly underground. We saw the history of the town, how opal is formed and even went through an old mine. There is even an example of an underground home. When we got to the bedroom someone on the tour made perhaps the worst joke I'd ever heard; he said, "No jokes now about making the bed rock." You cannot imagine the groans that little bit of humour received. I still think it was the highlight of the tour. To finish it off, the tour guide even showed us how opal is polished.

After some more wandering around the town, Isabella and I got some pizzas for dinner and watched an Australia classic, The Castle. It's about a family fighting a large corporation trying to expropriate their home to expand the airport. It's a comedy and I it's one of my favourite Australian movies. With the sun setting on the featureless horizon, Isabella and I fell asleep wondering how the next day would turn out. We would finally be stopping some place for a few days and we were heading to Australia's most famous outback city --- Alice Springs.

The Greatest Journey -- Stations and Crossroads

2011-05-17T20:46:00.011+10:00

In the morning we were given a really special treat, a visit to Rupee Station. Rupee Station is where Isabella and I were to have spent the night but because of the raging creek we were prevented. It's only about 15 kilometers outside Broken Hill and owned by Corey's girlfriend's dad, who is a famous environmental lawyer apparently.

Isabella and I climbed into Corey's 4WD and he drove us out to the station, past a locked gate, the now dry creek bed and a set of railway tracks. The morning was cloudy but broken clouds and I had seen on the Bureau of Meteorology website that no further rain was forecast and the trough causing it had stalled, meaning we were in for fine weather finally. On arriving at the house, Isabella and I received a tour of the property, or station as they are known in Australia.

As far as stations go, this one is not very big but that doesn't mean much when stations can be several thousand hectares and be considered average. The largest, Anna Creek in South Australia, is the size of Belgium! The first thing Isabella and I did was bottle feed some 2 or 3 day old lambs; the owner said Isabella was a natural. I found it really fun except when the lambs got a bit fidgety. Walking around the property we saw the remnants of its mining days which consisted of rusted implements like shovels and tea pots. There was a shearing shed complete with a herd of sheep, there was a ram with an especially forceful personality, some cows, a few horses, some chickens and 2 dogs. It was very much a typical Australian sheep station. We were there only about 2 hours but Isabella and I had a great time. If I'm ever back that way I'm definitely going out for a visit.

After parting with Corey, Isabella and I were on the next leg of our journey. We stopped in a shop that sold silver and Isabella bought herself another pair of earrings. From there, it was back on to the Barrier Highway and into South Australia.

Our destination was a little rest stop north of Port Augusta. Not far from Broken Hill we reached the state border at Cockburn which wasn't much more than a gas station and a restaurant. The next place wee stopped was called Olary and it even though it was almost nowhere, it did have a train station, of sorts. Isabella and I had picked up some supplies but we read signs that there was a quarantine inspection station no too far within South Australia so we had some lunch at Olary before continuing on. As far as I know, Australia is the only country in the world that has quarantine zones within its borders.

Although the Barrier Highway is the main road into South Australia from NSW there wasn't much traffic to speak of. I guess because it was summer and the highway is pretty remote anyway. I remember pulling to the side of the road to finish off a salad just before the inspection station and when I went to restart the motor, it wouldn't go. I tried a few more times and nothing. As Isabella and I sat there wondering what was going on and how would we get help on this lonely stretch of road, I suddenly realized that I had left the car in drive. On a hunch, I put it in park and then turned the key --- the engine came to life. I can't tell you how relieve we both were.

After a little more driving we reached the head of the Spencer Gulf, the location of Port Augusta. Port Augusta is only a small city but quite an important one. Firstly, it supplies much of South Australia's power via some very large power stations. Why they put them there, I don't know. Secondly, Port Augusta is at the crossroads of Australia and this is how it advertises itself. All the major north-south and east-west road and rail links across Australia join at Port Augusta. It's also, as the name suggests, a port town and is home to a fishing fleet. Unfortunately our first introduction to Port Augusta wasn't that impressive as the coastal marshes really smelled terrible as we drove in. And, for the record, this is another place which is the hometown of one of my many Australian acquaintances, Sam. Isabella and I didn't stay in Port Augusta and we continued driving north on the Stuart Highway. About 60 kilometers north of the city, we reached our destination.

The weather had finally cleared up and Isabella and I were anxious for some more camping. We parked in a highway rest top zone under a big metal roof. There were some information panels that gave the history of the region. Isabella took out her gas cooker and we both sat down to a well-cooked pasta meal. We also saw the sun set with brilliant hues of red, orange and purple. We were finally glad to be rid of the rain and looking forward to the next few days which would take us into the very heart of the continent.

The Greatest Journey -- Broken Hill

2011-05-16T00:44:00.007+10:00

Much to our chagrin, the trough that had been chasing us west caught up to us overnight and it was a very rainy morning in Cobar. Now rain is a rare event in this town and even more unusual in the summer. Australia suffers from weather extremes --- punishing drought and fierce deluges. Australia had just spectacularly ended its decade-long drought and so much of the country was now finding itself under rain. Isabella and I hoped that the rain wouldn't dampen our spirits as we headed further west down the Barrier Highway.

As we drove out of Cobar, the few trees there were eventually gave way to a flat treeless plain, much like the prairies of Canada, only much less verdant. From our car to the far horizon was nothing but blue sky, arid land and telephone wires. The only place of note between Cobar and Broken Hill is Wilcannia which looks so run down that we didn't even stop. It was a fairly featureless 460 kilometers to Broken Hill, and yet we both thought it was spectacular in its own way.

Just before making it to Broken Hill we saw signs for something called the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone. To guard the fragile outback orchards there is a zone through which no outside fruit or vegetable matter can pass. We had bought some fruit earlier in our trip but we finished it before we reached the exclusion zone. Just before Broken Hill there is a little turn-off with a garbage can to place your fruit and vegetables in. I thought it was kind of quaint.

Broken Hill is the largest center in far western NSW with a population of about 20 000. It used to be more but as mining has declined in importance, so has its population. Broken Hill made its fortune in silver and copper mining, but especially silver but now the mines aren't producing as much. It's still an important outback center and one of the iconic cities of Australia.

We drove into Broken Hill in the early afternoon but our couchsurf host was still at work so Isabella and I had to decide on an activity. Unfortunately the rain hadn't really let up so we would have to do something indoors. We settled on going to the Royal Flying Doctor Service base at the airport.

The RFDS was set up by Dr. John Flynn as a way of bringing medical aid to remote places and it is exactly what it sounds like --- a group of doctors who are flown around. The planes are modified to carry patients and medical equipment. Each remote station is required to maintain a basic airstrip so that the planes can land if need be. Patients can be flown to Broken Hill for treatment or if something more specialized is required, to Adelaide, which reminds me of another of Broken Hill's peculiarities.

Broken Hill is only 50 kilometers east of the border with South Australia and in many ways identifies with it. I once read that many years ago the NSW government in Sydney wanted to reduce services in Broken Hill since it was "just a pinpoint on a map." This necessarily angered the residents of Broken Hill as their mining industry was responsible for much of the state's wealth. They declared that from their point of view Sydney was also just a pinpoint on a map and they would henceforth join South Australia. The federal government stepped in and said that while Broken Hill could adopt South Australian time, the South Australian area code and Aussie rules football as the premier sport of the area (as indeed it has), it could not secede from NSW. So now Broken Hill is a bit of an anomaly in western NSW and therein lies its appeal.

Anyway, Isabella and I wandered around the RFDS HQ which includes a museum about the RFDS. A little later we went on a tour of the facilities and saw the control room as well as the hangar. It's still mostly run on radio from the outstations but in the early days electricity was a scarce luxury in the outback. To combat this a Dr. Traeger devised a radio that could work by pedalling meaning it could be used at any time by anyone. I saw a model and thought how ingenious the design was. The hangar was quite impressive too but what worried us was the sudden tremendous deluge that came down. We had to meet our couchsurf host and before we left, Isabella bought a pair of silver earrings at the gift shop to support the RFDS.

Our couchsurf host, Corey, had given us the address of his parents' place in town. As we drove out of the airport towards their home we came across a traffic circle that seemed a series of rapids. The water was fast-flowing and we were wondering how to get across as this was the only way into town from the airport. We saw a car make it across and so, crossing our fingers, I gunned the engine and drove straight into the raging river. Luckily it wasn't deep and we made it across without any further problems. We found our way to the house where we were warmly greeted by Corey's family.

The original plan was for myself and Isabella to stay with Corey's girlfriend's father out at his sheep station outside of town. However, the rain had created a raging creek across the entrance to the property with a depth greater than the hood of a 4WD vehicle. So, with that option gone Isabella and I stayed at Corey's parents' place in town. I got Corey's room while Isabella slept in his sister's room and this is where things got a little ironic. Even though the experience is called couchsurfing, in this case Corey had kicked himself out of his own room and was sleeping on the couch himself while I got to sleep in his bed!

That evening, Corey and his friends took Isabella and myself out on the town. The first place we drove to was a large park bench with a nice view of Broken Hill. The second place we stopped was a cocktail lounge, although we later visited a pub. Broken Hill prides itself on being the Australian city with the highest per capita rate of pubs, so you think it should be a rough and tumble city, and perhaps it once was. However, the cocktail lounge we were sitting in was quite pleasant and had a very urban feel to it; I guess it shows that even the outback is becoming more sophisticated and yuppied.

Finally, Isabella and I had a special treat that night as Corey and his father both work for the local newspaper and we were shown around the offices. Later they ran the presses and we got to see how such a production works, which I found fascinating. The cars used to deliver the newspapers even had slingshots on them so that the deliverers could just launch them out of the car!

Even though we only had a short time in Broken Hill, Isabella and I found it enlightening and entertaining. I hope I get a chance to get back there, this time to get better acquainted with the city. On the happy side, our luck was about to change.

The Greatest Journey -- Cul de Sac

2011-05-05T22:54:00.007+10:00

Isabella and I awoke early in the morning thanks to the overnight rain. While we slept, a weather front had moved in and cause a bit of a downpour. Try as she might, Isabella had not been able to completely waterproof her tent and it was a bit damp when we woke up. Luckily it wasn't too bad and we quickly packed up.

We drove around Moree for a bit before we stopped in at a McDonald's for breakfast. I wasn't hungry but Isabella had a little something. I remember thinking that I quite liked Moree. It seems that it is at the center of a large aquifer region with many farms surrounding it. For some reason there are also hot springs and Moree has been a tourism destination for over 100 years for that reason. Anyway, we didn't linger in Moree and we set off down the Gwydir Highway again, this time westerly. Our destination today was either Bourke or Cobar. Bourke is a famous Australian outback town and lent its name to the expression "Back o' Bourke" meaning a long way away. Bourke was meant to be a sort of trade-off as our destination the next day would be Broken Hill. Going to Bourke would mean a shorter drive today but a longer drive tomorrow than if we drove to Cobar. As we set out, it looked like we would make Bourke before noon.

As we drove we passed several very small towns and sheep stations. One was called Calgary and we got a photo of it as Calgary, Alberta is where Isabella lives. As we continued west the landscape became more prairie-like as the trees started to give way to vast unyielding grassland. We then reached a town called Walgett which was a small hub of activity. It sits on the intersection of 2 highways and we saw the road trains, those gargantuan trucks of the Australian outback, at their various marshalling points.

As we left Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway I noticed a sign that said "Road Closed Beyond Brewarrina". I took a look at my atlas and discovered that Brewarrina was right on our road to Bourke. I also noticed that there were alternative routes from Brewarrina to Bourke so after some discussion Isabella and I decided to risk it. We drove for about another hour before we reached the town of Brewarrina.

At Brewarrina the highway was indeed closed. I stepped into the local shire council to see what the status of the roads to Bourke was and the news made my heart sink --- they were all closed or virtually impassable. Unless we'd had a 4WD vehicle, most of the roads were completely flooded and it wasn't just a question of waiting for a few hours for the water level to go down; this was fairly extensive. Needless to say, I hadn't expected this. Although I knew that Australia's internal drainage meant that Queensland's flood waters flowed this way I thought we'd have more time. Also, there'd been nothing in the news about floods in NSW. I guess floods are not respecters of political boundaries.

I chatted with a very pleasant fellow employed by the shire to see how we mightn't be able to reach Bourke without having to do a huge detour. We tried every possibility but nothing worked for us. Less than 100km from our destination and we couldn't reach it. It was clear that we'd have to give Bourke a miss so I informed Isabella of the situation and that we'd have to make for Cobar instead. It also meant a very large detour involving a backtrack to Walgett and then going through towns like Warren and Nyngan. It meant that about 400km was added to our journey that day. So much for our plans for a short drive.

Since we were already there and it was approaching lunch time, Isabella and I decided to make the best of it and have a look about the town. We wandered in to the local museum where we saw a short history video of the town. It turns out Brewarrina is the furthest navigable point on the Barwon River and it has the oldest fish traps in Australia. These fish traps were made by Aboriginals many thousands of years ago and consist of sort of funnels in the river made with rocks to channel fish into them. Brewarrina still has a large aboriginal population. There were also small frogs in the bathroom. At first I thought they were little plastic models but when I looked again they were indeed alive. I didn't mind them.

For lunch, Isabella and I stopped in at a local cafe that seems to be a bit of a landmark. The interior has the feel of an early 1900s general store and it had this large mirror. We had some sort of burger and chips which were pretty good and we were told that this was the first day they had received fresh food after the flood waters had receded. So, filled and anxious to get under way, Isabella and I turned back east to see what sort of headway we could make.

Once we returned to Walgett we turned south along the Castlereagh Highway towards the NSW town of Coonamble. Along the way we saw more great fields and in town more road trains. There seemed to have been some flooding in the area, I think it had occurred a few months before, but the road wasn't in pristine condition, although still driveable. We rushed through Coonamble and then turned onto a smaller highway towards the town of Warren. This particular highway had no speed limits as told by the signs with a large black circle and line through it. I was particularly happy because I thought there were no such roads anymore.

