There's no place like it

Sunday

Finally back home.

The AGM went briskly and without incident Sunday morning and we went for lunch at the restaurant upstairs. This continued into a general discussion and socialising event until we were due to leave for the airport. I was planning to share a taxi with the treasurer but one of the members offered to drive us there. I think he just wanted an excuse to drive the flash Ford  muscle car he'd hired.

There was a bit of a wait once we'd checked in but the flight was only an hour.  The transit time was a couple of hours and I got to meet some of the other attendees as they arrived on later flights.  My flight was delayed 40 or 50 minutes as they had a passenger who needed oxygen rigged. Finally we were off and again I had an empty seat. It was a long flight but I did watch the movie, although I can't even remember what it was. It was after 11pm before I got home so I was pretty tired.

I have no more plans for travel this year with the proposed Beijing trip next Feb or March the next up. We also have preliminary info on the Golf club trip to Thailand which is schedule for end of March a and start of April so more blogs will follow next year.

Der.......went thataway

Thursday

This was a lovely sunny day much improved from Wednesday and justified my decision to put of a cruise for a day. About 10 I wandered down to the piers and checked the offerings, confirming the one I had decided on yesterday and checking the time I needed to be there. ie 10 to 12 for the 12 o'clock lunch cruise. The water there was like a millpond and the sky was clear and blue.

I then continue my walk through the pier area, past some working docks and up the hill to the war memorial. From there you have a 360 degree view of the bay, the bridge , the city and the mountains.

I came back past the university gardens, a roundabout that was itself almost a park and the hospital into the the shopping area. Being Show Day, most of the shops were closed but some were still open including Target, JB HIFI, Myer and the Chickenfeed shop (a discount store similar to Crazy Clarks) where I bought some more junk food.

I took this back to the hotel and then went down for my cruise. The water was still very calm and the boat we were on was an old ferry boat. Our trip took us past Battery Point, Wrest point Casino and Sandy Bay before swinging away from the shore towards the far side. At this time they served us lunch. My chicken parmigiama was a decent size as were most of the other meals I saw - easily equivalent to a pub counter meal in the $15-$20 range, so $30 all up was a good deal. There was also cask wine available for free.

We swung back to the Hobart side short of the bridge and pulled up just about on the hour. Another 1 hour or so cruise then left going under the bridge. This also included a meal and there was an option to combine both cruises. Not sure if anybody could have eaten 2 meals that size.

I again wandered back through town trying to locate golf shops, which were was expoected closed. One I found but it didn't appear to carry Callaway, later confirmed by a phone call, and the second semmed to no longer exist, also confirmed but an attempted phone call getting a "this number is not connected" message.

I walked further in the battery hill direction before returning to the hotel. Richard and Beth arrived later that day and we met up for dinner, We walked back to the pier area and had fish and chips on one of the floating "restaurants".

Friday

We had the Administrative committee meeting today. This is the subcommiteee consisting of the Cair, membership secretary, recruiting office and treasurer. We started at 12 and finished not much after 3. The meeting went well, swiftly and without any great disagreements.

By then most of the rest of the attendees had arrived and we headed to the Rendevous Cafe to catch up. WE were informed it was about to close so not to order and we soon moved to the European, just acroos the square and where Kate and I had eatent the first night. I had a milkshake but most of them were drinikng wine. Some had already made a good start, and one of my friends from Perth asked us to let him know when he'd crossed the "being amusing" line. My response was to ask him which side he thought he was on at the moment.

Enetually we rerifted off and I changed before the ice breaker. Teis was quite successful with each of us getting a sheet of paper with quotes from TV or film, Song, book or Poem and a speech. We had to work out
the source of these quotes eitehr ourselves or in consultaion. It was like the proverbial fat penguin - there to break the ice.

We had plenty of finger food and the drinks kept coming till about 10pm. At that stage some people, amazingly enough, went out for a meal and doubtless more liquid refreshment but I called it a night, alhtough I did watch the second half of the International Rules game before going to bed.

Saturday

Our handouts from the previous night had a "treasure hunt". The idea was to photob graph 12 things in the Salamanca Markets that match the 12 pictures on the handout. These markets are just down the street from the hotel and quite a big thing on Saturdays. By the time I'd had breakfast and read the paper I decided it was too late to bother. Besides I've seen enough markets in the last 6 months that I didn't need another one.

The National Committee meeting was on today, with the State reps and the editor adding to the AdCom members from yesterday. This year we had an agenda and the chairman kept things well under control. We had breaks for mornign and afternoon tea and lunch and still managed to finish in time to catch the last couple of speakers. Last year our meeting finished well after the speaker meeting for the general members.

Dinner, like all the otehr meetings was in the hotel and was again well run. We had a 3 course meal with 2 choices for each - I stuck with the Tasmanian Smoked Salmon and Tasmansian Eye fillet rissoto and the cirtus tart. There was again abundant wine and softdrink to last trhough to 10pm. The di9nner more or less broke up about 11pm with many planning on further partying in the room. Again I passed on this not wanting to be the only sober person in the room ( or alternatively spending a fortune on those tiny bottles of spirits in the minibar).

Land Ho....bart

Tuesday

The flight from Melbourne was equally short and the plane equally uncrowded as the one from Adelaide. Kate was waiting for me before my bags arrived and we were soon on our way to the city. It was noticeably cool.

The room/suite is very nice, similar to the one I had in Houstonwith kitchen living and sleeping areas and a work desk, but a bit better arranged I think. It even includes a pc with an LCD monitor for your use although I still used my laptop and the wireless connection. Handy if you didn't want to bring one and just needed to check emails.

After I checked in Kate and I went for a walk to a nearby restaurant. The hotel is in Salamanca which is on the river front and has lots of restaurants and boutiques. The photo below was taken the next day. After that she went home and I watched a movie on the in house channel. There are 8 movie channels in addition to a couple of cable channels and free to air.

