BP.COM

End of the Road

2010-03-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

For five years, BP.com has been keeping you updated on life Down Under. But that all comes to an end today, as we fly back to the U.S. to start life's next adventure - Tennessee. . .

NZ's South Island

2010-03-07T16:50:00.001-08:00

With our days in the Southern Hemisphere numbered and the clock ticking, in mid-February, we opted to make a last dash to New Zealand while we're still in the neighbourhood. And thus with little planning or preparation, we jumped on a plane to Christchurch to begin a 9-day lightening tour of NZ's South Island.

We arrived in Christchurch late at night and crashed in a hotel by the airport for the night. We awoke early the next morning to take possession of our luxury 4-berth motorhome from Britz, which served as our accommodation and transportation for the majority of the trip. On the positive side, the motorhome had many of the luxuries of home. On the negative size, they didn't tell us that road conditions in NZ are such that just about the last thing you want to drive is a big, bulky, slow-moving motorhome with limited visibility. In any case, we departed immediately from Christchurch, delaying only a couple of hours to stock up on provisions and obtain a travel cot for little Malia (incidentally, Phil and Teds make a wicked one).
Our first stopover upon departing Christchurch was Lake Tekapo, where we stayed overnight at the Lake Tekapo Motels & Holiday Park. We spent the next morning hiking up to the top of Mount John, which provided great views of the lake and surrounding landscape. Then it was time to climb back into the motorhome to move on to the next destination: Mount Cook.
Getting to Mount Cook forces one to drive past the impressive Lake Pukaki. We spent the night on the lake's shore at Glentanner Park, which provided nice views of Mount Cook in the distance. It was also in Glantanner that we came to the conclusion that every other tourist travelling around NZ was from overseas. Up to this point, we'd seen huge numbers of European and Japanese tourists (particularly backpackers) and very few Kiwis or even Aussies. The next day, we awoke and headed toward Mount Cook village and tackled the 3-hour hike along the Hooker Valley Track that takes adventures up to the terminal face of the Hooker Glacier. There were a few other shorter tracks that looked appealing as well, but after 3 hours under the NZ sun with a baby on our backs, we opted to move on.

From Mount Cook, we turned south for the drive down to Wanaka, on the banks of Lake Wanaka (although we did stop for lunch, provisions and diesel in Twizel). While we were anxious about finding sufficient space in the caravan park, our fears were unfounded as we had our pick of sites at Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park. We spent the next morning walking around Wanaka, checking email at the internet cafe, and venturing out to Eely Point. We debated about whether to remain in Wanaka another night, but ultimately decided to push on past Lake Hawea and through Haast Pass, the gateway to the West Coast and the start of what would be several days of rather precarious driving. An island dominated by mountains offers few opportunities for making straight and level roads. This is not aided by the ubiquitous presence of bridges comprised of just one lane, forcing drivers to take turns in crossing waterways (an experience that can be fraught with danger, particularly when one is facing off against backpackers that haven't bothered to pay attention to the right-of-way signs).After spending the night in Haast Village (where we also had our introduction to the dreaded NZ sandfly), we headed north up the West Coast, stopping to check out the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers. Each glacier visit involved a 30-45 minute trek up the valleys to the terminal face of the glaciers, although as argued in Lonely Planet, Franz Josef is definitely the more impressive of the two (but also the more dangerous). After the glaciers we pushed on up the coast, passing through Greymouth (which doesn't come highly recommended) to settle for the night at Punakaiki Beach Camp, where we scored the last available site.

The following morning, we checked out the popular tourist attraction in Punakaiki - the miraculous geologic phenomenon known as the "pancake rocks". Then it was back in the motorhome for the drive on to Nelson. We briefly entertained the idea of stopping off at the Buller Gorge swingbridge, but we quickly realised this was a cheap tourist trap and moved on. We arrived at our luxury accommodation in Nelson - the home of Mahren and Craig, which provided spectacular views. Having a home without wheels allowed us to unwind a bit, do some laundry and eat in style. We also used Nelson as a base for venturing out for a hike in Abel Tasman National Park and the neighbouring towns of Kaiteriteri and Motueka, before coming back to roost in Nelson for another night.
After two nights in a proper bed, it was back into the motorhome for the last dash to Christchurch, with a planned overnight stop in Kaikoura. The drive from Nelson to Kaikoura was a bit tedious (particularly after over a week on the road). Nevertheless, we passed through what looked like promising wine country, and Kaikoura proved to be a funky little
up-and-coming town, where we would have liked to have spent more time (travellers note: the 132 km road from Blenheim to Kaikoura is largely devoid of any living creature or retail opportunites). The numerous seal colonies around Kaikoura are a popular attraction and apparently it's a good jumping off point for whale watching as well. We particularly enjoyed the Alpine Pacific Caravan Park - despite (or because of) it's small size, we found it to be the best equipped park we encountered on our trip.