We reached Warren and filled up on gas. And just to show how well-connected I am, I know someone from Warren too. Matthew is his name and he is also part aboriginal. He stayed at Fenner that summer but I told him about this little side trip when I got back.

From Warren it was west down the Oxley and Mitchell Highways towards Nyngan, the last town before Outback NSW began. We didn't stop in Nyngan and as we drove out the farms gave way to vaster properties. And then, a sign said "Outback NSW Welcomes You." At last, Isabella and I had reached the famous Australian Outback. It's my favourite part of Australia although I'm not sure I can say that as it's so vast.

After about an hour's driving on the Barrier Highway west of Nyngan, we finally reached Cobar. There seemed to be quite a few people stopping for the night and that would be right as Cobar is the last town with good facilities until you hit Broken Hill, 450km to the west. Looking at the menacing clouds, Isabella and I decided to find a motel and we found a good one with a pool and free wireless. They even gave us some coupons for a discount at the local bowling club, which also doubled as a restaurant and Chinese take-away. In the outback, you have to multi-task as you only have limited resources and I commend the Australians for their ingenuity.

After a quick swim in the pool, Isabella and I had dinner at the bowling club. After the day we'd had we were very happy just to be somewhere and we weren't taking anything for granted. We checked and made sure that the Barrier Highway was open all the way to Broken Hill. Since this is the major route west, it is a proper highway that is meant to withstand flooding but our experience had taught us to be wary. We settled in for the night hoping that the rain might decide to leave us alone.

The Greatest Journey -- Chasing the Dry

2011-05-05T02:01:00.011+10:00

With intermittent rain in the morning, Isabella and I set out for the lands of northern NSW. We were fairly certain that once we crossed the border we would be fine as the only flooding being reported was that in Queensland. We set out west making for the border town of Goondiwindi where we intended to cross into NSW and then head south to Moree, our final destination.

Our first rest stop was the city of Toowoomba, nearly 100 km west of Brisbane, and here we got a taste of what was afflicting Queensland. In very short order there was a tremendous downpour as the heavens let loose their fury. It made driving difficult and I seem to recall driving around the city for a bit trying to find the way out, but we eventually did. Although I didn't know exactly where they lived, I did happen to know someone from Toowoomba; a former floormate of mine named Collette.

From Toowoomba we headed southwest towards Goondiwindi. As we were driving down the highway we encountered one of Australia's great problems --- poor road signage. We tried to find the turnoff to the route we wanted but couldn't so we took a turn that appeared to be the most reasonable approximation. Looking at the map we realized we were on the right track until out of nowhere, without any signage previously, we came to a barrier that said the road was closed. The bridge over the Condamine River was flooded and there was no hope of us getting across. Beside the bridge, someone had impaled a fish on a spike for some reason. A gentleman in a truck stopped as well and we asked him the best way to get to Goondiwindi and he said that the roads were mostly flooded, despite what I had read on the automobile association website the night before. Again, Isabella and I had to quickly improvise.

Looking at our atlas, it looked like our best option was to return to the turnoff but this time continue south along the New England Highway to Warwick and Stanthorpe. We drove on and I remember Warwick being quite abuzz with traffic. I think because it was now the primary route into NSW from Queensland. Warwick itself had just recovered from a flood and I could see evidence of recently cleared mud on the streets. Luckily, we made it through Warwick without much trouble.

Further south we reached Stanthorpe and as it happens, another former floormate of mine, Phil, was from this town. There wasn't much to see except a large apple which seemed to be the main tourist attraction on the highway. And not far south of Stanthorpe we crossed into NSW. Just before we did, we stopped at a little tourism info shed run by a lady volunteer. It's designed as a rest stop and there was coffee available too. I asked her what the road conditions were in NSW and she replied that as far as she'd heard, there'd been no road closures. I breathed a sigh of relief thinking that we finally had a bit of luck.

The rest of the trip that day mostly involved passing through small towns. The first was Tenterfield, a famous place in Australian history as it was at the local schoolhouse in 1891 that Sir Henry Parkes had given a speech advocating a federation. Although he died before Australia became a country, he is considered one of the major driving forces behind federation.

The next town was Glen Innes, and as it happens I know someone from there too, Alexandra. I first met her in Montreal where she was an exchange student at McGill University studying law. She was friends with my friend Andre who was studying medicine and I happened to visit him one day and he introduced me to her. Alexandra is now a lawyer in Sydney. Glen Innes wasn't all that interesting but it does sit at a crossroads and from here we turned west along the Gwydir Highway. I do remember telling Isabella that Glen Innes seemed very sleepy and picturesque, as we drove in under with waning light.

The next town was Inverell, and I know someone from there too, Christian. He is a person of part aboriginal heritage and I met him through mutual friends at Fenner Hall in my first year. He and I played Dungeons and Dragons with a few of my floormate Dimitris' friends. It seemed as though I knew people everywhere in Australia.

And finally we reached Moree at night. Driving along a lonely highway as dusk settles in is one of life's singular pleasures, I think, and this is especially true in Australia. Although you have to be careful of wildlife, there's no telling what you'll see and Isabella and I saw a kangaroo bound away from the road. This was nothing new to me but for Isabella it was her first encounter with a wild Australian animal icon. We reached Moree and immediately looked for a place to spend the night.

Isabella had brought a tent with her for the express purpose of sleeping outdoors whenever practical. This was to cut down on our costs since we could camp in many places instead of spending money on a motel or hostel. Isabella is very much an outdoors person and I have been a scout for a very long time so this seemed natural and was second nature to us. Australia is replete with rest stops that allow overnight stays and I had bought an atlas that showed where these spots were, how good they were and what sort of facilities were around. In this case, the place we chose was a little detour from the highway with only sheltered eating area but it provided everything we needed.

Isabella had also brought along a camp stove with some propane and as she set about making dinner, I pitched the tent. The dinner was fine and we were looking forward to doing some stargazing but the sky had broken clouds so we couldn't see all that much. I tried to point out the constellations as best I could and I think I even managed to find the Southern Cross. This was particularly interesting for Isabella as she had never seen it before; it is such a telling sign that you're in the southern hemisphere. With our tent pitched we settled into a relaxing slumber hoping that the rest of our trip would go to plan. The next day we would be heading into the outback and we were hoping nothing would go wrong as you can be in real trouble if you're stuck in the outback. The best laid plans, though, are often the ones that can most easily go awry.

The Greatest Journey -- Hard Choices

2011-05-04T01:11:00.011+10:00

We awoke this morning to a quiet rain. Brisbane, as a subtropical city, is known for its showers but this was something a little different. Normally, the day begins sunny, then the clouds build up, the rain comes and cools the air and then leaves. This was persistent and troubling. Isabella and I were keenly aware of the disaster unfolding in the rest of the state and we were anxious that our worst fears should not come to pass. Luckily, the rain was not of such quality that it would impede us in the city.

In the morning, our hosts graciously took us on a quick walk through a park very close to their home. As we wandered we kept an eye out for the native koalas that we were assured lived in the trees. Try as we might, not one could be seen.

As this was our last full day in Brisbane, Isabella and I decided to walk around the city center. I had been to Brisbane previously and I offered her my services as a tour guide. We parked the car on the South Bank and headed off.

Brisbane's South Bank is a hotbed of activity, at any time. Although it was late morning there did seem to be a lot of people around. We marched through walks of bougainvillea, into a Nepalese temple, through tropical gardens and around the city's artificial beaches. The market stalls offered all sorts of crafts, from incense sticks to dyed shirts and caricatures. The South Bank is truly a living space. But the South Bank is not all that Brisbane has to show.

Crossing a bridge over the Brisbane River, we made our way to the city center via the Queensland University of Technology campus. QUT sits in the city's heart right beside parliament and I had hoped that it might be open to show Isabella its interior but, alas, it was closed. Instead, we continued our journey through the neighbouring Botanical Gardens. In there we found all manner of plant and beast; Isabella was particularly taken with the large lizards that roamed the manicured grass freely. As a conservation officer, she is keenly interested in flora and fauna and took as many pictures as she could.

After the Botanical Gardens we marched to the eastern edge of the city center which is, in my opinion, far the more interesting. We walked along the riverfront, passing the old customs house until we reached Eagle Street Pier. Here, at a little riverside lounge, Isabella tried her first Australian beer. She had made it her mission to sample as many native beers as she could and as beer is such a large part of Australian culture, it is a necessary requirement if you wish to truly immerse yourself in it. I believe she had a XXXX (Four X), the local Brisbane beer but I don't remember if she liked it.

We continued to walk through the city but the rain picked up and we were forced to find some quick shelter. The rain didn't last long and quickly abated to a more pleasant rate. Before long, we made our way back to the car and I drove Isabella to a dance lesson.

With couchsurfing the idea is that you repay your hosts in kind, rather than money. Isabella's deal with Panche was that she would help teach his dance class, which was run out of a church in an inner suburb. I had no inclination to dance so I wandered around the area until the lesson was over. However, not to be a freeloader, I helped with the clean-up once the lesson was done.

The last trip of the day was a drive up Mt. Coot-Tha, a very large hill that provides excellent views of Brisbane. While looking out over the city, Isabella and I decided that this first leg had been very successful and that if Panche and Leanne were typical of our couchsurfs, we would be in for a wonderful time. We watched as the sun shot its last rays on the city and Brisbane's lights come to life, one-by-one, like small candles. On the way down the mountain, I was stopped by police at a random breath test, known throughout Australia as the RBT. These are fairly common in the country as drink-driving is seen as a pernicious scourge. I was allowed to pass unmolested once the machine said I was completely sober.

Back at Panche and Leanne's, Isabella and I were faced with a hard choice. The floods further north had cut parts of the major coastal Bruce Highway, which was to be our route north to Townsville and Cairns. We had a couchsurf booked in Cairns and he was telling us that his trucks were able to get through via a more inland route; the host was a truck company manager. The first choice before us was to continue as planned using the inland route. It was a bit longer but once north of the flood zone, the driving would be easy. It did carry the risk that by some misfortune we could become stranded. Our second choice was to modify our route and head inland towards northern and western NSW. This would be unknown territory for both of us but did at least have a reduced risk of flood-related misadventure.

In the end, Isabella and I decided to take the second option as we were too worried about possible flooding. Unfortunately it meant cutting off the northern portions of our tour which included the Great Barrier Reef, Mt. Isa and Darwin. I apologized but promised Isabella we'd see them on her next tour Down Under.

And so with a new route planned, we'd have to improvise a little. Our new route would take us through Moree, Bourke and/or Cobar and Broken Hill, all in NSW, before finally rejoining our original route near Port Augusta in South Australia. We were confident that once we reached NSW we would be free from the floods. Little did we know that the waters plaguing Australia were not done with us yet either.

The Greatest Journey -- Surfing

2011-04-22T12:40:00.013+10:00

After a very comfortable night spent indoors, Isabella and I made our way north to Brisbane. Thankfully the journey wasn't that long, 4 hours if we went straight through, so we could afford to take our time getting to Brisbane. There were a few places to stop along the way, though not many but we got to see some interesting places, and some that could use a little work.

Cape Byron sits next to the town of Byron Bay, a sort of free-thinking miniature San Francisco. During the 1960s and 1970s many hippies settled in the town and it has become known as the sort of place that welcomes counter-culture and alternative lifestyles. Driving down the main street we saw all sorts of stores selling herbal medicines, healing crystals, beads and other assorted similar products. There was quite a bit of traffic, I think because it was a Friday and the end of the New Year's holiday period so people were trying to get as much sun and surf as they could.

From Byron Bay we continued north until we hit the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise. I wanted to show Isabella this particularly famous bit of commercialized Australia, if for no other reason that the kitsch value. The Gold Coast is the name of the area that runs south of Brisbane to the Queensland-NSW border. For the last 60 years it, and particularly its main center (Surfers Paradise), has been in the process of being completely commercialized in the sense of having highrise towers everywhere catering to the vacation crowd. Think of it as the east coast of Florida, sort of like Miami, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. It's incredibly gaudy but worth a look. We parked along the main street and every building seemed to be either a hotel or a designer clothing store. We made our way to the beach where Isabella had a chance to play in the surf but we didn't stay particularly long. There really was no point and after spending about an hour in the Gold Coast, you've seen all there is to see, really, so we continued our journey north.

Before coming to Australia, Isabella had convinced me to register with CouchSurfing, an online community of people that give up a couch or bed to others who have registered. It's free, although your are supposed to give your hosts something in return. I remember my mother telling me about it years ago but I'd never really given it much thought until this trip. I was still a bit sceptical but I registered and in Brisbane we would have our first couchsurfing experience. Isabella and I were both a little nervous as to what to expect but we soldiered on.

Our hosts gave us directions to their house and we were pleasantly surprised that it was in a very nice neighbourhood and our hosts greeted us warmly. They were Panche, a Croatian (I think) who has been living in Australia for decades, and Leanne a born and bred Aussie. They led us to our accommodation and it was not just some beat-up couch but a proper room.

Isabella and I didn't have any plans for the evening so our hosts invited us to a soccer game. As it turned out, the local team, the Brisbane Roar, was playing against my favourite team, the Perth Glory. I knew this was going to make for an interesting evening as Panche and Leanne were Roar fans and Isabella decided to join them. Anyway, we were driven to the game, took our seats and enjoyed a good contest. The game ended 1-1 so no one could gloat. Afterwards, we were invited to a square in central Brisbane for some dancing.

Isabella is an avid dancer, especially the Latin variety, so she enthusiastically took up the offer. I'm no dancer so I decided to just sit back and watch. Apparently, this group plays music in this square at night and many people turn up to dance. There were many dozen people there. The night was warm and the music added to the ambiance. It really was quite interesting to see a salsa in the middle of the city in the sort of way I imagine Havana must be like. After such a long day, everyone was exhausted so a good night's rest was welcome. The next day would be exciting too but would involve a difficult choice.