Wednesday

I woke up about 6am, checked emails read a bit and finally went back to sleep, getting up again just before 10. It was too late for breakfast by then and I headed out for a walk. My first stop was the wharves where the river tours are based. There are a lot of options and I more or less decided on one but will do it tomorrow if the weather is better. It was overcast this morning with a spot of drizzle from time to time and that would have impacted on the viewing on the cruise. Tomorrow is a public holiday for Show Day so the regular shops won't be open.

I headed up to the shopping area and bought some cold tablets first up. I have had a runny nose for the last day or so. I then wndered through the shops and bought a lightweight long sleeve top for tomorrow night. I have my dressy top for the dinner but other than that only polo tops and a tank top. While I was there I had lunch at a chinese restaurant, then headed back to the hotel.

I took some photos of the buildings and some parks on the way back. The most obvious thing about Hobart or at least this part is the large number of older buildings still in use. These are generally only a few stories high and made from sandstone or similar.

The park above is St David's park and again another obvious observation is that there are alot of very big trees around. Not only in the park itself but in the streets and even on people's property. Theres a walkway from the park to the hotel with flower beds that is also quite pretty.

I watched another movie and finally got through to a client in WA. I had tried before and after I went shopping without success. Not sure if the problem is solved but haven't heard any more from then since then.

It was then about 3-30 and I headed out for another walk, following the guidelines for the Historic walk. This took me down to Battery point, along the foreshore and back around to the area where we ate last night,

There were a lot of lovely old buildings in the area, houses and larger buildings as well as a few parks. It was very pleasant as the clouds had cleared away to some extent and the sun shone through. I headed back into the shopping area to buys some eats and drinks before the shops closed.

Back in the fold

I visited my parents in South Australia from Thursday through to Tuesday.

Thursday
The flight from Brisbane was uneventful, even to the extent of not having a meal or a feature film. We did get some small biscuits or a cupcake and a few TV shows. The plane was a 737 with a single aisle and fairly full as well. At least the flight was quite short – under 3 hours. We left about 45 minutes late so it was nearly 7 by the time we arrived. Mum and Dad had already eaten, so we stopped briefly at a shopping centre where I picked up some fish and chips and then headed South.

They live in Goolwa which is on the lake at the mouth of the Murray River and have been there for 2 to 3 years. They are in a retirement village in a 2 bedroom house. The second bedroom is also the office and sewing room so it’s quite crowded. There is a minimum front garden – only a metre or so wide and just enough for some flowers and maybe a strip of lawn. The back yard is a bit wider, by default with a path and shrubs and covered with wood chips. Mum and Dad have a bit of a vegetable patch there, partly looked after by their neighbour. They have a lot of beans coming up – enough to feed the neighbourhood – and some peas which were ready for picking. I raided these a few times while I was there and we had them with our roast the last night. They have a deck area off the living room and we usually eat breakfast and lunch out there.

Dad headed off to bed pretty much as soon as we got home but Mum and I talked and she also looked at my photos from this trip and New Zealand. It was nearly 1 am when we went to bed.

Friday
We didn’t get up too early for some reason but by about 10 we were ready and Dad went to do some bowls practice, Mum to the shops and I was dropped at the library which is the one place I can get on the net. Unfortunately, although I can get emails in Thunderbird, it is not possible to sent emails through the program and I had to use a web browser, which is a bit tedious. There were a surprising number of emails in just over a day and it was quite late before I’d finished answering them, updated the blog and so forth.

We had lunch and then headed to Victor Harbour, which is not that far away, but on the ocean rather than the lake. We stopped at the local golf course where I enquired about a game Monday and once again looked for an FTi driver. They had an 11deg one there at the cheapest price I’ve seen but not the one I’m after.

At Victor, Mum bought a waterproof jacket for bowls, Dad washed the car and we also picked up some seedlings for the garden. Victor is a bit of a holiday spot with a nearby island joined by a jetty. Mum and Dad first met on that island, many years ago.

There is also a house being built on the road between the 2 towns which we think is deliberately askew, or perhaps it’s just falling apart.

We went to the Bowls club for dinner. This is a regular Friday night event and last night it was a choice of roast pork, which we all had, or fisherman’s basket followed by lemon meringue pie for $10 each. We sat with one of the men from the club who was a bit of an entertaining character, so it was quite enjoyable. We were still home not much after 8 and Dad headed to bed while mum went to sleep in front of the TV.

Saturday
The temperature was predicted to reach 33deg today and there was a nasty wind blowing as well. It was 9-30 before we got up and about 11 I headed to the library to check on e mails and follow up with some net related jobs I hadn’t finished from yesterday.

Dad had to play pennants further in land and wasn’t looking forward to the heat. After lunch Mum and I made about 35 pasties, which will be dinner tonight. There have been a couple of brief visits from neighbours but mostly we’ve just stayed inside since it’s coolest here, done some crosswords and a bit of reading.

Dad came back from bowls and told us it had been very unpleasant out and that his team had a draw but the other 2 had lost. Once again he retired early. Mum watched a bit of TV and then we looked at my photos from the US and Thailand trips. WE also cleaned out the freezer and I used Dad’s paint stripper to melt the accumulated ice. Much more efficient than a hair dryer and it was finished in a short time.

Sunday
A dramatic change in the weather today. Down from mid thirties to under 20. There was even a bit of rain in the morning. This helped us make our decision between a picnic and a meal at a pub. We headed over to Wellington on the Murray River. More or less the last town before it reaches the lakes. There’s a ferry there that runs 24 hours and seems to take about 10 minutes per round trip. There were also 100’s of white parrots flying around and perching in the nearby trees.