From Kaikoura, it was an easy drive back into Christchurch where we unloaded the motorhome and handed her back over to her owners. In total, we covered over 1,700 kilometres despite neglecting a number of popular locations such as Dunedin, Queenstown, and Milford Sound. That just demonstrates how much good stuff the South Island offers. As such, we're keen to hit those spots we missed in a future trip and tackle one of the multiple multi-day tracks that exist on the island.

Under the Weather

2010-03-07T16:38:00.000-08:00

Another day, another extreme weather event in Melbourne. This Labour Day weekend was characterised by two days of severe thunderstorms that brought flooding and hail to Melbourne, much like the event back in mid-February. Saturday's storms shut-down Southern Cross Station when hail stones tore holes in the roof causing water to pour in. Meanwhile, the races at Flemington were called off almost as soon as they got underway. Sunday afternoon saw a repetition of Saturday's weather, with tornadoes reported in central Victoria, and heavy rains in Melbourne from dusk til dawn.

Howard Ascends to the ICC

2010-03-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard has been nominated as the next vice-president, and eventual president, of the International Cricket Council. This is undoubtedly a feather in the cap for Howard who is well-known as having nothing less than an obsession with the sport. However, one wonders whether this is an step up or a step down from his last job in Canberra.

Tunick in Sydney

2010-03-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

Over 5,000 people bore all on Monday as part of a Spencer Tunick photo shoot commissioned by the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Happy Birthday to Uta

2010-02-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

Friday marked the anniversary of the Uta's birth, leading to a weekend of celebration. We started off Friday morning with breakfast at the Abbotsford Convent - Malia wanted to get dressed up for the event. In the evening, Malia was dropped off with the volunteer babysitters and Uta and I headed to Chadstone for a bite to eat and a bit of cinema. The birthday weekend was wrapped up on Sunday night with dinner at Tony and Lia's

For Those about to Rock. . .

2010-02-11T21:35:00.001-08:00

Over the next three days, AC/DC will be playing two shows in Melbourne. I, sadly, will not be attending either show and thus will miss out on what can only be described as a cultural experience of epic proportions.

The Annual Downpour

2010-02-11T21:25:00.000-08:00

Each year, Melbourne gets hit with at least one truly memorable storm (e.g., this event in 2007). This year, that storm fell on February 10th, and, just as with previous storms, Melbourne quickly began to resemble a scene out of Waterworld (which, by the way, is one of my top picks for 'worst movie ever').

Fair Dinkum Aussie

2010-01-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

On this year's Australia Day, I was just one of 78 people from 38 countries who turned up at the council offices of the City of Yarra in order to officially become citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia. The ceremony itself was relatively straightforward, but rather inspiring at the same time, particularly given the extensive rhetoric devoted to supporting the concept of diversity in Australia. While Australia's Liberal party continues to attempt to use immigration and multi-culturalism as a wedge issue, it's nice to see that many value the contributions that Australians (regardless of their origins) have made to the nation.

We celebrated my new citizenship in a traditional Australian manner - a day at the park followed by a few shrimps on the barbie (OK - it wasn't shrimp, but close enough, right).

Centaur

2010-01-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

After a search spanning almost 70 years, the wreckage of the Australian hospital ship Centaur, which was sunk in 1943 by a Japanese submarine, has been discovered off the coast of Brisbane.

Cowboys and Indians

2010-01-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

The past two years have witnessed rising tensions between Australia's Indian population (particularly in Melbourne) and, well, everyone else, due to what appears to be a trend toward a growing number of violent attacks on Indians. Personally, it's hard to conceive of how one would choose Indians as a population that merits being the target of aggression, but such is life. And of course, the more the media makes of the violence, the more others are tempted to single out Indians. At the moment, it appears that Indians have replaced Muslims as a subpopulation that some feel it is acceptable to discriminate against. I myself have witnessed some of Australia's less progressive youths practicing their Hindi on public transport - but only as a means to insult any Indians they might stumble upon. When bogans are going to the trouble of learning foreign languages just to be assholes, you know you've got a problem.

The backlash has been quick and substantial. Australia has rapidly developed a reputation for being less than welcoming to Indian students, with applications for Australia's educational institutions (which depend upon fees from foreign students) down substantially. There has been almost a 50% decline in applications for Australian higher education from Indian overseas students, and an approximate 25% drop in education visa applications in general. However, there is obviously uncertainty regarding how much of these changes in statistics can be attributed to recent violence vs. policy changes in visa allocations (including a crack down on fraudulent visa applications) not to mention the global financial crisis.

Nevertheless, the situation appears likely to grow worse before it gets better, particularly if the media circus continues to remain in town.

For some of the media stories, go here.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2010-01-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas holidays were marked by extremes, meteorologically speaking. We boarded a plane in Melbourne in mid-December on a day where the temperature hit 39C (102F). We then travelled for 24 hours and landed in Hamburg, Germany where the temperature was -5C (23F).