The Greatest Journey -- First Steps

2011-04-20T00:54:00.011+10:00

All journeys, great and small, begin the same way --- with a single step. Since arriving in Australia more than 3 years ago, I had planned to one day rent a car or van and drive around Australia. As the months flew by, I decided that I would do such a trip in the summer after I had graduated; a little present to myself. Once I started working, I began saving up for this trip so that once it came around I was in a very healthy financial state. I had assumed that I would do this trip alone but as it turned out, this great journey involved not only myself but one of my greatest friends and I'm very glad it did. The best adventures are those you share.

The great journey began almost as soon as camp ended. I gave myself on day's grace between the end of one and the beginning of another as I did need to shower and unpack. The next day, I picked up the car and headed off for Sydney where I met up with my great friend, Isabella. We'd known each other from Ottawa and she'd planned to come down to Australia when the chance arose. It turned out that this particular January suited us both and so she flew down from Calgary. Isabella stayed in Sydney a few days while I was away at camp. We met on the 5th of January and wandered around Sydney for a bit. This was Isabella's first time in Australia and I took great pleasure in showing her around Sydney's Circular Quay. After nightfall, we each returned to our separate accommodations --- Isabella in the north and me in the inner south. I drove to the place she was staying and picked her up the next morning.

We had a little to discuss before we could proceed. The floodwaters in Queensland were still high and we had to decide wether or not to stick to our original route or perhaps go the opposite way. In the end, we decided to go north as planned, so we set off for Grafton, a small city on New South Wales' north coast. We got on the highway and headed out of Sydney, and here is where we had our first misadventure.

As we passed Newcastle there was a confusing highway junction and instead of taking the coastal Pacific Highway, I turned onto the inland New England Highway. It wasn't very long before I realized the mistake but by the time I did notice, it wouldn't have saved us any time to backtrack and go back up the Pacific Highway, so we stayed on the New England. The countryside was green, but not very; sort of a mix between forest and grassland. We drove through picturesque small towns until we arrived at Tamworth, the home of country music in Australia. We stayed only briefly; just long enough to take some pictures on the giant guitar.

The next big center was Armidale, a university town. Not much can be said for Armidale and we didn't stop in it. From there we turned onto a mountain highway that wound its way northeast of Armidale through the Great Dividing Range. The sun was setting quickly and we soon found ourselves in fading light on a twisting forest road. Along the way Isabella spotted a SUV that had gone off the road. We stopped and she got out to check but there was no one in the vehicle so we can only assume that they made it out safely. We continued on but it became clear that it would be dark by the time we hit Grafton. Also, it had begun to rain.

We drove onward and soon the mountain road gave way to the coastal plains. Along the way a tree had fallen across part of the road and only 100 meters away was a sign that said "Beware Fallen Trees". Later on there was a cow beside the road and only 100 meters away was a sign that said "Beware Cattle On Road". Isabella and I both thought that these signs were useless given they only warned of the danger after you'd passed it.

At any rate, we soldiered on until we reached Grafton. Isabella had brought a tent and our original plan had been to pitch it for some camping. However, with the rain beating down neither of us wanted to do that so we found a combination hotel-pub-bottle shop-restaurant of which Australia has in spades and spent the night there. In fact, for the price we paid, a total of $65, the room was quite nice.

That was only the first day, and there were many more to come. Indeed the next few days involved some difficult choices, but some wonderful company as well.

The Cool Dale: Part 3

2011-03-22T01:19:00.004+11:00

The last 3 days of camp were filled with excitement and Christmas beetles. These largish beetles, about the same as Canadian June bugs, emerge around Christmas (hence the name) and go about their activities at night. Around the camp, there appeared to be millions of them. They had to be cleared from the entrance to the activities building with a broom. It was impossible to go to the toilet at night without being hit by them. They were interesting though a minor annoyance.

The first activity of the new year was the camp Olympics. The scouts were divided into several teams, each one representing a decade: the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The games were all collaborative efforts and involved various teamwork exercises. I was in charge of a challenge that required the scouts to disassemble and reassemble a tent as fast as possible. The Olympics started with a procession through the camp and then the games were underway. I could only see my portion of the games but I imagine that fun was had by all under the blazing sun. In the end, it was the 1980s that took home the gold.

The last full day of camp involved a short hike around the Penrose area but first, I learned about another Australian tradition, the nutbush. This is a dance, something like the macarena but done to Tina Turner's Nutbush City Limits. It seems to be a very popular children's dance and is even taught in school. Even the adults recognized the dance. It's a bit curious as Nutbush City Limits is a well-known song outside Australia but it seems that Australians are the only ones to have this particular dance. I'd certainly never heard of it before.

At any event, in the afternoon we got underway. The weather had taken a turn and before long the temperature was dropping and we could hear distant thunder. We marched through wooded areas and along logging roads. Eventually we reached the outskirts of the town of Penrose and turned towards camp. By this time, a thick fog had rolled in and you could see the mist swirl above the trees. I was at the rear and I remember talking to Julia Manchester, one of the scouts, about the finer points of the Harry Potter series. In my opinion, she knew everything there was to know.

The final day was pretty miserable and it seems that the camp ended much like it had started --- with rain. After breaking camp and packing up the gear, we made our way to the meeting building and had the closing ceremony. There were the usual speeches and awards conferred but the treat was at the end. After the camp was officially closed, the scouts got together and performed the nutbush outside; I even have it on video.

I was very happy to have participated in this year's camp and I look forward to next December when the national jamboree will be held in Canberra. I wonder if I'll be asked to fill any particular roles.

Well, that was my camping adventure but I didn't have time for rest. After returning to Canberra I had 1 day to prepare myself as I was about to embark on a truly great adventure, perhaps my greatest to date. If you promise to keep coming back, I promise to tell you that story of adventure and misadventure.

The Cool Dale: Part 2

2011-03-04T21:22:00.005+11:00

The highlight of any camp should be the hike, I think. It's a chance for everyone to get to know each other and get some exercise. It's also nice to really get out into the wild. For this camp, the trek would be a canoe trip starting at Tallowa Dam and heading up the Shoalhaven River near Kangaroo Valley.

The weather in our region finally turned in our favour and we were greeted with a sunny and warm day with temperatures climbing nearly to 30C. We set off from camp in a bus towing our canoes behind us in a trailer. We rode through some very mountainous terrain before descending into the Kangaroo Valley and on to Tallowa Dam. There wasn't much time for rest as we unloaded our canoes, split and packed up the gear and set off down the river. I was paired up with a young scout named Luis who had a similar love of knowledge as myself. We had a great time talking about a great many things along the way.

Canoeing to our campsite took a few hours but we reached it without much trouble. Along the way we passed under some wonderfully sheer cliffs. Our campsite was a good spot up a small, but reasonably steep and sandy hill. Luckily there was no one else around and there was enough room for all of us. We settled in and set up a fire pit for the night. We'd brought food but Luis decided to do some fishing anyway. He was about to surprise us all.

Luis had grown up in the area and was very knowledgeable about local flora and fauna, particularly fish. He'd fished often with his father and knew what he was doing. He said he'd catch something but none of us really believed him so we were all dumbfounded when he ran up the embankment carrying a rather large carp in his hands. He showed it to us and then, without blinking an eye or skipping a beat, he drew his knife, killed the fish and immediately started scaling and gutting it. He managed to cook it but found it rather tasteless. By the end of dinner he'd caught 3 fish in total, although some he threw them back. He definitely showed us up.

As this was only an overnight hike, we started back the next morning. The hills were shrouded in fog but that eventually cleared to another fine day. Going back, Luis decided to trail a line behind our canoe and manage to snag another 4 fish, although he also put them back. At least one of them was an Australian Bass, which he said was his first native fish. Many fish species in the river are foreign and once caught, like the carp, cannot be returned to the river even if dead. Returning to camp was fairly uneventful although we did go across the wonderful stone bridge at Kangaroo Valley.

New Year's Eve proved especially hot. Daytime temperatures approached 40C and although we were glad of the change, it did make things interesting. The order of the day was mostly teaching and the scouts were given instruction on bush cooking --- an important skill, surely, for anyone. However, as the temperature rose through the day it became clear that some outdoor activities would have to be cancelled. Australians have experience in this type of thing and always have a backup plan. In this case, the scouts sat down to watch a film about the American food industry. They sat mesmerized as the facts and figures were rolled out and many said it would make them think about where there food comes from and what they're actually eating. It wasn't all serious though as the scouts were taken to nearby Bundanoon for some swimming. It's a good way to cool down and let the kids have fun at the same time.

The last activities of the day, of the year, and of the decade for that matter were a camp-wide bonfire and a New Year's Eve party. At the bonfire the scouts and the cubs each presented skits, some of which were groaners, other which were hilarious. There was even one skit where some of the scouts got dressed like ABBA and got people dancing around the campfire to Mamma Mia. It was after the bonfire that the party started. As the scouts made merry, the new year rolled in and the scouts then retired to their beds contented, exhausted and ready for the Olympics.

The Cool Dale: Part 1

2011-02-28T00:37:00.004+11:00

My summer was very frenetic and over all too quickly. It seemed as though I lurched from one adventure straight into another. While all my adventures will be chronicled in good time, I feel I should start at the beginning. The great adventure was yet to come but the first adventure is also worth telling.

As in past years, I volunteered to be a counsellor at the Ukrainian scout camp. This year it was Sydney's turn again and the camp was held at Kirrikee, a property outside Penrose, NSW held by an Anglican school in Sydney. Penrose is about halfway between Canberra and Sydney making travel there fairly easy. I was kindly taken by the Liszczynsksys, a local scouting family.

It was good to see everyone on the first day again, many people whom I hadn't seen for 2 years. Certainly many of the scouts had grown up since that time but I remembered most of them. There were some new faces too from the younger ranks. As people arrived we quickly set up the camp and the scouts were separated into groups and each group had an army tent. There were 4 male tents and 1 long tent for the females. I should also point out that this year there were, at one point, 26 scouts which is a lot for any Australian camp.

The first day started inauspiciously enough with a great downpour, such that it was difficult to hear the opening ceremony inside the metal structure. The raindrops made a colossal cacophony on the metal roof. The camp staff and leadership were introduced as was the theme of the camp. This year it was honouring past scout camps and it turns out that in the 1960s-1980s, the Sydney organization had a property called Kholodnyy Yar, the "Cool Dale" just outside Sydney. It had to sell it once the city encroached on the property but it was an important place for many years. The theme of the camp would, therefore, be scouting as it once was.

Not much was done the first day and once the rain lifted, the whole area was blanketed in a thick fog. The next day was even worse. It rained constantly and there was a biting wind. It was difficult to believe that this was an Australian summer. There was a scout from Canada visiting her sister who was at camp for a few days and I was worried that this would give her a false impression of what an Australian summer looks like.

However, the second day did see some productive work. The scouts put up a wooden archway leading into the camp and learned how to filer water using their neckerchiefs. To waterproof their tents, the scouts also dug ditches around them to catch any water. One part of on particular ditch was at least 1 meter deep. The scouts also got some time to come up with ideas for some music to be played at a later camp fire.

The third finally saw the weather clearing and warming up, allowing for some funner activities. The highlight was, without question, a ropes course where you climb and otherwise traverse obstacles while suspended several meters in the air. Following a safety talk, one-by-one the scouts proceeded to try their luck at the course. Finally, I dared to go and made a pretty good go of it until the final obstacle, which was a jump out to a set of hanging crossbars. I made the mistake of pushing out with only one leg rather than both at the same time which meant I didn't quite make the distance. It was a little embarrassing but I was happy to have completed the course.

This was all a lead up to the next days' task which was a canoe hike, but that story comes in Part 2.

Silly Season

2010-12-26T00:16:00.003+11:00

I was told in Sydney by a family friend that this time of the year in Australia is known as "silly season". It's an unforeseen consequence of Christmas being a summer holiday Down Under. It goes a little something like this. In the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas is a winter holiday so we get a few weeks off in winter. Once summer rolls around we get an extra, longer, holiday break. In Australia, and I imagine too in New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and most of Brazil, the summer holidays and Christmas are bundled into 1 period. This means that all gift-buying and vacationing is done at one time creating a mad rush, hence the name "silly season". There has been some experimentation in Australia to have some sort of Christmasesque celebration in July (winter) but it hasn't caught on yet.

It's a bit of a silly season for me as well. Although Christmas Day was fantastic (30C and sunny), I have had a few things to get ready. I've finalized the rental for my trip around Australia. Rather than take a camper van, it turned out to be cheaper and just as effective to rent a car and camp where necessary. I bought an atlas that shows cheap places to camp near Australia's highways. This is going to be a fairly whirlwind event, the eastern half of Australia in a little under 4 weeks and some of the driving will be long but I do love to drive and can do it almost endlessly.

However, a more immediate trip is my annual attendance at a Plast scout camp. This year, in keeping with my alternating rotation, is Sydney's turn again. This year, the camp is being held near Penrose, a small town about halfway between Canberra and Sydney. I have been given certain tasks, including a trivia night, and I look forward to everything. I'll be incommunicado for a while but that's what camping is all about.

After a Long Quiet

2010-12-21T21:38:00.000+11:00

If anyone is still reading, it's been about 5 weeks since my last post. I hadn't intended such a long period of tranquillity but events move rapidly and I was unable to continue blogging. My intention was to do a sort of live travel blog but due to the intermittency of internet access over the last month, I had to abandon that idea. However, even though much has passed since the last missive, I shall endeavour to give a comprehensive synopsis, if such a thing is not a contradiction in terms, of my goings on.

Just before my exams ended, my parents arrived in the country via a wonderful stay in New Zealand. They travelled many thousands of kilometers and then found themselves on a tour of the North Island. Form what they described, it seemed a perfectly pleasant outing. Unfortunately, they didn't spend as much time in Napier as I think they should have but perhaps it was enough. At the end of their Kiwi adventure, my parents flew to Australia to visit me. Although I was glad to be finished my exams, I wa snow caught in the unenviable era between the end of exams and the release of results. Even though I was fairly certain I had done well enough to pass, I slept uneasily for the 11 or so days before the results were released. This was made especially trying as this was to be my last semester and my parents, and indeed my brother, had travelled so far to see me graduate that I did not wish to disappoint them. All I wanted was to be done with this.