The town was 83km from Goolwa so it was a long driver for a meal but, surprisingly, I had never been there before. I had the soup and lamb shanks special. After we finished we sat in the outside area for a while watching the ferry and the river and soaking up the afternoon sun. The landscape varied considerably over that distance, with farmland, salt lakes and vineyards. On the way back we stopped in Strathalbyn for a bit of shopping.

After that, we went to the lookout above Middleton’s Beach, which gives a view over Goolwa, the lakes and the sea. Usual story however – the sky was still hazy and the pictures are not very clear. Once back in Goolwa we went to the beach and saw a guy making the most of the windy condition with his kite surfer.

Once home, I read the paper and then lay down on the bed to do the crossword and fell asleep. Just like being back in Perth. I woke up for dinner and we watched some TV. Dad went to bed at 8-30 and Mum after the show on TV. I watched the episode of Heroes from a few days ago and then went to bed myself.

Monday
I had arranged to play golf with Peter, a retired academic from Adelaide Uni and member of the Grange golf club. Since I couldn’t drive to Adelaide, he came here, picked me up and we played a McCracken Country Club in Victor Harbour. This is a very picturesque course with lots of water, hills and sand traps.

Peter had a 2 for 1 card so it was only $15 each and he lent me his old set of sticks. I managed to break 100, hitting the ball reasonably well but putting fairly badly. The greens were good but very fast and the pin placings were quite difficult, still unchanged from the weekend. It was very windy, sometimes requiring 2 or even 3 clubs longer than normal when hitting into the breeze but it was sunny without being hot. We made quite good time, not needing to wait for anyone for the whole round and matching the time taken by a single player who hit off on the opposite 9, so it was very pleasant. Peter had an 80, slightly better than his handicap. He had to get back for an appointment so we headed to Port Elliot and had lunch at the bakery before he dropped me home.

I had only been back a few minutes when some friends of Mum and Dad arrived. I had met them about 9 years ago but didn’t really remember them. We sat out on the decking and I did the crossword and then fell asleep while they were talking. I woke up and said I needed to go to the library which closed at 5. I managed to get an hour on the net before it closed and seemed to again have a large number of emails to get through. I also contacted the Tasmanian state sec, who confirmed she will meet me at the airport tomorrow.

We had a roast for dinner. Somehow nobody makes it like your mother. Mine never seem to taste the same anyway. I have mostly packed with an ETA from here at 10 to get to the airport with 90 minutes or so to go and for Dad to get back for a doctor’s appointment.

Tuesday
We were all ready to go by 9-30 but we faffed around until after 10 before actually leaving and it was just after 11-30 when we got to the airport. Long enough to check in and read the paper in the departure lounge before boarding. This is the shortest flight I’ve been on in the last 6 months, only an hour in the air. I didn’t bother with the entertainment at all and did most of the crosswords in the paper instead. There was an empty middle seat and I was in an exit row so there was a bit more space than on the previous flights. Despite the short flight, we did get a sandwich and an apple as well as a drink. The bags came out fairly quickly. I think most people just had carry on luggage. I had to collect it and the re-check in for Jetstar. It was not a big queue and I am again in an exit row. This flight to Hobart is also only an hour. However, I have 2 hours wait before it takes off, so I’ll spend more time in the airports than in the air.

Plans and pumps

Wednesday
I have been helping Carol set up some things on the net such as Skype and also signed her up for RSVP. We took some photos for that in the morning. She felt the ones I took at Noosa weren’t what she wanted as she didn’t have any make up on. We settled on one and got her profile up be fore we left for Caboulda. She was confused about the Internet and mobile plan she’d signed up for and why her bill was more than the previous month.
We got to the Optus shop where she signed up and they explained what was happening. The item on the bill for handset was in fact for the modem. She had a mobile plan as well but that was a loophole whereby signing up for a $5 plan got you $10 off the Internet. She gets $5 worth of calls as well but after that its pretty expensive, so it’s not a replacement for her current phone. No better off, but at least understanding the situation, we headed into town and had some lunch at a café there. We had a brief stroll around the main drag where Carol bought a headset for use with Skype and then drove to the beach.
The tide was well out exposing the rocks and some sandbars. There was a boardwalk around the headland so I walked part way round before returning.
Our last stop there was at Bunnings where she tried to exchange a pump some else bought for her for her pool. It didn’t have the connections for her filters. Turns out none of the ones there did but at least she got a refund.

Once back in Maleny we headed to the Baroon dam that I’d seen fr5om the Montville road several times. There are 2 roads into it, the other being on the far side of Montville. There is a boat ramp at the Maleny road as well as a picnic area and playground. There were also signs indicating swimming was banned due to Blue-green algae.

Another stop at the shops for a chicken for dinner and then another night of TV. Carol had received her first kiss on RSVP so maybe that will lead to something for her. It started to rain that evening with thunder and lightning and this continued on and off through the night.

I was awake for part of the night, reading a book when I couldn’t get back to sleep. Eventually I dropped off and it was 9:15 when I woke. I basically just had time to shower, have breakfast and pack and then we were off. We were in time for the 11:09 bus from Landsborough. This took me to a train in Caboolture with a further change to the airport train. That connection was only 2 minutes but that was enough. I checked in at the business class counter, making first use of my newly acquired Silver status on Qantas. Unfortunately that doesn’t get you into the lounge so I’m typing this up at a table in the food court, unsure of when I’ll actually get on the net next. (Goolwa Public Library on Friday)

Steps and falls

Tuesday
The sun was shining again today and we decided to visit a couple of nearby waterfalls. Our first stop however was the look out over the Glasshouse Mountains, which we visited the first day in the rain and mist. This time we had a good view of the Mountains themselves though as usual the view became hazier with distance.

There are 2 waterfalls in the vicinity and we headed for the Mapleton falls first. This was further by car but a shorter walk from the car park once you got there. This involved retracing the journey home from the day before, passing yet again through Montville and Mapleton, where we turned off from the road from yesterday. The lookout for the falls is indeed only a 100m or so from the car park but you are virtually on top of the falls so you can actually see them. There was a photo in the info stand so we knew what they looked like.