We spent our first few nights in Hamburg in Winterhudeas guests of Pia, where we recovered from our jetlag and caught up with various Hamburg friends of old (e.g., Torbin and the Tanyas). Malia was fitted for some cold weather gear (of which Uta and I were quite jealous), which allowed us to venture out for strolls in Eppendorf , for dinner at Landhaus Walter in the Hamburger Stadtpark, and of course for visits to the Weinachtsmaerkte.
From Hamburg, we headed north to settle in with Buebi and Karin in St. Peter-Ording, just in time for Christmas, dropping in on Wacken to introduce Malia to her Urgrosseltern. St. Peter-Ording was cold, windy and snowy - perfect conditions for a cozy Christmas, something we've missed for the past several years (it's hard to get into a Christmas mood while grilling shrimps outside on the barbie).

Christmas isn't Christmas without plenty of friends and family. Fortunately, during our stay we were joined at various times by Oma & Opa; Katrin & Matthias; Tim, Merit and Nico; Bjoern, Nella, and Finn; Manni and his 'Liebling'; Halli & Kirsten; and Juergen (the insurance dude). We ventured out daily in Dorf, Ording and Bad, although the cool weather kept strolls to a minimum. We also made a day trip to Husum, for a bit of shopping, although Schmidt proved to be a rather difficult department store to navigate, particularly with a stroller. New Years was spent nestled comfortably into the Dittmer homestead eating tasty morsels and watching the spectacle at the Brandenburg Gate unfold on television (everyone there looked realy, really cold).

The return trip was a test of patience and a battle against the elements. Our flight from Hamburg to London was delayed for an hour, and our subsequent flight out of London was delayed by several hours while we waited on board for the plane to be de-iced not once, but twice. Fortunately, we managed to make our connection in Singapore, but or luggage didn't. Nevertheless, we were happy to be back in the land of warmth and blue skies, although we arrived back just in time for a classic Melbourne heat wave, with temperatures heading into the upper 30s (upper 90s F) to low 40s (100+F). As such, our trip ended much like it began.

Overall, it was an extremely relaxing and rewarding holiday season. The Preston family was treated like royalty, although Malia was, of course, the real star.

Samson & Delilah

2009-12-13T02:34:00.000-08:00

Samson & Delilah won a range of awards at the Australian Film Institute Awards last night. The film, which took home the Camera d'Or in Cannes earlier in the year, took home the Best Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography awards.

Group of Death?

2009-12-05T21:52:00.001-08:00

Australia has drawn a fairly rough road to the World Cup. The Socceroos opening match will be against Germany on June 13 - rumour has it that Germany has a reputation for being a tough opponent. That will be followed by games with the other members of the group, Ghana on June 19 and Serbia on June 23.

A November for the Record Books

2009-12-03T04:09:00.001-08:00

Although the Australian summer officially only started on December 1, summer weather has been with us for at least a month. November came to a close with another entry for Melbourne's record books. The city's average daily maximum temperature for the month came in at 27.4C, blowing the previous record of 25.5C set back in 1862 out of the water. The month included 10 consecutive days above 30 as well as one night where the temperature never dropped below 28C. Fortunately, the extreme temperatures were accompanied by extreme rains that offerred a temporary reprieve from Victoria's Big Dry.

A Week of Firsts

2009-12-03T03:53:00.000-08:00

I used my attendance last week at an adaptation forum as an opportunity to take the family on short trip to Sydney. So mom and dad packed up Malia and her grandmother and headed east. The trip marked a number of milestones in Malia's life including the following:

1) First trip on a plane

2) First trip to another city

3) First stay in a hotel

4) First swim in the ocean (well, she put a toe in at least)

5) First ride on a boat (the ferry to Manly)

6) First ride on a subway

Granted, Malia is unlikely to remember all of this excitement, particularly because she slept through most of these experiences, but it was good preparation for her first overseas voyage later this month.

An American Takes the Helm of New South Wales

2009-12-03T03:40:00.000-08:00

As of this morning, the State of New South Wales has its first female Premier, American-born Kristina Kerscher Keneally. The Premier-designate will replace Nathan Rees who, in recent months, was more commonly referred to as the 'dead man walking'.

If this is spring. . .

2009-11-14T04:36:00.000-08:00

American celebrities are feeling the heat in Melbourne, with persistent abnormally high temperatures baking the city (with more on the way). Tiger Woods has been sweating his way through the Australian Masters and has received a welcome more akin to visiting royalty. Meanwhile, Britney Spears played a show in Melbourne Thursday, causing traffic chaos in my neighborhood just as I was driving home. You owe me 30 minutes of my life back, Britney.

Qantas: "The Spirt of Australia"

2009-11-01T04:15:00.000-08:00

from The Age, October 30, 2009:

"Spirits and full strength beer have been banned on intrastate Qantas flights in Western Australia because drunken mine workers have become too unruly."

enough said. . .