In the interim, my parents, or more accurately, my mother, had planned a very detailed excursion of southeastern Australia. The first stop was Tasmania; the only state I had not yet visited. As my brother, for logistical reasons would be joining us later, this was just a trip for myself and my parents. Our first port of call was the venerable metropolis of Hobart. It is quite a pleasant little city, and although a state capital, it is considerably less populated even than Canberra. We took in the sights, including the IXL Jam Factory, now a series of shops and condominia on the waterfront, that particularly impressed my mother. I think what impressed my father the most was Hobart's imposing bridge. I will also mention that as the resident Australian, I was the one given the all important task of vehicle conveyance (driving) for the entire duration of our Australian adventure. What I particularly remember, though, is having high tea in a Hobart hotel. We were wandering the city and every eatery seemed shut until we happened upon a bustling hotel restaurant. We were informed that high tea was being served but that if we were patient, we would be seated. We were served by a very likable waiter who explained the logistics of high tea to us. It's not just a matter of drinking tea and eating cakes. There were scones, cakes and something like apple crumbles all served on a series of stacked plates. I had hot chocolate ut my parents had tea and possibly cappuccino later. It was my first high tea and quite the experience.

On our second day in Tasmania, we visited the old penal settlement of Port Arthur and although it was probably not as welcoming as it now seems, in the sun it looked rather pleasant. It is actually a fascinating open air museum that must be visited. From Hobart, we drove up the Tasmanian east coast on the one truly sunny and warm day we had on that trip. I had chosen the route because of the supposed beauty to that part of Tasmania and I don't think we were disappointed. The one drawback is the constant presence of lumber trucks who must travel uphill very slowly, and there are many hills in Tasmania along this 2 lane highway. More than once we got stuck behind a truck, unable to pass for many kilometers. But we did see some pleasant little towns like Orford, where we had wonderful sandwiches, St. Marys where we had fish and chips and Bicheno where we stopped for gas. Along the way, my mother even found a vineyard she enjoyed. We eventually arrived in Launceston but only spent a short time there as the next day we drove past Devonport to Burnie where we stayed a few nights at a fabulous Best Western. The hotel restaurant served generous portions and the wireless internet was free; life can't get much better than that. We did have a short side trip to Stanley, a small town to the west where my father and I went to the top of a rocky outcrop called The Nut. I went off exploring for a bit and found an echidna (spiny anteater). It is a relative of the platypus in that it is a mammal that lays eggs. I can't imagine how it got up the sheer sides.

On our way back to Launceston, we stopped in the little town of Deloraine, home to a sort of hippie counter-culture movement. It's sort of like San Francisco but 1/1000th the size. We stopped for some lunch there and it seemed pleasant enough. Back in Launceston, we visited the Victoria and Albert Museum, a museum built on an old rail yard. It has science, art and history components and was quite good for being in such a small place. Returning to Hobart via central Tasmania, we stopped in Richmond, a small town with much Georgian architecture to use the internet and get some ice cream. Around that time we stopped at the Palmara Wine Estate where my parents sampled the products and had a very pleasant and wide-ranging discussion with the owner. It turns out that the white flowers you see all along the highways are specially bred poppies, opium poppies to be precise. They are harvested and sold to drug companies to make morphine and whatever else. For such a small island, Tasmania has quite a lot to see and I think my parents and I enjoyed the trip immensely.

From tiny Tasmania to metropolitan Melbourne. This is where my brother joined the trip and we all went down to St. Kilda and Acland Street to have a feed. I remember this day being quite cool with a strong sea breeze. I remember it because that was almost the exact same condition I last visited St. Kilda in. We walked along Acland Street admiring the many cakes and pastries before finally having some. They were no doubt fattening beyond belief but the taste was divine.

The next day we set out for Ballarat, a town founded when gold was discovered nearby. Along the way we pulled into a McDonald's where I accessed the wireless internet to obtain my final results. I held my breath but when I found the courage to look at my marks I breathed a sigh of relief and the weight of the world was lifted from my chest --- I had passed all my courses. It was over. I had finally achieved what I had set out do to so long ago. Every day had seemed like an eternity and those 3 years were now a to be a memory. All those tense moments in exams, all those times I worried about my assignments were now I think I could look back on and either laugh or cry. My mother made me send an e-mail to my aunt and my grandmother to pass on the good news. The best part for me was that I cold now enjoy a good night's sleep knowing that my family's trip had not been in vain and I would be graduating.

In Ballarat we stayed at the Sovereign Park Motor Inn, a reasonable hotel except parking was difficult in the confined space. We wandered a bit of Ballarat before returning to the hotel to celebrate my impending graduation. The Red Lion Restaurant, adjacent to the hotel, served an excellent meal. The next day we spent at Sovereign Hill Park, an open air museum that recreates the atmosphere of Gold Rush Era Ballarat. The most interesting thing, though, was the school program that takes place over several days. Students and their teachers stay on site and dress in period costume. I think it is a remarkable idea. Sovereign Hill has many fascinating demonstrations such as gold pouring, wheelrighting and musketry. I even peeked in on a school group doing something in the reconstructed school house. That night, we returned to see the story of the Eureka Stockade, a sort of rebellion where gold miners, in 1854, set up a stockade on Bakery Hill to protest the heavy-handed tactics of the local police, who were often corrupt former criminals themselves, and the licence system. The "rebellion" was crushed when a few days after the stockade went up, the army and the police stormed it, however reforms did follow and the licence system was abolished. The Eureka Stockade has become ingrained in the Australian psyche as the start of the labour movement and the heart of Australia's fighting spirit. It's actual importance is debatable but if an event is to be judged by its consequences, then the Eureka Stockade is seen now as a watershed moment in Australian history, if nothing else. I will also mention that the leaders of the stockade included a Canadian who was killed when it was stormed, an African-American and Peter Lalor, who lost his left arm in the fight. All were acquitted of treason.

The next little trip we had planned was a quick drive up to Bendigo, a town to the north of Ballarat whose fortunes also turned on gold. However, it seems that unlike Ballarat, Bendigo is still producing appreciable quantities of that metal. Along the way we stopped in the little town of Castlemaine to visit Buda, a large property with a garden built by a Hungarian immigrant in the 19th Century. The family lived there for about a century and it's now a public trust and museum. In Bendigo we went to the Chinese Museum where my mother got a detailed history from the very pleasant curator.

Before returning to Melbourne, we stopped into the cities of Geelong and Queenscliff. Geelong is Victoria's second largest city and I took my family there to show them but also so that they could sample the ice cream at Lic, an ice cream parlour with excellent ice cream. We wandered the foreshore in very fine weather. Queenscliff, a little to the east, is Geelong's coastal getaway town. It sits almost at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay and we just sort of stopped in to see the town. We returned to Melbourne and spent the next day wandering the city before meeting up with an acquaintance of ours on Lygon Street, the home of Italian Melbourne. We had an excellent pizza meal at one of the finer establishments. From Melbourne, we took off to Adelaide.

Upon arriving in Adelaide, we were greeted by sunny skies and scorching temperatures. Australia was playing England in the Ashes Tournament at the time so it was something of a miracle my mother found accommodation. It was very easy to get to and surprisingly close to Glenelg, Adelaide's fashionable beach district. We spent a good portion of the day walking in the area. The next day, we drove out to McLaren Vale, one of the area's many wine producing regions. After sampling some local wines, we stopped in a vineyard restaurant where we had an excellent lunch. The final course of my parents' meal was pork belly glazed with some sauce. It was absolutely delicious. My mother asked me what pork belly was and she would not believe me that it was exactly what it said until I went on Wikipedia and proved it. This particular cut took all the meat but only a small layer of the fat. Whatever they did, it worked and my mother has been raving about it since. Not content with just one wine region, the next day we travelled to the Barossa Valley to sample some wines there. First, we stopped in the little town of Hahndorf, founded by Germans in the 1830s, that still retains some Germanic feel. I had an excellent sausage there. On our final day, we visited Port Adelaide and had a quick look at a local gallery before catching our flight --- and that's when the fun began.

At first, our plane was late coming in from Brisbane due to storms up north. And now there was a line of storm cells approaching Adelaide. After quite a long wait we were put on the plane and then had to wait another long time for the storms to pass before it was safe to takeoff. On getting closer to Canberra, we were told that there had been a fire alarm and the terminal had been evacuated, however, it was cleared by the time we landed. After all that we were about 2 hours late and quite tired. I remember getting back and sleeping well.

The next few days were spent getting ready for my graduation although we did find time to go to the National Film and Sound Archive which so greatly impressed my mother that she went back not once, but twice. I had to pick up my gown, hood and motorboard as well as finalize a few other things. On the 9th of December, at 17:30, the graduation ceremony started. There were a few short speeches but soon enough it was my turn. The ceremony took place in the very imposing Llewelyn Hall in the School of Music and even though I knew I was graduating, I was still nervous. Finally, as I stood on the stage, the Dean of the Law School called my name and I walked towards the Pro-Vice-Chancellor who was handing out the diplomas. If it ever comes up, I will say that I was the first person to be given a Juris Doctor from the ANU. Following the ceremony, we had dinner at Charcoal, an old Canberra restaurant. I was so relieved to be done and pretty proud of myself. 2 days later, our final leg was a trip to Sydney.

In Sydney, we stayed at the Hyde Park Inn. With the euphoria of graduation still clinging slightly in the air, we walked around Circular Quay. The next day we wandered the city center some more before taking in Handel's "Messiah" at the Opera House. Oprah Winfrey was in town at the time and I suggested that they rename that famous structure the Sydney Oprah House. The next day we travelled to Katoomba to see the famous 3 Sisters rock formation and later that evening my brother and I took a night time bridge climb of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Although you're fastened in you're very high up and you go to the very top. It's something that has to be experienced firsthand. The next day we went to Manly Beach by ferry with the Motykas, our good friends from Newcastle who graciously hosted us for the day. The following day, my family and I parted company as they returned to Canada and had a few aerial adventures of their own. I returned to Canberra. I hope my family had a pleasant time in Australia and I am so glad they could come down for my graduation. I found the vacation most enjoyable and I hope they did too.

But there is no rest for the weary. The day after I returned I took part in an overnight hike in the southern reaches of Namadgi National Park. The Canberra Troop of Plast had a hike planned and I helped with supervision. The day started out ominously with thunderstorms but it cleared up to a beautiful sunny day and off we went trekking. We saw much native bush along the way including long abandoned homesteads. We camped just off the trail and although the day had been quite pleasant the night was almost bitterly cold. The next morning we were picked up and returned to our various abodes. From what I've heard the scouts enjoyed the experience and apart from nearly freezing, so did I.

So that's what's occurred in the last 5 weeks. Now that my degree is done, I'm feeling a bit lost. I have my diploma to do but that's a little while away yet. I have to apply for a further visa, which I hope I will get but it's just something else to be nervous about. At any rate, after an exciting 5 weeks, it's good to be back. I wonder what new adventures await me just beyond the horizon.

Evidentiary Burden

2010-11-14T23:45:00.000+11:00

On Monday, I had the penultimate of my law exams --- Evidence. I remember my father telling me that he, somewhat surprisingly, received a very good grade in evidence given the difficulty of the course. The exam and the course were not difficult in the sense that they were confusing, in fact, I found both quite reasonable. The trick with the exam was that there were 11 questions which meant that you could only skim through them and there wasn't enough time to go into any depth. You sort of had to trust your first instincts and go with them. There was no way you could cover all the issues other than superficially. I think I covered everything and my confidence is due in large part to my study partners. We spent considerable time going over previous exams and quizzing each other, not to mention that our collective summary was very good. I think I went rather well.

The only other bit of news to report is that I found out what caused the system crash just before the Melbourne Cup. ACTTAB is not an independent betting agency in that we are tied in with Supertab, the Victorian betting agency, and we pool with them. According to one of ACTTAB's tech support guys, what happened was something like a 1-in-trillion event. The results, pools and dividends are sent from Supertab in Victoria in data packets of various descriptions. Just before the Melbourne Cup jumped, for some reason the data packet that was sent was encoded in binary. Now, binary code is recognized by the computer system only as a command, not as information, meaning our host computer thought it was being told to do something. The computer then decided that it had to deal first with this "order" and then it would deal with other things. This resulted in the computer system sort of sequestering itself while it tried to figure out what to do. This resulted in the betting system going down for the period it did. I was also informed that South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania were similarly affected as they also run on Supertab. So all in all, I imagine there were a great many unhappy people throughout Australia. As well, I learned that ACTTAB's estimated earnings loss figure caused by that system crash is $1-1.5 million!

Also, my parents are coming in a few days. Yay!

Through a Prism Darkly

2010-11-07T23:12:00.005+11:00

The great Australian race was held last Tuesday --- the Melbourne Cup. With its $6 million purse, it is Australia's richest horserace and the championship handicap race. Run every year since about 1861, it has become known as the Race that Stops the Nation. In Victoria, it is a public holiday, as it used to be in Canberra as well until this year which means I don't get paid double. It really does stop Australia in its tracks as everyone watches to see who'll take the Cup. It is estimated that 80% of the Australian adult public has a bet on the Melbourne Cup.

Needless to say, this is one of the busiest days of the year for ACTTAB and it was most assuredly all hands on deck. I would be pulling a double shift that day that started at the racecourse. I was stationed with a friend of mine, Thamizh (ta-MEER), in the Hut, a wooden structure used only once a year and not redecorated since it was built sometime 40 years ago. There are actually old betting slips there from the time before ACTTAB employed electronic betting. Well, when we arrived we endeavoured to make our station available for betting only to find that the computers would not cooperate. After intense investigation, the opinion of our technician was that the problem was with the uplink with ACTTAB's racecourse server and although only the Hut was affected, to correct the problem would necessitate taking every ACTTAB station in the racecourse offline for at least 5 minutes. Deciding that this was too high a price to pay for this one station, we were told to close the Hut and I went to the Auditorium (a small club and bar area) and Thamizh went elsewhere.