From there we travelled back towards Montville to the Kondilla falls. These were some 1.3 km from the car park so it was a good hike. You first come across some small falls into a rock poll at Picnic Creek.

From there it’s another kilometre walking through the rain forest to the Rock pool above the main falls. There is, again, a slightly bigger fall feeding this pool. You can see the top of the falls from here as well but to see them in there entirety you need to climb back from the rockpool and then down again and walk to the look out. The falls are some 90m high and worth the walk. From there it is back up the steps and then the hike to the car park. I counted nearly 250 actual steps back plus the inclines along the path and through the park and picnic area near the car park. Needless to say I was perspiring freely in the heat by the time I got there.

That was enough for the day and we headed back to Maleny. There were numerous roadside stalls selling bags of avocados for $2 and sometimes macadamia nuts as well. Unfortunately the nuts were still in their shells and past experience indicates they are quite hard to crack. The avocados were almost as hard so in the end we didn’t buy any.

We picked up some stuff at the supermarket and had nachos for dinner.

Lose in Noosa

Monday

I saw some blue sky through the window from my bedroom and once we were both up we decided to go for a drive to Noosa.

The route took us back to Landsborough and then up the Bruce highway. The temperature increased as we descended from the hills and it was quite warm by the end of the journey. On the way we passed some wetlands before reaching Tewantin where we stopped briefly and had a walk to the river.

We headed on to Noosa and to Hastings Street which is the main drag along the water front. More expensive dress shops and restaurants,so we held off on lunch but did have an ice cream. We walked to the end of the street, down to the beach.

Then we headed back to the parking lot at the edge of Noosa Woods and to the picnic area there on the edge of the canal. There's a lot of water front around here with river, islands and canals. By then I was too hot in my Track pants so change to shorts. We then drove the rest of the way through Noosa Woods towards the heads. The colour of the water was quite startling and we could see the strength of the current there when a couple of people jumped in from the rocks.

From there, we headed up to the top of the hill to the lookout in the National park, which gave a view of the beach, the heads, the canals and through to the mountains in the distance. We then drove back along the coast for some way before heading inland to Nambour and then back through the mountains to Maleny, passing again through Montville. We stopped at Mapleton, intending to have lunch but the hotel would not allow dogs and the pizza place was closed until Wednesday.

Once home we did what we did best - had a nap. Our plans to go to a club that night fell in abeyance mostly due to apathy.

Day of enforced rest

Sunday

Today was overcast and raining. No incentive to go sight seeing so didn't get up until late. I did get some washing done and hung it over chairs etc. to dry. I also met her downstairs tenant Reese. The downstairs doesn't have the front portion of the house that has the 2 bedrooms we are using upstairs.

We wandered down the street and had fish and chips for lunch. Thats was about ti. Spent the rest of the day watching TV, napping reading etc.

I took some photos of Carol's garden.

In the Hinterland

Thursday to Saturday

On Thursday we were invited to the monthly morning tea. A group of islanders, mostly couples, share the hosting between them on a roster basis. There were 20 to 30 people there and this time the host was right on the beach front. The house had verandas at front, back and one side so we were able to go to the back to get out of the wind. The view took in Garden Island and the mainland.

The rain came in later in the day but we'd managed to get a load of washing done and dry before that.

The ferry booking was 10-15 and Guy said it was possible to make the 11:22 train. This was the last option that went all the way to Landsborough with only one change of train at Central. Another ferry was loading while we waited and then came back just after it started to pull out to allow a truck to board. We finished on the line of 3 that was off loaded last. Although we did leave well before the water taxi, it sped past us later and arrived before us.

It was very close to departure time when Guy pulled into the car park. I raced to the ticket office to buy a ticket and be told the train was still there. I ran to get my bags to see Guy driving the car away from me to go to the front of the station. By the time he got there the train had left. It was that close. The next train was only 30 minutes later but the second leg of that journey terminated in Caboolture and I needed to take a bus to Landsborough. This added 30 minutes to the journey.

it It was still raining but Carol was waiting there for me. She now has a rescued Chihuahua which was in the car as well. It was a short journey to Maleny and we went straight to her house, which is just on the edge of town. This is a 2 story place and she is now living upstairs. There are 2 bedrooms at the front, with a large living area with a modern kitchen and bathroom off it and a deck area at the back. Downstairs has similar facilities and is rented out. She was living downstairs herself till recently but moved upstairs to renovate before putting it on the market. The view from the upstairs balcony is very nice, over a stream with open fields behind. The garden itself is quite lush with both greenery and flowers. Apparently this is one of the few areas in Queensland that is not suffering from a water shortage.

We went to the shops for a few supplies and then had drinks, cheese and crackers. Dinner was much later - spaghetti - and we just watched TV and talked. Carol has Austar so there's quite a few channels to ignore because there's nothing interesting on.

It was still raining Saturday morning so there was no rush to get up. So much for the "Sunshine Coast". We headed out around 11, heading for a lookout. Unfortunately rain and cloud restricted visibility to the houses along the road so the view was non existent. We headed back to town and then on to Montville. This is a charming little town full of gift shops, craft shops, clothes shops and cafes. Apparently the whole thing started with one pottery and expanded. Most of the buildings are relatively recent so they are new and clean yet quite village-like and set in gardens and parks. The rain eased off while we were there and although we didn't buy anything in the shops, we had a late lunch at the bakery. Carol found a few shops that she decided to revisit later, particularly one with lots of handbags.

We did stop at another lookout on the way back and I was able to take some photos, although the distant features were hazed out still. I also picked up some avocados in Montville and later some other items from the supermarket. I made up an avocado dip for afternoon snack and later we had the chicken from the supermarket and salad for dinner.