Malia's First Halloween

2009-11-01T03:43:00.001-08:00

Actually, I don't think it's fair to say it was Malia's first Halloween, given she largely slept through the entire day (heat makes little persons sleepy, I guess) and even she had been awake, I don't think she would have gotten the whole concept.

Brekkie on the Bridge

2009-11-01T03:27:00.000-08:00

The Premier of New South Wales launched the first annual Brekkie on the Bridge last week - perhaps an attempt to elevate Sydney's standing on the cultural ladder. 190,000 people allegedly applied for the 6,000 picnic spots on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was covered in genuine grass turf. Rumour has it the event will be repeated next year - assuming the Premier is still in office. . .

Only in Australia. . .

2009-10-08T04:50:00.000-07:00

. . . could a group of guys go on television in blackface and subsequently argue that the skit didn't have any racial implications - the logic being that if the perpetrators don't find it offensive, then it's not (and hey - they did it back in '89 and people loved it. . .). Given Australia's own humble origin, I'd think its people would be more sympathetic to culturally sensitive issues. However, it seems that approximately 75% of the population didn't see anything particularly racist about this shtick. Fair enough - it probably wasn't intended to be racist - yet it still managed to offend nonetheless, and anyone with 75% of a brain could have seen that coming. Australia continues to have an image problem in this department. Just when the tourism boards make progress in branding the nation as a friendly, open and diverse environment, some clowns step-up and do something stupid.

Aussie Nobel

2009-10-05T05:01:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Blackburn has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for medicine. Blackburn was born in Tasmania and is a graduate of the University of Melbourne, but currently works at the University of California - San Francisco. She shares the prize with Carol Greider at Johns Hopkins and Jack Szostak of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Busy Weekend

2009-10-04T04:05:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend with Malia as we tried to introduce her to the neighborhood. Thanks to her baby carrier, she travelled with us to Richmond Market on Saturday morning to buy some veggies and she got to take in the sweet aroma of her first sausage sizzle. She also entertained numerous visitors including the local Maternal and Child Health nurse (who confirmed that Malia is rapidly gaining weight) as well as Emma, Jeremy and Ady. The highlight, however, was Malia's trip to the Royal Children's Hospital, where she was the guest-of-honor in an educational clinic on infant mental health and behavior. She put on quite a show, demonstrating skills even her parents hadn't seen before, such as tracking objects and rolling herself over.

The First Seven Days

2009-09-30T04:57:00.000-07:00

What do newborns do when they aren't sleeping, eating or looking adorable? Well, ours appears to enjoy crying in the middle-of-the-night and consuming large quantities of diapers. After 7 days on Earth, Malia has largely been confined to quarters. However, she did venture out for some shopping (although she slept during the entire trip) and has gone for a couple of walks (although she slept through both of those as well).

Welcome Malia!

2009-09-25T04:30:00.000-07:00

After 41 weeks of gestation and 18 hours of labour, Malia Sydney Preston finally arrived at 10:30 pm on 23 September, much to the delight of her parents. At present, she has her mother's rosy cheeks and her father's copious and chaotic hair. Her hobbies include sleeping and eating.

Aufpassen!

2009-09-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

Germany's Oktoberfest, which strangely appears to be Australia's largest annual drinking event, has claimed its first Australian casualty, with a Queenslander falling under a train in Munich after a night of festing.

You can take the girl out of California. . .

2009-09-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

. . . but you can't take California out of the girl. Brynne Gordon, fiance of former Sydney Swans owner Geoffrey Edelston, was just one of the AFL 'WAGS' (Wives and Girlfriends) attempting to turn heads at tonight's Brownlow Medal festivities. Personally, I consider the Brownlows to be the most profoundly boring award show on the planet, but at least there is always the occasional fashion faux pas to provide comic relief. Despite being an American, Brynne is clearly a big fan of AFL - not too many people would go as far as to have a couple of footys surgically implanted to show their love of the game. . .

Oh, and for the record, this year's winner of the Brownlow Medal was Geelong's Gary Ablett

Political Ignorance

2009-09-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

According to recent poll results, celebrity gossip has replaced political awareness in the mind of the average Australian:

"UNLIKELY as it may seem, Jackie O and Nicola Roxon have something in common: the figure of 14 per cent. That's how many people don't know the Sydney-based radio personality, and how many do know the nation's Health Minister."

Aussies, Aussies everywhere. . .

2009-09-19T03:39:00.000-07:00

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has updated its estimates for the nations future population growth. In 2007, the ABS estimated Australia's population would rise to 28 million by 2050, but recently that estimate has jumped to million, driven predominantly by a large influx of new immigrants as well as the Australian commitment to breeding. While the political spin is that such growth is an indicator of Australia's rising popularity for those seeking a better life, it does raise questions regarding how the nation will feed, house and provide water and energy to a population over twice its current size.