At the Auditorium, I was stationed with Scott, someone I'd never worked with before. We got along fine and everything was going smoothly until 5 minutes before the Melbourne Cup was to run. Our computer screens began flashing "Alfa Queue Full" and we were unable to place any more bets. Unsure of the situation we told people to wait and see if the system would come back up. Things went from bad to worse when our computers kept telling us that the host server was down. Not only was our station down but so were all stations in the racecourse all outlets and branches throughout the ACT; this was a total system failure. All we could do was wait for the system to reboot. In the meantime, the race ran and it was taken out by Americain, who even though racing at nearly 11:1, was still one of the favourites. The favourite, So You Think (3.90:1) finished 3rd. Because so many of the favourites won, the trifecta was a pittance as compared to recent years, only a little over $300; last year it was about $9 500 and the year before about $22 000. Nevertheless, the system failure at that particular time means that ACTTAB lost probably several hundred thousand dollars.

There's still no word as to what caused the crash, although the consensus seems to be a system overload from too many bets but we haven't had this problem before. One of my floormates suggested a denial of service hack but I don't think that's likely. The new system that is to be in place in the next few months should prevent this from happening again and I look forward to reading the explanation in the next ACTTAB newsletter.

The system came back online about 5-10 minutes after the Melbourne Cup ran and even though people could still bet, the main even had finished. On a typical Melbourne Cup, ACTTAB sells over 10 million individual bets (though that may be tied in with Victoria) by sometime around Cup time but this year we didn't even reach that number. We'll see if there's any fallout from this.

My day wasn't over and as soon as I was finished at the racecourse I biked to the Garema Place outlet to assist them there. When I arrived there were still plenty of people in the outlet but that faded over time. I stayed until closing by which time there were only 2 people left. Another Melbourne Cup done and another one for the books. I'll remember this one for a long time I should think.

I did get some good news recently in that I had been selected as one of 2 bus drivers for Fenner Hall next year. The term "bus" is a little misleading and what it really is is a large van that seats about a dozen, maybe a few more. I'd actually been shown how to operate it last summer but as I didn't become an office holder subsequently, I wasn't allowed to continue in that role. It's a fairly easy job involving driving students to Fenner-sponsored events and the occasional shopping trip. It also means I get a 50% rent subsidy for the coming year, which is also quite handy. I think it will fit well with my ACTTAB job and the work load of the GDLP.

With my Equity exam coming up, I had a rather scary moment in that I actually had a dream about equity. I don't exactly remember what happened in my dream only that equity was involved. It must have been a sign that I was letting it prey on my mind too much. The next day, though, was my Equity exam.

The Equity exam was held in the large Melville Hall and as I took my seat I wasn't quite sure what to expect. As I read through the exam I was slightly reassured to find no questions on resulting trusts or the presumption of advancement; if you know what they are, you hope that you never have to deal with them. I walked out of the exam feeling confident although I didn't get to finish the essay question, but I think I got the main points across. I spoke with a friend afterwards and we both discovered virtually all of the same issues so I'm pretty sure I've at least passed the exam. In any case, it's out of my hands now. If I ever hear the words "resulting", "constructive", "trust" or "equity" again, it will be 20 billion years too soon. Although I enjoy the law, I'm just so tired of this degree and I want it finished. I also want to graduate with my parents and my brother here. As much as I will enjoy having them here and us travelling around together, the enjoyment will be significantly diminished if I do not graduate. And everyone keeps saying things like "You'll be fine" or "You'll pass" but nothing is certain. It is in my nature to feel anxious and nervous about these things until the end.

In one more bit of happy news, I found out that one of my favourite artists, Amanda Marshall, has reappeared after years in "hiding". On November 5th, she gave a concert at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario. From an online Toronto Star article, I learned the shocking truth of her unintended exile. While still popular in Canada and by no means over the hill of her career, in 2002 Amanda Marshall had a disagreement with her record label and management team and fired them. This set off a series of unfortunate events that turned what was supposed to be a short break into a long one. Her record label/management team (or at least I assume it was them) instituted litigation against her for what I assume is a breach of contract or something vaguely similar. However, for some reason, the matter still hasn't been settled and information cannot be gotten from Amanda Marshall or the other parties since the matter is still ongoing, which prevents anyone from disclosing anything but the bare fact of litigation. It also means that Amanda Marshall is prevented from working for another record label or releasing any new songs because the other party probably obtained a prohibitory injunction (something I learned in Equity) against Amanda Marshall. In essence, a prohibitory injunction prevents the subject from breaching a negative term (a term requiring that something NOT happen) in a contract. An example of such a term would be "Amanda Marshall agrees to only write and music for X", the implied negative term being that Amanda Marshall will not write and release music for anyone else. These injunctions are pretty easy to get, especially if they are meant to be temporary (subject to a final court case/decision), although subject to some other technical conditions and considerations. Whatever the case, I'm happy to hear that Amanda's back and maybe my sudden interest in her a little while ago was a premonition of this return. I wish her well, look forward to hearing from her and offer her my legal services should they be required.

Ultimatum

2010-11-04T00:10:00.009+11:00

I guess it hasn't really sunk in yet, but I've had what are hopefully my final classes in my law degree. All that's left now is to tackle the exams and hope that I do well enough to pass and, consequently, graduate. It's unusual to think that this JD is my final degree and that I will shortly have to start looking for employment in the legal sector. After the completion of the GDLP, I will be out in the real world, which is a scary thought. Like most prisoners I've become institutionalized and I wonder if I'll make it out there.

I finally completed the long essay I had due for my internship and I was quite glad to be rid of it. After a while, it just turned into a series of tortuous disappointments. The thing never really came together as I wanted it to. The problem is that it was based on an almost entirely theoretical/philosophical argument for which there is very little empirical evidence. I was arguing that Australia should follow the Canadian example and allow the intention to temporarily deprive to be theft, as opposed to permanently deprive as it now stands. The supervisor assessed it at a Pass level and at this point, I'm perfectly satisfied with that. Obviously, it's a bit disheartening as I would have like the mark to have been higher, especially as this was a topic I was particularly keen about, but I'll take the Pass.

On Friday, I went to Fenner Hall's annual Valete Ball, a function which honours graduating residents, of which I hope to be one shortly. Valete was held in the Great Hall of University House and consisted of a buffet dinner followed by speeches and a few awards. Each graduating student was gifted a metal mug with the residence's crest engraved in it. From now on, my constant endeavour will be to earn that mug.

At another even earlier in the week, I received a Fenner Hall Spartos Award, which are given out for various deeds in sports and arts. I was given the award for my contribution to Fenner Hall's win at the Interhall Trivia Night earlier this year.

I also followed Ottawa's mayoral race with some keeness and see that Jim Watson is the new mayor, which, I'm sure, displeased my father. I was particularly interested in the fact that Jim's campaign headquarters was in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on Byron Avenue, a venue I know well. I wonder why he chose that particular venue? All I hope is that this won't derail the plans for the underground LRT tunnel or the planned refurbishment of Landsdowne Park, which looks very promising.

Penultimatum

2010-10-24T23:47:00.006+11:00

Since returning from the break, I've taken stock of the very frightening fact that my degree is coming to an end. 3 years ago, this date was longed for but seemed an eternity away. Now that I'm approaching the final week of instruction, I am very nervous. My parents will soon be down and I must pass all of my courses if I am to graduate in December with them here. It would be a shame if they travelled 20 000 km only to have me have to sit some supplementary exams, which means I wouldn't be eligible to graduate. After my exams, I will be on tenterhooks until the final results are published. I really do hope I graduate as I don't want to have to go through this again.

Anyway, 2 Fridays ago was the annual ACTAFL Umpires' Association dinner. Like last year, it was held at the Southern Cross Club in Woden. It was great fun with many hilarious moments and awards being given out. Some of the more serious awards were Best Umpire and dedication awards while some of the ones with more levity were Bachelor of the Year and the Send Off awards. I didn't win anything this year but we'll see how I go next year. With my GDLP keeping me in Canberra for another year, I look forward to another chance at stardom.

Spring Carnival horse racing is the current obessession of the nation and there have been 2 important races in the last few weeks, all in Melbourne. The first was the Caulfield Cup run at Caulfield race course. This is a Group 1 handicap run over 2 400 m and is second only to the Melbourne Cup in terms of importance for handicap races in Australia. The price money is AUS$2.5 million. The next important race was last Saturday and that was the Cox Plate run at Moonee Ponds, a Group 1 weight-for-age race that is considered the championship for that type of race in Australia. The prize for that race is AUS$3 million. It's hard to convey how important horse racing is to Australians unless you're immersed in it, like I was as I worked at ACTTAB those days. The next big race is the Melbourne Cup on Nov. 2nd and its AUS$6 million prize. I will be working at the racecourse and I anticipate quite a day if the weather holds.

I also took advantage of an opportunity with Legal Aid to follow a practitioner around for a few hours on a Monday morning. I and a GDLP student followed the practitioner around as he talked to clients being held in the cells below the Magistrates Court. We then followed him into court to hear his submissions. I was very enlightening especially when you consider that this lawyer sometimes has only a few minutes to formulate some sort of plea for his clients. He also challenged me on my thesis in my research essay that Australian jurisdictions should adopt the intent to temporarily deprive, and not permanently deprive, as the basis for theft. I am thankful and I worked some of his suggestions into the second draft which I've submitted for commentary. I think I've done all I can with that, given the word limit, and I think I've structured it logically.

I did get some other good news and that was that I received a High Distinction for my moot court presentation assessment in Evidence Law. I reported on this assignment earlier and it turns out my partner and I both did extremely well. Apparently my argument "demonstrated command of the material, facility with the facts, and ability to think strategically." Needless to say, I was very pleased with this outcome. I remember in school aboslutely despising, with every fiber of my being, public speaking assignments but now I've found a sort of comfortable ease with them. I don't understand why so many people simply read off their notes in a prepared speech for assignments when a more natural apporach "feels better." Anyway, I'm happy with this now and all I have to look forward to now is the utter joy of the exam.

There is one more thing I've learned and that is that the drough has officially broken, at least in NSW. The long period of low rain, called the "Big Dry" or the "Long Dry" came to an end last week when the last parts of the state were declared drought free. This is thanks to the La Niña event that has brought well above average rainfall to Australia. All I can say then is thank heaven for little girls. While some people are rejoicing many in the environmental camp are wary and are warning that this may only be a temporary reprieve and that more punishing aridity may follow. We'll just have to wait and see but since Australians get so few moments of unalloyed pleasure from the weather, I say celebrate for now. And I've added photographs from my trip to Melbourne.

Melbourne: The Second Half

2010-10-17T03:38:00.008+11:00

On the 3rd of October, Katia and Maria gave me a very special treat --- a trip to Mt. Macedon. Not too far from Melbourne, Mt. Macedon is a fairly high mountain with a cross on top of it. The cross was built after the First World War at the expense of one person so that Melburnians would always remember the soldiers who fought. It was built on the southern flank of that mountain and illuminated at night so that it could be seen from all points of Melbourne. The cross, following years of weathering, a lightning strike and a devastating bushfire, was repaired in the 1990s. However, in all that time it has been a popular destination for a picnic and some light walking.

We headed out in the afternoon and were quickly at the mountain's base. As we drove up I noticed that many people built mansions on the mountain's lower slopes. These were clearly the homes of the very wealthy. As we drove further up, I noticed at a junction a sign pointing to Hanging Rock, a place of importance to Australians. That place is the setting for the surreal thriller Picnic at Hanging Rock. First a book, then a movie it is the story of a group of schoolgirls who have a picnic at Hanging Rock and then disappear, only to reappear again. Once back, though, they have no memory of what happened. I haven't seen the movie myself but I guess I should and the book is considered an Australian classic.

Anyway, we made it to the top of the mountain where there was a parking lot. We got out and walked to the cross. The landscaping is very neat and the view was quite spectacular. Melbourne was clearly visible on the horizon. After a reasonable amount of time, we walked back to the car and drove home.

On my last full day in Melbourne in Melbourne, I decided to visit the Melbourne Aquarium. It was a little smaller than I expected but it was good nonetheless. There were many native species but also exotic things like sawfish, sharks, rays, blind cavefish and a Giant Octopus. There were even some axolotls, a sort of salamander from Mexico that the Aztec once used as currency. Some of the shark eggs were very interesting and one was even in a sort of corkscrew shape. However, I spent the most time at the penguin pen. The Aquarium has two types of penguins, the small Gentoo and the slightly larger King. They frolicked about and swam as is there custom and you couldn't help but stare. There were even a few eggs that were being cared for by the penguins. I spent almost the entire day at the aquarium and I would recommend it to anyone.

I flew out the next morning after thanking my hosts for their incredible hospitality. I always enjoy going down to Melbourne and I think this was a break I truly needed. Unfortunately, I only had a few days before university started back up again and now it's back to the grindstone. Happily, there's only short time until the semester is over.

Melbourne: The First Half

2010-10-10T01:30:00.014+11:00

I have recently returned from an almost week-long trip to Melbourne, Australia's other great metropolis. I will relay my adventures there in 2 parts, this being the first. I did have a wonderful time in Melbourne, made all the more hospitable by the hospitality of Katia and Maria Soc, who allowed me to stay with them during my time. It was quite therapeutic for me, I think, to get out of Canberra, stretch my legs and do a bit of exploring. I'll also give the answer to the joke from the last post at the end.

I flew into Melbourne on an early flight as it was the cheapest I could get. There was a delay as Virgin Blue had been having problems with their automated check-in service for a few days. Luckily, I had checked-in on the web the night before. Upon arriving in Melbourne I took the bus to the city centre as I was unable to go to the Socs right away. I took the opportunity to wander around in the warm sunlight. I found myself at the Treasury Gardens and being quite exhausted, I had a nap on the park grass. Once I awoke, I made my way to the train station and caught a train to Broadmeadows in the city's northern reaches. I spent the rest of the day around the Socs home preparing for the next day's outing.