Messed about in boats

Tuesday, Wednesday 9th

Two of the 35s hockey players came over to the Island. They'd been down to the Gold Coast for a few days. They'd been picked up at the ferry and given a tour so I was back at the house from golf before they arrived here. They only stayed a short time before "heading back to Australia" as they say here.

Later I walked to the shops. The ones just near the end of the street have a bakery so I bought an expensive bun, then got given an extra one for free. I ate these while walking to the next lot of shops which had a supermarket. I only bought a paper there, which was what I was after. It is just under 2 kms to those shops so I got a bit of exercise, but probably not enough to counteract the buns. The walk took me passed one of the conservation blocks. Guy cooked a very nice prawn and scallop in creamy sauce with pasta for dinner.

On Wednesday we were going to take the boat out. Guy and Alene were given a fishing boat with outboard by one of the other hockey players who owns a boat factory on a try before you buy basis. They had not got around to the "try" part yet and Guy had worked on it on Tuesday to make sure the motor worked. We cut some sandwiches and fruit and put in water for the trip, then changed into bathers.

The launch ramp is the same one used by the ferries so we had to wait for one to unload before we got the boat in the water. Unfortunately there was a major problem. While the motor started ok, it cut out before Guy could put the lever into the idle position. Until it gets there you can't engage it, so we were stuck in neutral. Eventually we gave up and after waiting for yet another ferry and another fishing boat got it out again.

We skipped the sandwiches and went to the Blue Parrot for lunch. Macca and I shouted our hosts.

Guy decide they needed one more tyrip to the mainland before they leave for Vietnam on Saturday so both Macca and I will go over with them and then catch the train from Cleveland. My ticket to Landsborough some 100s of km North of Brisbane is half the price of hers to the airport. Also, strangely, it is cheaper to buy a ticket to Central station then another to the airport than one from Cleveland to the airport. Go figure!

I contacted carol to let her know the situation. I won't know the exact time till Friday morning when Guy get his time slot on the ferry. Going standby is cheaper but less certain than booking a particular trip.

The sunsets had been pretty bland up to now but last night it was a bit more spectacular and I got a number of shots from upstairs.

We were invited to dinner with some friends of Alene and Guy. There were about 10 of us there eating on their deck. It was a Mexican theme with Margaritas and Mexican food. Both the food and the company were very pleasant. Alene unfortunately is coming down with a bad case of the flu.

I get a round

Monday 6th, Tuesday 7th

We had a lazy day today, sleeping in, reading books etc. A visit to the shops late in the morning was bracketed by a look at the golf club, boat club and bowls club.

These photos show the upstairs view from the balcony next to the office and Guy at work.

Later in the afternoon we visited their neighbour Barry. He wasn't in when we got there but we made ourselves at home till he returned, with his sister who is visiting. Apparently Guy went home once when Barry wasn't there and got told off.

They had put out some seed for the birds and there were parrots of different sizes and colours and later the ducks having a feed.

Guy cooked dinner - marinated chops and ribs that took much longer to prepare than to eat. WE watched some TV after that.

Alene had arranged for me to join in the Ladies golf day on Tuesday and when asked my handicap, replied, Getting there before 8 am. Nonetheless, she dropped me off on time and I played 18 holes. The course is only a 9 holer so we played each one twice.

I started with a 7, (fisrt holem pictired above) then had an 11 on the second, after putting 2 drives through the dogleg and out of bounds then the 3rd into the pond. Lost 3 balls that hole. after that things got better. On the second round I hit irons from both tees and had 3 birdies on those same 2 holes. The course is very short but you need to be straight most holes as there are a lot of opportunities to go out of bounds.

Afterwards theree was sandwiches and cake and one of the ladies dropped me back at the house, since Alene was at the ferry jetty and Guy was putting in retic.

Island ho

Sunday 5th

Stage 2 of my holiday started early this morning as we left the hotel at 6am. I'd already paid for the Internet connection so there was no check out issues, just a key drop. Guy programmed the GPS and off we went. It was Karen - the same voice I used in Houston.

There was a bit of concern because once we'd got out of the inner city area the estimated arrival time was 5 minutes after the ferry was due to leave. However, Guy realised he'd put in the wrong destination (a different port) and when reprogrammed we had time to spare. We in fact had time to get breakfast and drinks at the deli nearby before boarding.

The crossing was smooth and didn't take very long. There are several islands that you can see, although the further they were, the more misty the view. The island is only 6km long so, it didn't take long to get to the house once we'd landed.

Like most of the houses here it is weather board and raised off the ground. Some houses have virtually a full story underneath with car parking and storage but this one is only arised to level it out. It has polished boards throughout and a very large open living, dining and kitchen area and one bedroom downstairs and 2 upstairs. There's a recenetly enlarged deck off the back. The upstairs balcony ahs viwes of the water but not downstairs.

We spent most of the morning having a nap since we'd been up early after a late night. Guy was off at a beach fun day taking kids sailing, and we ventured down there after a late lunch. It was run by the boat club and the officials all wore pirate hats or bandannas.

On the way we saw their other house and 2 blocks and on the way back we did a tour of some of the other parts of the island. Some of the views are really spectacular. Later on we looked up properties for sale on the island on an internet site. It seems the view is almost as big a factor in price as block size and house size and amenities.

At one point we saw a couple of curlews and their chick and some Plovers with several chicks.

Once home we rested again and I had another nap. Then we watched TV for a bit with a curry for dinner in between. I fell asleep before the end of CSI Miami, but was told the bad guys got caught.

Good things come to an end –bad things too.

Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th
The play off for 3rd and 4th was at 1pm so we were used to the temperature. In the morning I found a place to get my secret friend gift.