The Lucky Country

2009-09-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

With the Global Financial Crisis celebrating its first birthday, Peter Hartcher at the Sydney Morning Herald has an interesting article summarising Australia's experience and speculating as to how Australia has managed to avoid recession, maintain a vigorous housing market and keep a lid on unemployment while the rest of the world crumbled around it.

"From being one of the world's chronic underperformers, Australia has become a model. The country that the Economist magazine in 2007 labelled 'Downwonder' has emerged as a model in two senses. It's an example of an economic success, but it's also a model in that it has developed a distinctive political economy. There is now an 'Australian model'.
"Australia is a country that seems to have achieved a sweet spot, combining the vigour of American capitalism with the humanity of European welfare, yet suffering the drawbacks of neither."

Spring is in the Air

2009-09-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

The mercury hit 29C (84F) in Melbourne yesterday, the warmest day on record for early September. Granted, there were a few hiccups such as strong winds that caused power outages here and there. Nevertheless, we managed to enjoy a cold beer (well, I enjoyed the beer at least) at our local, followed by a hearty meal of fish and chips. With warm weather forecast for at least the next week, there's hope that the long Melbourne "winter" is on its way out.

Eureka!

2009-08-19T04:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday afternoon I flew to Sydney to attend the 20th annual Australian Museum Eureka Prizes for science. Our project with the Sydney Coastal Councils Group on climate change adaptation was a finalist in the category of Innovative Solutions to Climate Change. While victory wasn't anticipated, it was a good opportunity to clip on the old bow tie, and sample some (or quite a lot actually) Australian wines. As it happened, the fates smiled upon us, and we walked away with the prize, which included $10,000 which we now have to figure out how to reinvest. We had the honour of shaking hands with the premier of NSW, but in all honesty, I would have preferred to have met Cate Blanchett, who presented the People's Choice Award. Oh well, there's always next year. . .

Additional photos here

The Windy City

2009-08-16T03:56:00.000-07:00

For the second time in two weeks, high winds have struck Victoria resulting in damage comparable to what one would expect from a category 1 cyclone (see this story on the first event). Living upon one of the highest points in Melbourne, such events are particularly exciting for us. It's a bit unnerving watching one's windows bulge inward, but no harm done. However, our BBQ cover did go on a short trip down the street over night, but we managed to locate it and bring it back home this morning.

Babymoon

2009-08-05T00:17:00.000-07:00

Sorrento is rapidly becoming our home away from home, given we've made four trips there over the years (including this one, this one which I never wrote anything about and, more recently, that one). This past weekend, we were back on the Morn Penn to enjoy our last days of peace and quiet before it all comes crashing down in a heap of child-rearing.

To summarise the highlights. . .

We stayed at Hotel Sorrento (which does a good brekkie), and meals were had at La Porchetta (which was empty on a winter Thursday night), the Sorrento Seaford Tavern (quiet but not dead on a Friday night) and Coast (which was packed on Saturday night, and deservedly). For entertainment, Uta did some spa stuff, we caught Public Enemies on opening night (three other people were in the theatre), and we undertook some walks toward Portsea (peeking through fences at the houses of the ueber rich) and around Cape Schank (where we were too cheap to pay $10 to tour the lighthouse). We also spent a bit of time deliberating over the name of kid #1, which now appears almost (but perhaps not quite) locked in.

Photos here

Australian for 'Culture'

2009-07-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

Australia's "Big Things" are to be listed officially as National Heritage sites. BambooWeb offers the following list (or check out Wikipedia's entry):

Western Australia

The Big Crocodile, Wyndham - 3m x 18m
The Big Banana, Carnarvon - 6m x 1m
The Big Apple, Donnybrook - 7m x 4m
The Big Ram, Wagin - 8m x 10m

South Australia

The Big Orange, Berri - 15m x 12m
The Big Lobster, Kingston - 17m x 15m
The Big Scotsman, Medindie (Adelaide) - 5m x 1m
The Big Rocking Horse, Gumeracha - 18m x 17m
The Big Miner, Kapunda - 8m x 2m
The Big Winch, Coober Pedy - 8m x 5m
The Big Galah, Kimba - 6m x 2m
The Big Roo, Border Village - 5m x 2m

Victoria

The Big Murray Cod, Swan Hill - 3m x 9m
The Giant Ned Kelly, Glenrowan - 6m x 2m
The Big Pheasant, Tynong - 8m x 17m
The Big Worm, Bass - 250m x 4m
The Big Woolbales, Hamilton - 3m x 12m
The Giant Koala, Dadswells Bridge - 14m x 8m

Tasmania

The Big Penguin, Penguin - 3m x 1m
The Big Tasmanian Devil, Mole Creek - 2m x 3m

New South Wales

The Big Wine Cask, Wentworth - 6m x 8m
The Big Playable Guitar, Narrandera - 6m x 2m
The Big Murray Cod, Tocumwal - 2m x 7m
The Big Trout, Adaminaby - 10m x 3m
The Big Merino, Goulburn - 15m x 18m
The Big Cherries, Young - 2m x 4m
The Big Gold Panner, Bathurst - 5m x 3m
The Big Chook, Mt Vernon - 4m x 4m
The Big Wine Bottle, Pokolbin (Hunter Valley) - 6m x 2m
The Big Oyster, Taree - 4m x 12m
The Big Bull, Wauchope - 14m x 21m
The Big Golden Guitar, Tamworth - 12m x 4m
The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour - 11m x 2m
The Big Prawn, Ballina - 6m x 9m

A.C.T.