The following morning I decided to visit the Fitzroy Gardens and the State Library of Victoria, both fascinating places. The Fitzroy Gardens are an old city park just next to the Treasury Gardens in the heart of the city. Throughout there are various interesting buildings and artworks. For example, there is the cottage that James Cook grew up in in Yorkshire. It was taken apart brick by brick and reassembled in Melbourne. Having been built in the mid 18th Century, Cook's Cottage claims to be the oldest building in Australia. There is also the impressive River God Fountain and the playful Dolphin Fountain. Then there's the whimsical Fairies' Tree which consists of fairies and native Australian animals carved and painted into an old stump. Beside it it my favourite place, the Model Tudor Village. Gifted to the people of Melbourne by the English for supplying food after World War 2, the Model Tudor Village is a miniature representation of a village in the 16th Century. One can clearly discern a church, a mill and the thoughtful artisans even included Shakespeare's and Ann Hathaway's cottages. If it had been like that, I imagine William and Ann first meeting each other on the village path, then courting and finally marrying. The little village is something to behold.

After the gardens, I went to the State Library of Victoria, an imposing building near La Trobe Street. I originally intended to see if I could obtain some documents for my internship essay but it turned out they were unavailable. I decided to explore the library and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. On the upper floors there was an exhibit dedicated to Australia's most famous scoundrel, Ned Kelly. A troublesome son of a convict settler, Ned and his gang of reprobates became bushrangers, robbing what they could, when they could in the 1870s. In doing so, they endeared themselves to the citizens of the Colony of Victoria as they were seen to be fighting the establishment and the corrupt Victorian police. Matters came to a head in 1878 when Ned and his gang burned mortgage deeds, the only copies of that bank's debtors and Crown property. The gang also ambushed 4 police constables, killing 3 of them while the 4th escaped. They were declared outlaws and were finally cornered at an inn in Glenrowan in northern Victoria. The police encircled the inn and a gunfight ensued wherein Kelly's 3 accomplices were killed and Kelly himself captured. In one unbelievable act that ensured their immortality in the Australian psyche, the Kelly Gang made suits of armour out of ploughs and in these they faced the police. Ned Kelly was tried in Melbourne and hanged in 1880, his last words supposedly being, "Such is life."

In the State Library I found that Ned Kelly's armour was on display, or as near as could be figured. It has been restored although it still bears the indentations of the bullet strikes. It also has an apron which Ned Kelly probably did not wear but was worn by one of the other gang members. A little further on was a cast of Ned Kelly's death mask. They are amazing pieces of Australian history that I was glad to find. It is also a little ironic since the library and the vast reading room adjacent to the exhibit was largely the work of Redmond Barry, the judge who presided over the Ned Kelly trial and sentenced him to death. In fact, the library was built in the very same year.

On another floor there was an exhibit about books through the ages. I found myself pulled towards a book about mathematics, printed in the late 15th Century, by Caxton, the father of English printing. I was pleasantly surprised that with only minimal effort I was able to read and understand the English of so long ago.

I made my way to Federation Square where I found a radio show, MTR (Melbourne Talk Radio), broadcasting. And here, I had a chance to win 2 tickets to the Grand Final replay and I completely blew it. I was among 4 people asked to commentate on a fictitious final 30 seconds of the Grand Final and the winner would win the tickets. I was among 4 people and though I slightly rehearsed beforehand when it came my turn (I was 2nd), I completely messed up as I could only remember 1 player's name. Anyway, it was an unmitigated disaster but I did get 2 tickets to a Toni Childs concert the next day and a copy of Ben-Hur which I gifted to Katia and Maria. Slightly depressed, I returned to Broadmeadows intellectually satisfied though shattered in spirit.

The next day I went to the Melbourne Museum and the Royal Exhibition Hall. 1880 seems to have been an eventful year for Victoria as Melbourne hosted the World Exhibition. For that occasion an enormous hall was built, like London's Crystal Palace, although this one is the only original such structure on its original site. It was also where Australia's Parliament met until Parliament House was completed in Canberra in 1927. I couldn't go in as it was closed but from what I could see, it was an impressive building and I could only imagine what it had been like when it had first opened.

The Melbourne Museum is a much more modern structure to which, I was happy to learn, student admission is free. There were a myriad of interesting exhibits dealing with natural history, the human body, dreams and the struggle for Aboriginal rights. I even got to see an IMAX 3-D movie about the Hubble Telescope. At the time there was also a very popular Titanic exhibit but it has been sold out for ages and I didn't really have a desire to see it. Still, the rest of the museum was absolutely fascinating and I hope to go back again. Although I was there most of the day, I still missed a portion of it and I hope to complete my tour of the museum soon.

The evenings entertainment consisted of me going to a club to see Toni Childs, whom I had never heard of but was apparently very big in the 1980s. Later research revealed that although she was an American, she was most popular in Australia. The band that opened for Toni Childs was very good and I enjoyed listening to their bluesy rhythms. One thing I noticed was that much of the crowd was made of of people in their 40s and beyond, who I can only assume have been Toni Childs fans since the beginning. Toni Childs came on after a while and although here music was good, it wasn't really my cup of tea so I left after about half an hour. The club itself was in the very posh suburb of Toorak so it took me a while to make it back to Broadmeadows by train. If there are any Toni Childs fans out there, I hope you're not too mad at me for leaving.

The next day was Saturday the 2nd, the replay of the Grand Final. I managed to get myself invited to a small Grand Final party (just 5 of us) at a friend of a friend's house. We eagerly watched the game which the Collingwood Magpies easily won. It was great fun to watch it with other people over a few pizzas. Later we were invited to a 30th birthday party at a bar in the city called Troika, which had a sort of Soviet theme, much like Kremlin Bar in Canberra. I met many fascinating people at that shindig and I now have new friends to visit in Melbourne.

And at some point during this first half, I ran into someone I hadn't seen in about 10 years and then only in Ottawa, Zirka Reshitnyk. She was just walking down a Melbourne street when I happened to notice her and called out. It turns out that her boyfriend is an Australian who works for a dramatic production company and they live, at least for the moment, in Melbourne. I thought how unbelievable it is to meet someone I hadn't seen in such a long time and from nearly half the world away! What a strange and wonderful continent this is.

Anyway, that's the end of Part 1 and here's the answer to last post's riddle: Why was the dolphin allowed in adduce hearsay evidence against the credibility of a witness? Because he offered the evidence for a non-hearsay porpoise (as opposed to non-hearsay purpose). I welcome your groans.

Moot Points

2010-09-26T01:57:00.005+10:00

I had a rather exciting day in court last Wednesday. As part of the assessment in Evidence, one of the activities was a mock argument in court, effectively a mooting exercise. My partner and I, who played the role of Crown prosecutors, had to make submissions asking for certain evidence to be included and excluded. There was also a 1-person defence team comprised of the magnificent and near-invincible Kate Maloney (the nominal student head of the JD program) who stepped in at the last minute as we would otherwise have had no defence team against us.

I made my arguments first, submitting that the victim's criminal record and tattoos should be excluded. Then Kate made her counterarguments and then submitted that the accused's statements should be excluded. My partner, Roland, then made his submissions that the accused's statements should be admitted. All the while our professor-assessor, Molly, interjected with questions challenging our positions. At then end, she said she was very impressed with our performances, in particular that we had good presence and were able to effectively address the judge on a personal level. I remember her saying that there was no question that she could ask that would phase us, which I take as high praise indeed. I had also made a particular argument that admitting the victim's criminal record and tattoos would render the trial unfair for the accused which is a violation of their rights under the ACT Human Rights Act. S. 21 of that act states, paraphrasing it, that everyone has the right to a fair trial, the operative word being "everyone" not "every accused". I submitted that in this case "everyone" includes the victim. I had actually gotten the argument from my Criminal Justice class but it seemed appropriate. I was told it was a very good and creative argument and that if I'd been able to find some sort of supporting precedent, it would have been "killer". At all odds anyway, my partner and I left the moot in high spirits as it seems we did very well.

After 10 weeks of back-breaking labour we have entered the 2-week break. This will be the last 2-week break after 10 weeks as ANU is switching to a new system next year following mounds of unfavourable feedback from students and staff. I am taking this opportunity to visit friends in Melbourne from next Wednesday to the following Tuesday, so there won't be a post next Saturday. I haven't been out of Canberra for quite some time and I think I should take my leave for a little bit.

While in Melbourne I may get a chance to see Game 2 of the AFL Grand Final. They played Game 1 today and it ended in a tie. In AFL, for some ungodly reason, if the Grand Final ends in a tie, they play another full game the next week. I much prefer the ACTAFL's approach involving extra time. I was working at ACTTAB today and I watched the game when I could. The St. Kilda Saints were playing the Collingwood Magpies in front of 100 016 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. It was an exciting game with St. Kilda pulling out in front just minutes before the game ended but Collingwood managed to tie it up although they blew a few chances to put the game away. At full time the final score was 68-68 and it's only the 3rd time in history that this has happened. Each team is trying to win their first premiership in many years; Collingwood last won in 1990 and St. Kilda last won (its only win) in 1966. If there are any tickets available I'll definitely try to go down for the game. This doesn't happen very often and if I can I want to see the thrilling conclusion.

To end off, here's a joke for the lawyers. I'll post the answer the next time I blog. See if you can guess the answer.

Why was the dolphin allowed in adduce hearsay evidence against the credibility of a witness?

A Day at the Footy

2010-09-20T20:54:00.004+10:00

Saturday was a very long but fun day filled with aussie rules football. It was the last day of the season and as such the U-18, Division 2 and Division 1 Grand Finals were all played on that day. Although I wasn't officiating in any match I headed down to Manuka Oval for 2 reasons: to support my fellow umpires and entry is free for officials. Every year the umpires present a cohort for the final day and we sit as a group.

The games were of high quality though without the added excitement of a close result. The matches were handily won by the victors. I did have something of a small victory myself. During one of the intermissions I received detailed feedback on my performance in the latter part of the year. Because of manpower issues, the umpire coaches cannot see everyone throughout the year and only do these detailed assessments towards the end when deciding who will get a finals appointment. According to the assessor, I had progressed "in leaps and bounds" this year and of 20 or 30 assessment points, there were only 2 "mistakes", if you can call them that. The first was that I was wearing a gray shirt underneath my orange uniform when it should be black or skin-coloured; I think I mentioned this previously. The second was that for one decision I may have straddled the line a little late, but the assessor wasn't sure. In other words, it was not clearly a mistake on my part. As it is almost certain that I will be in Canberra for another year, this bodes very well for me. The assessor informed me that my progress had impressed the coaching staff and if I continue to perform very well, there may be good things indeed in store for me.

After the games, the lot of us proceeded to the nearby Kingston Hotel for a repast. We watched part of the St. Kilda Saints-Western Bulldogs Preliminary Final and toasted another successful year. The Umpires' Association Annual Dinner will be held in mid-October but until then, we're free of obligations.

Free of obligations is perhaps being a tad generous as fitness has no off-season. Although there will be no games until February or March, it is still necessary to maintain a certain level of fitness so I've resumed running 4km every few days. I may increase that to 8km later on but for now, I have to ease into it. I want to be as fit as is humanly possible for me when next season rolls around.

The weather has turned quite pleasant with spring in the air. The days are warming up to 20C which means t-shirts and shorts. Temperatures will hover around this mark for a month before rising again.

One final bit of good news, I received a Distinction for my Equity and Trusts take-home exam. This is not an easy course and I am very happy that I have grasped at least the basic concepts. We'll see how I do when the final exam rolls around but this has given me a much needed boost of confidence. Now let's hope my other courses follow suit.

Finales

2010-09-13T04:54:00.005+10:00

It's been a fairly eventful week. There have been some extraordinary occurrences in Australia and the world throughout. Some are more mundane than others, but each have there own characteristics of interest.

In Canberra last weekend there were some damaging winds, accompanied by some rain. With the reservoirs now at 75% and looking to reach 80% soon, Canberrans are eagerly awaiting the easing of certain water use restrictions. The winds, however, knocked down several trees including some along the boulevard of Northbourne Avenue. Luckily, the damage wasn't too significant and there was no disruption to general city life.

Less can be said for Christchurch. New Zealand's South Island's largest city (sometimes mistakenly referred to as New Zealand's second largest city) was shaken by a powerful earthquake that measured 7.1 on the Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS). I'll spare you the boring details but the MMS is what scientists use although it is more commonly called the Richter Scale. It seems that there was significant damage to the city, although no deaths. The South Island is considerably less tectonically vibrant than its northern neighbour but is clearly not immune. The earthquake building code probably prevented more significant damage although at a certain point there's nothing that can be done. It will take some time to clean up after the quake but New Zealand has experience with this type of thing so I wouldn't be too worried.

And keeping with the disaster stream, it seems northern Victoria is in the midst of floods. The Australian Defence Force has been called out to assist. While this will go some way to relieving the drought, especially considering the low levels the Murray River has suffered recently, it's still a great inconvenience.

On another topic, Australia finally has a government. After some political trading, the final 2 independent members, Windsor and Oakeshott, sided with the Labor Party. This gives them the 76 seats required for a majority and Julia Gillard remains PM. I understand that Kevin Rudd, the former PM, will be Minister of Foreign Affairs which is where he made a name for himself before. I had a chance to watch Windsor and Oakeshott announce their decision in a press conference. Windsor was fairly brief but Oakeshott took forever to announce his decision. He droned on and on and listed the reasons for the decision. I think the consensus is that this was his moment in the sun and he wanted to get as much out of it as he could. This new government, technically a minority one, will be interesting if not only to see how long it lasts. All parties, though, are talking as though the government will be allowed to complete its full 3-year mandate barring anything surprising.