Again we had more play than the Victorians but were unable to score. I did put another goal in that was disallowed because of a free that occurred before I hit it. It was nil all with less than 5 minutes to go when again a free outside the circle was changed to a short corner for the Victorians. This lead to the only goal for the game. We were all pretty annoyed with the result, ourselves and the umpires. This 4th place finish is the worst for any state team I’ve been in since the first year in ACT (2000).

We stayed and watched 2 other teams play and then came back for drinks and nibbles with the 50s. Their gold medal match was at 10-30 today so we didn’t stay late.

11 of us went to the mall for a meal and went to Jo-jos. There was a bit of a wait and 4 left just before a table was organised. I had a T bone steak.

This morning, we had breakfast at the coffee club on eagle pier and presented our secret friends gifts. We then went to watch the 50s who won their game and the gold medal beating NSW. Revenge for last year when they won by a single goal. NSW probably had more of the play and WA were lucky to convert one of the few short corners they had. A great result for a team that almost didn’t come because of injuries and other things forced a number of their players to drop out.

Bev, Marg and I went to the markets at the Brunswick and Chinatown Malls on the way back. Nothing really exciting there.

Now it’s packing the cases and getting ready to go, first thing tomorrow. Guy is coming to stay the night and we have to leave at 6 to get the ferry. He has a sailing course he needs to get back for.

We went back for the closing ceremony, where medals are presented and the Australian teams announced. I was disappointed not to get named in the team for the 55s, but was named as a shadow player. This means than I may get called up if someone drops out. There were 3 WA girls selected for this team, Jane and Lorraine from our team and Dale from the 50s. She is 55 this year and so will be old enough for the tournament in May. This leaves me in limbo, since I probably won't go but can't really make other plans around that time, in case I get a callup. I was a shadow in 2004 but didn't go then.

Our team all went out together to the Irish pub for a meal, using the left over team money after filling the cars up with petrol. They had a band on and after we'd eaten we stayed and danced till nearly midnight.

No gold in them thar hills

Thursday 2nd

Our match was 4-40 today so we had the morning off. I scouted round the shops for presents and decided to print off the photo of my buddies ( as shown on a previous blog) and give them each a copy in a frame. Couldn't find what I wanted for my secret friend.

We met for coffee at 10-30 to decide on coach and manager gifts and to work out our skit.

We played Victoria again and we disappointed to lose 0-1. They scored off a flick which came from a short corner, which was an upgrade from a free outside the circle when one of our players knocked the ball away, so we sort of a shot ourselves in the foot. They got a second click but Alene saved it. We played well but just couldn't score. We had 5 short corners but only got one shot away.

Tomorrow we play the consolation match to decide 3rd and 4th against Queensland.

The all-teams gathering by the pool started at 6 but we were only just back at the hotel by then. Our pool session was cancelled since the pool was closed so we showered and went out to get some food. I just got Nandos. When I got to the pool, the 40s were doing their skit based on dragon boat racing , then the 45s did a song. I gave my buddies their photos and received a notebook, some chocolates and a towel from them. After a break, the 50s did their skit with Jilly and Meg getting dressed for a night out silloetted on a sheet. Needless to say when revealed they weren't quite as expected.

Our skit was the julkie Andrews modified version of Favourite things about botox broken hips and so forth. We used towels as incontinence pads and sticks as walking sticks plus a few other props. I cane back realtively early, then Macca but Alene seems to be partying on.

Blues from the blues

Wednesday 1st October

This morning we had the 55s breakfast where all the states get together. This was held at a restaurant on the South bank and we decided to walk. Unfortunately the people leading the group went at best at right angles or possibly 180 degrees from the right direction resulting in an extra 15 minutes. This was despite protests (mainly from me) that they were going the wrong way. When I said I'd go the way I wanted, I was told to do the team thing. The result was we were late at the restaurant and most of the tables were already filled, which defeats the object of mixing between the teams. I foudn a Victorian girl who was happy to change her place for one with 2 WA girls. we took a more direct route back.

I had another physio appointment at 12-30. He worked again on my pelvis which he said had tightened up a bit. Again it was quite painful but hopefully worthwhile. I had only a short tiem after arriving home before the team meeting and then we were off to the stadium. We had to get there early to have the team photos taken.

I played the entire match today and more or less came off unscathed except for one chase after a ball heading out fo the circle. I played high striker most of the time and scored a goal when Karen got a long pass to me. I was very tightly marked but was able to run away from the full back when the ball went into space. I pushed it passed the full back and ran into the circle pushing across the top of the circle to get opassed the goalie. My first swing was a miss but I recovered and had a second shot which went in at about 3 ft in height. This even the score but they scored twice again. I had another shot on our only short corner which hit the back board but was judge (possibly incorrectly according to many people) as not getting out of the circle before I took the shot. I was given the player of the match award as the only person to score a goal against NSW in the round robin games.

Victoria beat Queensland to keep them in 4th place so we finished 3rd and will play the Vickies tomorrow. We stayed on to watch the 35s play with a game in between, so we had time to get some fish and chips. I finished up videoing their game which they lost 4-1. The battery ran out before the last goal was scored so they were spared that.

I get on the field again

Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th

Monday was the rest day for our grade and I did indeed have a restful day. I spent the morning just reading, watching TV etc until my appointment with the physio at 1pm. Most of the others went to watch a couple of games.

The physio said my pelvis was still straight which was good and worked some m ore on various leg and back muscles. Quite painful at times. I bought a resistance band and was given a set of exercises walking both against and with the stretch.

We then went to the the movie Mamma Mia at a cinema a bit out of town. This was the nearest that had it on at a time that didn't clash with the game watching or the dinner.

The tournament dinner was a gourmet barbecue. General opinion was that is was not what one expects for $70. We did have free beer, wine and soft drink for 3 hours but you needed a lot of drinks to make up the value. It was held at the hockey centre, outside under the patio and some tents. The latter were gone today so they were obviously only their for the dinner. We had some plates of wontons, sausage rolls etc once we'd sat down. A good thing too as, despite being right next to one of the BBQs and salad tables, we were the last table to be served. By then food was running out and not everybody got everything. We had to get salads from one of the other tables.