The Big Mushroom, Belconnen - 4m x 8m

Queensland

The Big Barramundi, Normanton - 6m x 2m
The Big Barramundi, Daintree - 6m x 2m
The Big Captain Cook, Cairns - 7m x 2m
The Big Marlin, Cairns - 8m x 2m
The Big Cassowary, Mission Beach - 5m x 5m
The Big Gumboot, Tully - 8m x 6m
The Big Mango, Bowen - 12m x 8m
The Big Rum Bottle, Bundaberg - 6m x 1m
The Big Mandarin, Mundubbera - 11m x 15m
The Big Ned Kelly, Maryborough - 8m x 2m
The Big Shell, Tewantin - 3m x 1m
The Big Stubby, Tewantin - 9m x 4m
The Big Cow, Nambour - 6m x 10m
The Big Pineapple, Nambour - 16m x 6m
The Big Macadamia nut, Nambour - 5m x 10m
The Big Redback, Brisbane - 3m x 3m
The Big Hard Rock Guitar, Surfer's Paradise - 10m x 3m
The Big Apple, Stanthorpe - 4m x 3m

Northern Territory

The Big Boxing Crocodile, Humpty Doo - 8m x 8m
The Big Stockwhip, Acacia - 7m x 10m

Hottest 100

2009-07-16T05:13:00.000-07:00

Australia's JJJ radio completed its latest poll of the "Hottest 100." The poll dates back to 1989 (go here for prior results), with most polls targeting only on the H-100 for the previous year. However, this year, to commemorate the original H-100 in 1989, JJJ asked for the H-100 of all time (with all time presumably being the modern era of Rock and/or Roll).

The list is, in a word, strange and would appear to represent a clash of generations (X, Y, with a few baby boomers thrown in). OK, so Nirvana comes in at #1, yada, yada, yada. Could have seen that coming from miles away (although it's pretty ordinary as far as Nirvana songs go). But in at #4 is Joy Division with a song that took the #1 spot back in 1989 - it's only slipped 3 spots in 20 years. Not to shabby. There's much love for Radiohead as well as Jeff Buckley and his crooning of songs he didn't write. How Blink 182 comes in above the Stones defines reason, and I won't even get into the myriad absences. Ah well, all for fun right?

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Rage Against the Machine - Killing In The Name
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Radiohead - Paranoid Android
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
John Lennon - Imagine
Oasis - Wonderwall
Radiohead - Creep
The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
Radiohead - Karma Police
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Hilltop Hoods - The Nosebleed Section
Muse - Knights Of Cydonia
Metallica - One
White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
Powderfinger - These Days
Massive Attack - Teardrop
Hunters & Collectors - Throw Your Arms Around Me
The Beatles - A Day in the Life
Pearl Jam - Alive
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Powderfinger - My Happiness
Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
Pixies - Where Is My Mind?
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Metallica - Enter Sandman
New Order - Blue Monday
Silverchair - Tomorrow
The Living End - Prisoner Of Society
Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms
Tool - Stinkfist
The Killers - Mr Brightside
Pearl Jam - Better Man
Nirvana - Come As You Are
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Bloc Party - Banquet
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
The Beatles - Hey Jude
Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows
Faith No More - Epic
John Butler Trio - Betterman
Beastie Boys - Sabotage
Guns 'N Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly Wings
You Am I - Berlin Chair
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
The Cure - Close To Me
Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should Have Come Over
Tool - Forty Six & 2
Daft Punk - Around The World
Augie March - One Crowded Hour
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Blur - Song 2
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
AC/DC - Thunderstruck
Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun
Underworld - Born Slippy
Elton John - Tiny Dancer
Ben Folds Five - Brick
Blink 182 - Dammit
Jeff Buckley - Grace
The Prodigy - Breathe
The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
The Shins - New Slang
The Clash - London Calling
Nirvana - Lithium
Green Day - Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
The Stone Roses - Fools Gold
Gotye - Hearts A Mess
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
David Bowie - Life on Mars
The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black
Pulp - Common People
System Of A Down - Chop Suey!
Placebo - Every You Every Me
Bob Marley & The Wailers - No Woman, No Cry
The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
The Beatles - Come Together
Coldplay - Yellow
The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Rage Against the Machine - Bulls On Parade
Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
AC/DC - Back In Black
Bon Iver - Skinny Love
Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
Modest Mouse - Float On
Stevie Wonder - Superstition
Daft Punk - One More Time
Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me
Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out

A Nation of 'Mummy's Boys'

2009-07-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

A new article on our favourite Australian cultural phenomenon:

A nation of 'mummy's boys'
July 8, 2009 - 4:08PM .