I had a great opportunity yesterday to be a goal umpire for the ACTAFL Division 4 Grand Final at Manuka Oval between Goulburn and ANU, and what a game it turned out to be. The day was sunny and warm with only a hint of wind. The game was close throughout and when full time came around, it was a tie. This necessitated the use of a special procedure for tie-breaking wherein 2 additional 5-minute periods are played and at the end, whoever is in front wins. In the end, the result was 1 point in favour of ANU; final score Goulburn-84, ANU-85. I think that not only was this the best game I've officiated this season, I think it was the best game I've ever officiated. I haven't seen that full game assessment from the umpire assessor but the half-time report was quite positive. It's always an honour to be asked to officiate a grand final, it means you are one of the better umpires throughout the year. Barring anything unusual happening, though, or being asked to be an emergency on-call replacement, I think this is the end of my season. Next week the Under-18s, the Division 2 and the Division 1 grand finals will be played and that will end of the season officially. I think I've ended on a very positive note and I can't wait for next year.

La Niña

2010-09-05T02:16:00.006+10:00

Australia has come under the influence of the little girl, the La Niña event that affects the Pacific every so often. And I must say that it's not a moment too soon. La Niña almost always brings with her above average rainfall and Australia could certainly use as much as it could given the dryness of the last 15 years. Lately, though, there has been a period of prolonged wet weather which has elevated the levels of the all-important reservoirs and changed the red interior a healthy shade of green. However, this chica loca is a wild girl.

Let's take today as an example. A large and powerful low pressure system has moved over southeastern Australia bringing several centimeters worth of rain to Adelaide and Canberra with additional appreciable amounts to most other capital cities. In Adelaide the rain was accompanied by wind gusts up to 100km/hr while Canberra will tomorrow face a slightly drier day but gusts approaching 75 km/hr, although it's howling outside right now. Unfortunately as it is the playoff season for the local Australian rules football league, I have to umpire in these conditions tomorrow. Actually I dodged a bullet as I was originally scheduled for today but was made to switch with someone when their unavailability unexpectedly changed. Today's rain was fierce and persistent but it is supposed to ease up tomorrow so these clouds do have silver linings.

I also had the opportunity to participate in an interesting exercise in evidence class --- a trivia contest dealing with hearsay. The game was spread out over the two days we would have had lectures and was designed to familiarize us with relevant provisions of the Evidence Act relating to hearsay evidence. I was with a team of some old friends and some new ones. For those who aren't familiar with the intricacies of evidence, hearsay is (roughly) non-first-hand evidence and there are rules about when you can and can't use it. I, and others including the lecturer, think this is the hardest concepts in evidence law. The problem I find is that while I can usually recognize admissible and inadmissible hearsay evidence the Evidence Act is not a well-drafted bit of legislation which makes hearsay rather tricky. One of my dad's stories from law school was that he, rather unexpectedly, received a very good mark for evidence. I'm hoping that history repeats itself.

I'll close by saying that recently I've rediscovered one of my favourite Canadian singers --- Amanda Marshall. She was very active in the blues/adult contemporary genre from the mid-90s until about 2001, when she suddenly went quiet. Apparently she has continued to sing at concerts and the like and has an album planned for this year, which will be her 4th (excluding "best of" compilations) and her first since 2001. She had some of the most memorable songs in that period and I'm sorry she sequestered herself. The thing about her is that while she might not have the vocal range of some singers, her voice has more power behind it. In my opinion, one of the most underrated and overlooked singers of the period even though she was quite well-known and successful during her time. Let's hope she receives the recognition she deserves.

For One Who's Come Across the Seas

2010-08-30T22:53:00.011+10:00

I had a rather interesting visitor this past week. My cousin Laura, who has been teaching English in South Korea for the past 5.5 years, paid me a visit. She stayed most of the week in Canberra and I managed to show her around. She seemed rather impressed with Australia and said repeatedly that she plans to return. Her time in Korea runs out in February and after some travelling she'll be taking up some sort of position, teaching again I think, in Pakistan.

Laura arrived last Monday in what turned out to be a very odd week weather-wise. The whole of the week was quite cold and cloudy whereas Canberra usually has at least a few sunny days per week. It was windy, rainy and even had a touch of wet snow. At any event, because of my rather hectic schedule Laura took in many of the sights by herself but made some friends along the way I understand. We did get to see one attraction together and that was Old Parliament House.

Not too far from New Parliament House is the Old, or Provisional, Parliament House. From 1927-1988 this was the seat of Australia's government. Built rather hastily in the art deco style, Old Parliament House was originally supposed to be Parliament's home for a few years until the permanent structure was built. However, the Great Depression and World War Two prevented construction and Old Parliament House served its role until 1988. In 1927 there were 300 people working in the edifice (including politicians, journalists, political staff and building staff) but by 1988 that number had increased to 3 000 and the building simply couldn't cope with the numbers.

Old Parliament House is now the Australian Museum of Democracy and I took Laura there because it wasn't too far away and I'd never been there myself --- and we were both pleasantly surprised. Recently refurbished, the interior, while left mostly in its original state, is now full of interactive displays about the history of Australian democracy. Laura and I wandered through the building which was fairly empty given that it was late afternoon and marvelled at it. The Prime Minister's office I found particularly interesting given the near-street level windows that would now make for a security nightmare and the spy hole that the PM's secretary could use to make sure he was alright. Because Laura and I were more or less the only ones there, we got something of a private tour of a section of Old Parliament House.

The one thing I truly remarked about Old Parliament House was how cozy it felt. Because it was meant to be temporary, it was never built to a grand size, like Canada's Centre Block, which can have a cold sterile feel about it, especially given that it's made of stone. Old Parliament House, on the other hand, has a sort of organic quality and walking through the narrow halls you get a sense of belonging or something. Unfortunately it was too late in the day to thoroughly explore every nook and cranny but I plan to come back once I have more free time to really explore Old Parliament House. Given the history that has been made therein, I think it's one of Canberra's great treasures.

A few days later, Laura left for Sydney on a weekend trip to have a tour of the Opera House and take in a concert. When she got back, she could not help but rave at the experience although she did say that she would prefer to live in a small city like Canberra. Quite early this morning Laura flew out to return to Korea but I imagine that this trip has only whet her appetite for Australia. She would not be alone if that is the case as many have succumbed to the same feeling.

The other news worthy of report is that there is still no decision as to who will form the next government. The Labor Party has 73 seats (thanks to the one Green Party member), the Liberal Party has 73 seats (thanks to its coalition) meaning that the fate of Australia now rests in the hands of 4 independent members. Talks between them and both large factions are currently underway but so far no resolution. Let's hope they sort themselves out soon.

150

2010-08-22T02:10:00.005+10:00

For my 150th blog post, I have quite a bit to report on. As it happens, it falls on the night of a very important Australian election and the 150 members of the House of Representatives are seeking office. It's also a test of the Labor Party's policies and the results are very exciting.

First of all, some other news. I read that the US has ended its combat operations in Iraq. We'll see what this means in the future and what the consequences of America's actions will be. After 7.5 years in Iraq, only history will tell what impact the Americans had on the country. Contrary to many predictions, Iraq has not descended into civil war and hopefully it was not only the Americans' presence that prevented it. While there will still be support units in the, Operation Iraqi Freedom (they've got to come up with more imaginative names) has concluded and this chapter of American history closes; let's see what the footnotes will say.

In health news, I got a massage for my stiff iliotibial band at umpire training. Every training session a physiotherapist comes in and offers massages to those who need them. To limber up my iliotibial band, I asked for one and it is an experience unlike any other, and not one which should be repeated. In order to loosen the band, pressure must be applied to it but in its stiff state, that causes considerable discomfort. The physio knew what she was doing and it did help but I really felt the pain. Next time, I think I'll just inject some drugs right into the band.

In lighter news, I got the chance to effect a Scottish accent in my criminal justice class. The lecturer asked for someone to do it to read out a passage by a Scottish author. No one put their hand up so I volunteered and I think I pulled it off. In truth, I did it better than I thought I would. Unfortunately there is no recording of this event.

The big news in Australia is, of course, the general election and what a night it has been. The final result is too close to call and will likely not be known for some weeks as there will be recounts and challenges. However, for the first time since World War 2, Australia will have a "hung" parliament, which means that no party has won a majority of seats. In my opinion, a better solution would be a hanged parliament. The predicted final tally in the House is the Liberal/National Party, 73 seats, the Labor Party, 72 seats, the Green Party, 1 seat and independents, 4 seats. This mess will take some time to sort out but until then, Julia Gillard will continue as Prime Minister. As you can see, the formation of the government will depend on how the independents and the Green Party members align themselves. An even more curious result would be a 75-75 split which would really liven things up.

This result has come about due to poor performance by the Labor Party in the 4-week election. Apparently they had a pretty disastrous 2nd and 3rd weeks and so that has hurt them. The Labor Party has lost something like 15 seats! The Labor Party was already in trouble due to declining polls, the ousting of PM Kevin Rudd, the mining supertax and the failure of the Emissions Trading Scheme (whatever that was). Also, it seems that they underestimated Tony Abbott, the Liberal/National Party leader, who was able to run a fairly effective campaign. I think the Labor Party could have secured a better result if they'd stuck to pointing out that they managed to keep Australia out of recession with their stimulus package and Australia has one of the best performing economies in the industrialized world.

This election has been remarkable for other reasons. The first Green Party member was elected for the district of Melbourne. A 20-year old from Queensland in poised to become the youngest ever MP. Also from Queensland, voters elected the first indigenous Australian Member of the House of Representatives. In general, there has also been a strong showing for the Green Party nation-wide and they will now hold the balance of power in the Senate, and to some extent in the House as well.

A few words, or as few as can reasonably be uttered, about the Australian electoral process. Australia's election system is nothing if not entertaining. In Australia, voting is compulsory and done on a preference system. On the ballot page you mark in order from 1-whatever the candidates whom you wish to elect. In other words, your first choice you mark "1", your second, "2", and so on, though you don't have to exhaust your choices. First, the 1 votes are counted and if no candidate has 50%+1 of the votes, then the 2 votes are counted and so on until a candidate has achieved a majority. While creative and, I think worthwhile, this system is very confusing to an outsider, as Bill Bryson noted. The analysis speaks of things like "1st Party Preference, "2 Party Preference" and the "swing". The swing is the easiest concept, it's the percentage change from the last election so that a swing of 5.8% to the Liberal/National Party (as happened in Queensland overall), means 5.8% more people voted for that party than the previous election. Still, if you're not in tune, Australian election banter quickly degenerates into what sounds like meaningless drivel, although it may actually be very astute observation. I'm ineligible to vote so, luckily, I don't have to know any of this.

Another peculiarity of the Australian election system is that all constituencies have proper names, and not just descriptive ones like Ottawa-South or Toronto-East. For example, I live in the electoral district of Fraser, and around the country there are Fraser, Bennelong, Sturt, Eden-Monaro, O'Connor, Durack, Lingiari, Werriwa and countless others. I think this is very clever on the part of Australians. Although perfectly functional, Canadian riding names are rather bland but Australians have spiced theirs up. I think Canada should seriously consider following the Australian example.

There is also the nerve-center of reporting, called the Tally Room. This is where all the results are sent through more or less as soon as their known. I'm not sure if there's something exactly similar in Canada although I do know that news agencies report the results and that individual political parties have something like it at their respective headquarters. I've been told that it can be quite the experience and I may have gone had I not been assigned a take-home exam on the subject of fiduciaries. If this is a hung parliament, then the next election might not be too far away anyway and I can visit the Tally Room then.

So who's going to be the Prime Minister? No one can as yet say. What is certain is that the Labor Party has been dealt a significant blow but, for the time being they remain in power. We'll see what happens over the coming weeks if a changing of the guard will be in order.

Moving on Up

2010-08-15T18:20:00.005+10:00

I had a rather important day last Sunday --- I was appointed to umpire my first Division 2 game. In the ACTAFL there are several divisions, though we only umpire the 5 most senior ones. The division are, in increasing order of "importance", Division 4, Division 3, Under-18s, Division 2 and Division 1. The appointment is important for me because I am 1 step closer to umpiring at the AFL level. In Canberra, between Division 2 and the AFL there is only Division 1, although there may be other intermediary leagues. I don't know if I'll ever get to the highest level, though I would certainly like to try, but it is a good step. I'll have to see how I go in the playoffs to see if maybe next year I'll get a crack at Division 1.

Australians, especially Canberrans, have had a lot to cheer about recently. There has been quite a substantial amount of rain throughout the country easing the drought. While no one dares say that the drought is over, Canberra's water reservoir levels have surpassed 60%, which is a big deal in Canberra. Some analysts are optimistically predicting reservoir levels of 70-80% by year's end which would be amazing. This is as a result of increased rainfall combined with better water management techniques. As Amanda Marshall sang, "Let it rain!"

Also, my primary means of conveyance, my bicycle, is undergoing repairs at the moment. A few months back I had a bit of a spill in wet weather and I think it may have bent my rear wheel and hanger. At first the problem wasn't to bad but over the course of a few months the bend has just become too pronounced. The bent wheel also wore away the rear brakes which also have to be replaced. I think the hanger also became bent in that spill. There's not much that can be done other than getting those items repaired/replaced and just hoping that it doesn't happen again. I should get it back tomorrow good as new. I hope it doesn't need repairs for a while at least.

A Spot of Culture

2010-08-07T22:44:00.004+10:00

About the only thing of interest that happened this week was the annual ANU Law Revue. This is a show put on by ANU law students that satirizes just about anything topical. Perennial favourites are impressions of professors and politicians, however anything particularly topical will also find its way into the Law Revue. I missed last year's and I was determined not to miss this year's and I'm glad I didn't. The Revue was exceedingly funny especially when it came to professors and politicians. I don't think I've ever seen a professor at the Revue but I think they should go. It's meant to be good humour and it really is. Some of the segments were a very funny video lampooning our Vice-Chancellor's decision to cut humanities programs, a simulated election rap-off, professors lamenting while singing that teaching students is too complicated (to Avril Lavigne's Complicated), Survivor: Christmas Island (where refugees are housed while being processed and a song about never being able to escape Canberra. I laughed very heartily as did the rest of the audience.