It was a chance to catch up with friends both in the other WA teams and from interstate including the Australian team from NZ. There were the usual group photos of girls from particular clubs and our buddies from the other teams. The band started up about 9 but I thought that no-one would be impressed if I re-injured myself dancing so I gave that a miss. It was about 10 when we got home and I did my walking exercises be fore we went to bed.

This morning I stayed in bed reading while my roomies went for a walk. The team meeting was at 10-30 and Bev was presented with a Fireman calendar to celebrate her setting of the fire alarm with some burnt toast the first day.

We played SA and I was picked in the starting 11. I did the warm up runs without problems although I skipped a couple of the exercises that potentially could have strained my injury. I played high most of the time I was on. I was probably on the field for about half the game, in 4 separate runs. We scored 2 goals, both of them from rebounds off my shots at goal. Unfortunately the also score twice, once on a short and again on an against the play big outlet hit from out attacking area. It was deflected high and wide of the full back to a high striker who had a one on one with the goalie. We were a bit disappointed not to win since we again had most of the play.

Tonight we hosted the 35's at a BBQ by the pool, proving that you can put on a BBQ for less than $70 per person. I wasn't overly involved in the organisation but someone had streamers and balloons to decorate the area and we had a glowing shot glass, smiley badge and a glass of champagne waiting for each of our buddies. They in turn gave us a tournament souvenir stubby holder and a tag for a phone.

4 of them, including their male coach wore the "virgin" dresses as well as make up and wobbly eyes to look like aliens. Dinner was good and we got to know the younger WA players.

I did my exercises with the resistance band before getting to bed relatively early.

Saturday 27th, Sunday 28th (results added)

I was still sore in the morning and called a Physio recommended by Meg and was able to get a 9am appointment. He said my problem was caused by my pelvis being twisted and worked to straighten that and release the muscles and tendons on the right leg. This was causing the left leg to be over stressed and hence the strain. He worked on just about every muscle from my knees to shoulder blades.

Our coach Bev asked me to wear my gear so that the opposition didn't immediately realise I wasn't playing. I didn't do the running but hit some balls to warm up the goalie.

We were doing alright until they took a free without stopping or taking it back to the correct spot. Everyone else stopped, waiting for that to happen but they were effectively allowed to play on, and scored a goal. This upset our team who didn't play as well as we could have after that. In the second half ,Bev asked me to go on and take the short corner strikes. I still had to put in my contacts which took longer than normal since one was torn and in the end I just left it out. I was subbing with the half back, going on when we were in attack and off when they got the ball. I did take 2 corner shots, getting both away. The first missed by a foot on the left and the second was too high. In the end we lost 0-2. We were disappointed with ourselves and annoyed with the umpires who were interpreting the 5 metre rule differently, which made it hard to work out what to do.

We headed back to watch the 6 o'clock game for the 50's and the 40's after that. Like a number of the girls I got fish and chips from the palce we bought the crabs from. the 50s won and the 40's drew.

A couple of the girls came back to our room for drinks afterwards. I still hadn't got anything so I was just on soft drink.

On Sunday morning we left at 7-30 for a practice run on the high school soccer field near the stadium. I wasn't required to to the drills so was getting balls back. It seems hard to belive we played on surfaces like that only a few years ago.

We all headed out at 11 for the South Bank markets. We started at the Eagle pier and took the City Cat (a catamaran ferry). We ate lunch at the fafe area then wandered through the market stalls. Alene and I got temporary tattos. Mine is the Scopion.

We returned to Eagle pier, where they also had market stalls, before heading back to the room for a rest before tonight's game.

Later

The game was at 7pm and a was a lot cooler than for the previous 2 games. Queensland scored an early goal off a short corner. It appeared to have been a shot on goal that went left where the pusher managed a deflection. This time we didn't drop our game and continued to have most of the play but could not score before half time. When we were still scoreless half way through the second half, Bev asked me to go on. I found I could run a bit, as long as I shuffled and only took small steps. We soon got a short corner. There was a mistrap so I didn't get a shot away but Helen pushed it back towards me. I tried a reverse stick shot which was not hard or straight enough but Karen pushed it passed the goalie and in a scramble pushed it in. I subbed off straight away. After that I subbed on when we went into attack and off again afterwards. This confused the reserve umpire who wanted to know what was going on. A manager said she'd tell her - on Saturday. I had only just stepped on the second time as they made a run for goal and Betty pushed one passed the goalie to go 2-1 up. That was the final score and we all went home feeling MUCH better than the day before. That will I think put us second over the team we played, based on goal difference.

Here we go - a groin

Thursday 25th and Friday 26th

The view from our balcony is quite good in the daylight as well, with views of part of the river.

We had our training run scheduled for 2pm so there was no rush this morning. This is a big improvement over previous years where they seem to delight in giving the WA teams early morning slots, either through malice or stupidity, ignoring the jet lag factor. Obviously better organised this time.

I headed to the supermarket and bought some water, soft drink, staminade, milk and cereal, as the other 2 were off on a walk. Later we returned for a bigger shop.

Later in the morning, I set off with my laptop looking for an Internet cafe where I could access a wireless network. There is one near by but no wireless and you can't plug in your own laptop apparently. I then wandered all around and eventually up to the mall with various directions from people including the visitors centre and finally found a travel agent/ internet cafe that looked promising. They were offering 1.25 hours for $5 (better then the 15 mins in the hotel) but there was n't enough time before the meeting to take it up. By the time we got back from training it was too late as well.