Australian mothers are breeding a generation of "mummies' boys", new data reveals.
Social demographer Bernard Salt says new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 27 per cent of men aged between 20 and 34 are still living with their parents - double the proportion of women. more

Climate Change and Social Justice

2009-07-01T16:51:00.001-07:00

Melbourne University Press has published a new book entitled Climate Change and Social Justice. The edited volume covers the gambit of issues (responsibility for climate change, intergenerational equity, health, environmental refugees, adaptation and equity in climate policy) from the likes of Ross Garnaut, David Karoly and Jon Barnett among others. I bring up the rear with Chapter 12: Equitable Climate Policy in a Dangerous World. The Introduction by Jeremy Moss provides a good overview of the various chapters.

Get your copy here.

Arlington: The Rap

2009-06-28T04:09:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my homies back in DC, I got wind of this little gem, which features the old 'hood where we used to live before we moved down under. Five seconds into the video, you can see our old apartment building in the background, and the Whole Foods (known back in the day as Whole Paycheck) was where we did our regular shopping.

Au revoir Connex

2009-06-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

An era has ended in Melbourne, with the much-maligned public transport provider Connex failing in its bid to renew its contract to operate the city's rail services. The newly formed consortium, Metro Trains Melbourne, which is headed by a Hong Kong company, will take over rail operations, while a group led by the French firm Keolis Downer EDI will pick up tram services. Having wasted at least one lifetime waiting on Connex trains to arrive (despite the hefty price tag associated with the city's rail services), I can't be surprised about the demise of Connex. However, it remains to be seen if the new management can improve the current state of affairs, which is due in part to long-term underinvestment in infrastructure.

G' Day UK

2009-06-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Despite the constant stream of pale, consumptive, alcoholic backpackers from the UK washing up on Australia's shores, Australia's tourism machinery has launched a campaign to recruit even more:
"The banks of London's "dirty old river" Thames are being transformed into the golden sands of Bondi beach, to promote NSW."

It's not as Glamorous as it Looks

2009-06-24T18:56:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, 9 June I woke up at 4:45 in the Victorian regional town of Mildura (after completing four days of karate training). I proceeded to drive to the aiport and catch a flight back home to Melbourne. Once back in Melbourne, I took a taxi home, where I then jumped on a train to the office, where I picked up a car and drove to Tooradin. Once there, I spent an hour of so standing around in the cold, the wind and the rain trying to come up with clever things to say. The purpose of that long story is that it explains why I've got bags under my eyes in the following video:

Terrorism Has a New Name

2009-06-22T04:43:00.000-07:00

At times, living in Australia is like having a direct window to the past. Case-in-point, a number of water suppliers around Australia are only now getting around to adding fluoride to drinking water. Back in 2007, I had a post on Queensland's coming-of-age with fluoride. Now, it's Geelong's turn. Barwon Water, which provides water to Geelong (70 km to Melbourne's west) is set to begin adding fluoride to the water supply this week. Enter the dreaded anti-fluoride terrorists. According to The Age:

"Anti-fluoride activists have also threatened to blow up Barwon Water's treatment plants as the authority begins on Monday adding fluoride to the water supply in Geelong, 70 kilometres southwest of Melbourne. The Department of Human Services (DHS) received a threatening letter in the mail last week. All three threats are being investigated by police. A government spokeswoman said Ms Neville, who is the member for Bellarine, returned home on Saturday night to find the bottle of water and a note on her front verandah. It read: 'We're going to kill you, bitch'."

As I've said many times before on this blog, you can't make this stuff up.

Mean Streets

2009-06-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Back in 2006, a had a brief post on the Australian underworld and a couple of its personalities that had recently found themselves 'wacked', as they say. Little did I realise at the time the full extent of Australia's fascination with its own little gangland wars (which weren't really wars so much as the occasional assassination). Since 2006, Australia has produced not one, but two television series (Underbelly and Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities)dramatising various periods of particularly tumultuous gang activity (which according to the television shows seemed to involve lots of people getting buried in shallow graves, cocaine, and group sex).

But the underworld isn't just a historical curiosity - a fact readily demonstrated this afternoon, when Desmond Moran was shot dead while existing his favourite deli after what was to be his last meal. The Moran family is no stranger to violence as Moran's brother as well as his two nephews also are all 'sleeping with the fishes' as they say.

And so the underworld continues to thrive, in its own small-scale Melbourne way.

Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

2009-06-15T05:47:00.000-07:00

Australia has an international reputation for hosting all sorts of danger in the outback or, occassionally, in its coastal waters. A little known fact, however, is that such danger apparently exists everywhere. Case-in-point: a poor unsuspecting man was bitten by a brown snake (one of the world's more venomous varieties) in downtown Melbourne in an alley behind a department store. You can't make this stuff up. . .