One thing the Law Revue must be substantially commended for is their inclusion of a High Court decision handed down just that day. As this was the second show, it means that the directors had to quickly come up with something and they did. It was really just a mention but well done nonetheless.

This particular High Court decision comes from something called the GetUp! Case. As I understand it, GetUp! is a citizen's group devoted to electoral awareness. In Australia being enrolled as an elector and voting and compulsory and it used to be the case that once the election was called, you had 7 days to enter yourself on the electoral roll. A few years ago, the Howard government changed the rules so that the electoral roll closed on the day the election was called. Why that was I'm not sure but this rule survived. However, some time ago GetUp! mounted a challenge to that law and the High Court agreed with them that it was unconstitutional. I haven't read the decision but it means that something like 100 000 voters are now eligible to enroll and vote. The analysis is that this may help the Labor and Green Parties but we'll have to see how it plays out.

Come to think of it, the election is only 2 weeks away. As of right now, I still think Julia Gillard will win but 2 weeks is a very long time in politics and in this war, there are no holds barred.

Legal Aid

2010-08-01T21:08:00.004+10:00

The first 2 weeks of semester have gone by and I can't say that there is much to report. Tutorials begin Week 3 and run to the end of semester but so far there have been no assignments due and nothing will be due until mid-August which is when I have 1 or 2 mid-semester exams. It's just the slow process of learning.

I did meet with the person who's going to be my research supervisor at ACT Legal Aid, Matt O'Brien. He's a rather pleasant criminal attorney. We had a discussion about possible topics and he indicated that I should come back in a few days to sort everything out. This is part of the legal internship program which is essentially a research task. While I probably will have a work space at Legal Aid, it's not compulsory, but at least it will give me some experience in the field. Matt has also said that if I want to go to court I can, including observing interviews with clients and heading down to the cells. We'll see where this goes but I'm looking forward to working with some real lawyers.

Last Sunday I attended the final functions of the Landmark Country Football Carnival. The first was the Grand Final at Manuka Oval. Being an umpire, I had a free pass. The game was of high quality but Victoria Major was far too good for South Australia. I was hoping for a close game but it was a pretty wide margin. After the game, there was a function at the Ainslie Football Club where trophies were handed out. I went for a final get-together with my fellow umpires and for the free food. The carnival was really exciting and I enjoyed umpiring at a reasonably high level. It's just unfortunate that my tendon wouldn't let me finish off my last game, but I think it's paid off; next week I've been appointed to my first Division 2 game.

Lastly, on Sunday Fenner also had its annual Bush Week trivia night. I was in charge of 2 rounds --- the first consisted of 3 short questions for the leading team and the second was a full round of lateral thinking questions. I think I made them too easy since most of the teams got most of them; 1 team even got all 10. Unfortunately my team didn't win so we couldn't get any extra money for floor events, but we gave it a good try.

That's it.

The Beginning of the End

2010-07-25T00:14:00.005+10:00

I can remember my first class at law school, Contracts, and thinking how far away the end seemed. I knew 3 years wasn't all that long and that I would be finishing much sooner than some of my colleagues but I couldn't begin to imagine the end ever actually arriving. And now it's here. This past week marked the beginning of the end of my law degree as my final semester got underway. I have 4 classes: Equity and Trusts, Evidence, Criminal Justice and Law Internship. The law internship is really a sort of research assignment that is supervised by a legal practitioner. My supervisor will be Matt O'Brien from ACT Legal Aid's criminal law division. I'm meeting with him in a few days to discuss a topic and then I'll get underway. Otherwise my classes seem pretty standard so far. I just hope that I pass all my courses on the first go, in other words, that I don't have to sit any supplementary exams because that will delay my graduation by a semester. My family is coming down for my expected graduation and I don't want to disappoint them.

The Australian rules football country championships were played in the Canberra region this week and I managed to officiate some games. There was a call for volunteer boundary umpires and I put my hand up and was appointed to 2 games in Queanbeyan. These are fairly high quality as they are state teams. There were only 2 17-minute halves which made the running load much lighter than otherwise; a typical game in the Canberra league is 20-25 minute quarters (depending on the grade). I went alright in the 1st game but as it progressed I could feel my ITB seizing up. The ITB, or iliotibial band, is a tendon which runs down the thigh and joins with another muscle at the knee. A few days ago I had had a pretty solid run and I had tweaked it a bit. The ITB is notoriously difficult to stretch and once irritated, it really hurts. I managed to get the 1st half of the 2nd game down before I couldn't run anymore. I was somewhat irritated that I couldn't finish off the game and it was only because of this knee thing. It was my first attempt at boundary umpiring and even though I only had to make 1 decision, I am told I was fairly impressive. I'm taking a week off training just to give my leg a rest and I'll see about further boundary umpiring afterwards. I still continue to goal umpire without issue.

An interesting piece of news that crossed my desk was the report that Helena Guergis has been cleared by the RCMP. Guergis, who was a junior minister in the Canadian government and had a rather famous, if somewhat overstated, rant in the Charlottetown airport, was removed from cabinet and caucus following "serious allegations". To date, Guergis has not been told these allegations and no one outside the PM's close circle seems to know either. With the RCMP investigation concluded, it made me think of my administrative law principles; the principles that govern when someone can seek judicial review of a government decision. Although I doubt Guergis would be able to seek judicial review, I think there was a complete failure of what is called natural justice (procedural fairness), which would ordinarily give someone the ability to contest the decision in court. In a famous Australian case (VEAL v MIMIA), the High Court held that whenever a person is accused of something, even if the reviewing body takes no notice of it, that person must be given a chance to respond to those allegations. In that case, the refugee applicant designated VEAL, was the subject of a letter to the refugee board which accused them of committing crimes against humanity or something like that. The letter asked that the writer's identity be kept secret and although the board said that the letter existed, they gave it no weight in their decision. Nevertheless, the High Court said that natural justice/procedural fairness required that the allegations (but not the identity of the author) be disclosed. I think Guergis' case falls squarely in this camp.

The Guergis Affair also made me think of historical precedents such as the Star Chamber and bills of attainder. The Star Chamber was an inquisitorial court whose meetings were secret. A person could be compelled to testify against themselves and secret decisions could be reached finding people guilty of sedition or treason. Bills of attainder were acts of Parliament that found someone guilty of treason without a trial per se. I think that Guergis' situation falls very close to both of these.

I watched the CBC's Peter Mansbridge interview with Guergis online. I didn't think it was a particularly great interview for her, but I don't think it harmed her and maybe helped her a bit. If nothing else, it served to underline the issues in her dismissal. While the allegations still remain undisclosed, from what I read online, there is a chorus to have them revealed. I think that they should be if for no other reason than that public money has now been expended on the RCMP investigation and the public should know why that money was spent. Of course, I also think the Guergis should be told the allegations anyway because it would be fair to do so. We'll have to see how this plays out over the coming weeks and especially at the next election.

The Beautiful Game

2010-07-18T01:34:00.006+10:00

The most important event this past week was the World Cup. It is touted as the world's largest single sporting event, and with good cause. I have heard statistics that well over 1 billion people watch the final live when it is played and I'm sure the statistic rises every time, and at a greater rate than population increase. Unfortunately, today's globalized world means that although you can watch a game on television live, it may be at an inconvenient time. Accordingly, the final was played at 04:30 Monday morning Canberra time.

I woke up to watch the game and went down to Fenner Hall's large TV room where many others had gathered. We all watched intently as the Spanish national team, Los Rojas (The Reds) took on the Clockwork Orange of the Netherlands. I gathered from the responses of the crowd that most of my fellow Fennerites were cheering for Spain, which put me in a minority. The Dutch had been to the World Cup twice before and I thought it was time they deserved to win. As you may know, the game was rather disappointing and neither team played with any vigour, as well as giving the referee plenty of excuses to bring out the cards. At the end of the first half, feeling the TV room was too crowded, I went upstairs to my room and watched the game on my computer. ANU has a website which lets you watch certain channels on the computer. The second half was much like the first, though there were a few more opportunities. Eventually, in overtime, at the 116th minute, the Spanish managed to get one past the Dutch keeper and hoisted the World Cup. Spain was the Number 1 team in the world so I can't fault them for winning, but I did hope the Dutch would pull through. I suspect many South Africans, particularly the Afrikaaners (descendants of Dutch immigrants), were cheering the Clockwork Orange. Well, all that's left is to wait another 4 years to see who makes it in Brazil.

Here's an interesting connection between Spain and Holland you might not know about. In the Dutch national anthem, it mentions that Prince (later King) William of Orange pledges his loyalty to the King of Spain. This may sound bizarre, and in a way it is, but the Netherlands were once part of Spain, and were in fact called the Spanish Netherlands. For its part, the Spanish national anthem is the only one in the world without words. There were words originally when the anthem was written in the 1970s or 1980s but they were dismissed for being too nationalistic. Which begs the question, isn't it alright for a national anthem to be nationalistic?

I was pleased to read on the internet a review of Ottawa by a visiting American travel writer. He called the city "unselfconsciously cool" and that it is a far cry from its other motto, "the city that never wakes." I have noticed that many travel books have made mention of the fact that Ottawa really has quite a lot to offer and that it's reputation, while perhaps originally justified, is no longer deserved. I hope this is taken on board by tourists and other Canadians.

Finally, PM Julia Gillard has called an election for August 21st in what will become an epic battle of the leaders. It will be a chance for voters to decide if Julia is fit enough to be given a proper mandate or if the manner of her ascent makes her undeserving. I've never been in Australia for an election but I can't wait until things really get going. Elections are always so much fun. I am pleased to see that the CBC is reporting this story as well and I do anticipate some coverage, if the last election is anything to go by. I think Australia is coming out of its shell of obscurity, which will no doubt delight the author Bill Bryson who mentioned this obscurity in his book In a Sunburned Country/Down Under.

Learning the Law

2010-07-11T00:07:00.004+10:00

I received my marks for the semester and I was very excited at the results. I had already received a Distinction for my postgraduate course but I was on tenterhooks waiting for the results of my other courses. I received a Pass for Litigation and Dispute Management, which I was happy enough with. It was a tricky exam and it was the day after Property, another tricky compulsory course. Speaking of Property, I received a Credit for that course and I was very glad. My exam was worth 100% of my mark and the result indicates which means that I am finished above the average. A Credit is a very good result for the Property Law course, or so I'm told. And finally, I received a Distinction in Intellectual Property, where it seems I have a slight talent. I have good reason to believe that I received a High Distinction on the final exam. I also received a congratulatory e-mail from the professor informing me that I finished 3rd in the class! I must say, I do enjoy intellectual property, though I don't really know why. I have been known to get impassioned about some issues, notably the Land Down Under Case and Google Street View privacy concerns. All in all, I think this has been my 2nd best semester. All that remains is to successfully complete my final semester.

For most of the week, my time has been taken up by a course known as Becoming a Practitioner, the preliminary course for the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, the piece of paper that lets you be admitted. The course, which is actually a series of workshops and activities ran from Monday-Friday 09:00-17:00 virtually every day, except for Friday when we were let out at lunch. For the course, we learned how to properly draft a letter to a client (plain English), how to draft a will/legal provision (plain English), how to negotiate and how to appear in court (complicated English). The most fun was had on Friday when we were assessed on our negotiation and advocacy techniques. The negotiation exercise involved teams of individuals (we had been assigned on Tuesday) playing the part of various interest groups in a harbour construction plan. As it turned out, my group represented the unions and we did very well. We managed to secure the on of the best possible outcomes for our constituency, which gave me confidence for my advocacy assessment. The advocacy assessment was just a mock submission to a lawyer playing the part of a judge or magistrate. I did a plea in mitigation, essentially trying to get a light sentence for my client; it turned out alright. I think I've got the basics down now. I still have to submit 2 short written assessment, but I suspect they will not prove troublesome.

I mentioned earlier about my passion for the Land Down Under Case and the judgment was recently handed down. I first mentioned this matter in my post titled I'm a Noun and an Adjective dated 7/02/10. To refresh your memories, the owners of the copyright in the song Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree, Larrikin Music, sued the band Men at Work for infringement. Men at Work's most famous song is a 1982 piece entitled Land Down Under and it contains a famous flute riff that Larrikin alleged was too close to the tune of their song. In February, the judge of the Federal Court hearing the matter ruled in Larrikin's favour but the actual damages judgment was only just handed down. Larrikin had been asking for 60% of all royalties, past and future, to be paid but, luckily, the judge found that that was unreasonable and excessive. He ordered that 5% of all future royalties only would be paid to Larrikin. While I think this is a fantastic result for Men at Work, I still think the whole case should have been dismissed. Thankfully, Men at Work are still contemplating appealing the original ruling which I still have trouble fathoming.

Without getting into too much detail, there is an equitable doctrine called laches (pronounced "lash") which states that if a person takes too long to bring a matter to court, it will be dismissed barring a compelling reason. The song Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree was written for a Girl Guides song competition back in the 1930s. After a series of transactions, Larrikin acquired the copyright in 2000. The song Land Down Under was composed in 1979, although it only became truly popular in 1982, and it became one of the most popular songs of the decade, and not only in Australia. However, it seems that no one noticed the similarity until it was the answer to a question on the popular TV show Spicks and Specks in 2007. It was only then that Larrikin brought suit. Now, my reasoning is that it is reasonable to assume that in all that time (over 30 years now) that both songs have been in existence, the copyright holder of the earlier song would have heard Land Down Under. Furthermore, as no suit was brought until now, it can be assumed that the association was so slight as to escape notice or was made but not objected to. In an event, I think that the doctrine of laches should have stepped in to end the matter. As it turns out, apparently that wasn't even argued but I think it's a good argument. I hope it's argued in the appeal. I still think that the original judgment for Larrikin was one of the worst decisions of the Federal Court.

I'd also like to note that I saw in the news that Canada's new Governor-General will be David Johnston, an academic I've never heard of. Let's see how he does in the job.