This was the first time we were all together, since Alene lives here and some of us, including myself, had not been able to get to the training sessions. Unfortunately, in one of the early exercises I over stretched and strain a muscle in my groin. I was able to continue training but some movements were painful.

That night 7 of us went out for dinner, wandering first down to the pier, where the restaurants were too expensive and fancy for us and finished up in the mall at an Irish Pub. It was quite reasonably priced and had a decent variety from grills to pies, fish and pasta.

After we got back we watched some episodes of Heroes that I'd bought on DVD.

I was up early the next day and at 8 we met downstairs for a walk. We headed down to the river and walked through the park to the board walk over the mangroves, then back along the pathway towards the Story Bridge. Then back past the restaurants at the poier we saw last night and then back to the hotel. On the way we passed the 40's with 4 of their "virgins" doing their stint in the dresses. This is a tradition for the state teams.

It was just before 9 when we got back and I headed for the travel agent to get on the Net. Unfortunately they don't open till 10 so I again chased down other options. The Starbucks had wireless but it was a pricey as the room ($7 for 30 mins) so I decided to buy a week's worth at the hotel instead. At least it's now available full time.

Our manager, Marg, has bought a netball trophy called Eliza and a netball skirt as a daily "award" for something outstanding, good or bad each day. She gave it to the captain, Macca, for the first day without any reason a]other than she was to lead from the front. Macca followed up by getting lost in the car park, so in fact deserved the first award. The skirt is to be warn during the warm ups.

Our game was at 1 against the second Queensland side. This is presumably the weaker of the two and appears to be older as well. I was told they are trying to get a 60+ division started and these girls would be the Queensland team. I started on the right and my groin went in the first few minutes when I ran down the side and into the circle. I stayed on for a bit longer, but couldn't really run. I did have 2 short corner shots. The first hit the goalies pad and the second went in. I then subbed myself off and didn't play again. We had most of the play but could not score in the rest of the first half. In the second, Macca scored off a short corner and then Betty deflected one in after a cross from Lorraine. Alene who was in goals in the second half said she touched the ball once. Jessie didn't have much more to do in the first half. We had most of the play and should definitely have one but I wonder if 3-0 will turn out to be a low score against this side.

I had a massage after the game which didn't do any harm but I'm not sure if it helped much either. I was last into the showers and missed out on the fruit.

On the way back Bev and Marg stopped at the fish market and I bought 4 large crabs for our room. We cleaned then and cracked the claws then packed them in disposable containers to take to the game. As usual tasty and messy. We watched the 40s in a very good game against Tassie which they won 2-0 then the 50s who went down 2-3. Jillie scored both but the second was a brilliant deflection from a hard hit into the circle.

Our 45s played early and lost 0-2 and the 35s had a bye.

Leaving, on a jet plane

My day began (sort of) when I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t remember where I was for a few seconds – At home I realised – and what was happening today – going to Brisbane. I then went back to sleep.

I took a taxi to the airport and arrived just after our target 10-30 time. There was already a huge queue of our girls plus a South African masters soccer team also checking in at the group counters. It was certainly a different situation from my recent business class check-ins. However we all got through in plenty of time but by the time we all boarded it was 25 minutes after our departure time. I also couldn’t register my trip for frequent flyer points because I was booked as Kymberley and my card still has Kym.

I sat next to Jane who I play with in vets during the season. There was quite a lot of getting up and walking around so watching the film wasn’t really an option. It was one I’d seen going to Bangkok but had missed the start. I watched the start more or less to where I’d seen it last week and then gave up.

It was still a longish flight and it was about 7 when we landed. There were 2 large buses waiting for us and we were soon on our way.

The hotel rooms are very nice, with a kitchenette and also a balcony, 2 bedrooms, each with 2 single beds, and 2 bathrooms. We are on the 26^th of some 43 floors and have a nice view of the river from the balcony. I’m sharing with Macca with the en-suite and Alene one of our goalies has the other room. I have played with both of these girls at different clubs and in the state team before.

Alene is now living in Queensland and had arrived earlier. Once we’d bought our bags up, all the teams went to the smorgasbord pasta meal at the restaurant downstairs. It was $22 and perhaps a tad overpriced. The pasta was rather bland.

After realising I had to deselect the specific internet addresses I needed for The Pan Orient connection I was able to get through to the sign up page to use the internet in the room. However it’s rather overprices so I’ll probably go to the nearby Internet café instead.

A guest star in my own house

Monday 22nd

It has been a busy year for travelling.

In May, I was in New Zealand playing hockey for Australia in the Trans Tasman Masters, followed by a week driving around the North Island.

In June, I went to Thailand for business for 2 weeks and in the end, stayed for a month.

In August, 4 weeks later, I was in Houston for a different job and did some sightseeing in San Francisco and Hong Kong on the way back - 2 and half weeks.

Just a week after that, I was again in Thailand for a follow up and stayed for a week.

I got back last Saturday and have only 5 days at home before I head off to Brisbane. The Australian vets hockey championships run through till the following weekend and I then plan to visit 2 different friends in Queensland for 4 or 5 days each, then my parents in SA. After that it's off to Tasmania for the Mensa conference. I'll get there a few days earlier to dod some sightseeing first. It will be over a month away this time, taking my days away from home to 110 for the 6 months.

This time I'm paying, so it's back to cattle class on the plane.

I was out at dinner on Saturday night and when I was talking about something that happened in Bangkok, I had to keep pausing and think, yes that was only yesterday (or the day before) that it happened. My life seemed to have become very dense the last few days.

Yesterday I slept in till 10, stayed in bed till 11-30 and then did very little for the rest of the day. Today I've been to the dentist, who decide not to do anything and leave the temporary filling in till I get back. It looks like the root canal will still be needed. Something to look forward to.

It hardly seemed worth while unpacking and I left my suitcase in my room rather than put it away. I'll start repacking tomorrow. Life isn't dull, that's for sure.