Another One Bites the Dust

2009-06-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

Another landmark along Victoria's Great Ocean Road has undegone a bit of renovation, with a significant chunk of the Island Archway at Loch Ard Gorge falling into the waters below. This follows the demise of one of the 12 Apostles back in 2005 and the collapse of London Bridge back in 1994.

The Other Footy

2009-06-15T05:04:00.001-07:00

After a few years on the back burner, soccer (aka football) is making its way back on the Australia agenda. First, Australia has officially qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after a 0-0 draw with Qatar last week. However, the Socceroos sill face a match against Japan here in Melbourne this week to see which team will claim the top spot in the group.

Meanwhile, Australia is hoping to punch above its weight on the international stage by launching a bid to host the 2018 World Cup. The Federal Government has contributed big bucks (by Australia standards) to the campaign, despite a general feeling that Australia will likely be the underdog in this race.

Swine Flu

2009-05-30T00:56:00.000-07:00

While the global swine flu epidemic appears to have fallen off the front pages of most newspapers in the northern hemisphere, the disease is rapidly making its way through the Australian population. At present, there are 254 cases confirmed in Australia and thousands have been quarantined. Both numbers are rising by the hour as the disease continues to pop up just about everywhere, although Melbourne has been ground zero for most of the victims. A number of schools have closed, cruise ships have been asked to remain at sea, and doctor's offices are overflowing as anxious cold-sufferers seek medical advice (it doesn't help that swine flu rocked up in Australia during the regular flu season). One alarmist has estimated that a full 20% of the Australian population could be affected before its all over.

Easy Come, Easy Go!

2009-05-30T00:44:00.000-07:00

The beauty of the modern era is one's ability to sign away large quantities of cash in a heartbeat. For the past month, we've been struggling to come to terms with the fact that our little Getz (featured here back in 2006) is not equipped to handle the additional responsibilities that will come with our soon-to-be-expanded family. Hence, this afternoon we closed the deal on a new i30 wagon - German styling at a Korean price and plenty of room for bub, prams and a couple of grandparents (should they be brave enough to travel down under).

Eskimo Joe - Foreign Land

2009-05-27T19:44:00.001-07:00

Australia's own Eskimo Joe is back with a new album, Inshalla. The clip above is the first single off the new album.

Samson And Delilah

2009-05-25T05:09:00.000-07:00

Many folks around the world spent a few hours during 2008 suffering through Australia, an attempt to elevate the stature of Australia (both as a continent and as a film-making nation). Depending upon whom you ask, that film accomplished neither goal. However, Australia is no stranger to quality films, they just tend to be of the low-budget, but substantive variety. At Cannes over the weekend, a young upstart director, Warwick Thorton, earned recognition for his debut film, Samson and Delilah. No doubt, the film will be limited to the world's art house cinemas, but it's a good testament to the fact that good things can come in small packages. Perhaps more importantly, it shows the lives of Australia's indigenous people with brutal honesty.

2009-05-25T04:59:00.001-07:00

What do Australians do when they travel overseas? A recent article in The Age answers the question:

Wedgies and petty theft tie up consular staff
Tim Elliott
May 23, 2009

"TOUCHING up a Singapore Airlines flight attendant, giving drinkers "wedgies" at Oktoberfest and pilfering bar mats from Phuket bars. Australians love to travel and are, it seems, finding ever more unorthodox ways of extending time overseas - even if it means bunking down in the lock-up."

World's Largest Pub Crawl

2009-05-04T05:07:00.000-07:00

If you had to guess which country holds the Guinness world record for the world's largest pub crawl, you'd probably be pretty safe picking Australia. Furthermore, if you had to pick a part of Australia that would host such an event, it would almost certainly be Queensland. As it happens, the Queensland town of Maryborough has apparently won the title 3 of the past 4 years, losing out to London in 2006. On June 7, Maryborough battles for the 2009 championship. Good Luck!

Check out the details at http://worldsgreatestpubcrawl.com/.

Melbourne Comedy Festival

2009-04-28T06:02:00.001-07:00

The 2009 edition of the Melboune Comedy Festival came to a close last weekend. We managed to catch two shows: Arj Barker's Bits and Pieces (I have to pay respect to my fellow American) as well as the up and coming Celia Pacquola's Am I Strange(with whom we have a personal connection through one degree of separation). Samples of their respective schticks are below from appearances on Australia's own Rove.

Kate Miller-Heidke

2009-04-28T05:49:00.001-07:00

Queensland's Kate Miller-Heidke released a new album (Curiouser) at the end of 2008. This clip comes from her 2008 performance Live at the Chapel.

Underdog

2009-04-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

After years of litigation, David has slain Goliath. The CSIRO's legal action against, well, every major computer hardware company in the world over the intellectual property underlying WiFi technology has come to an end. The CSIRO has triumphed. Needless to say, the total value of the settlements remain confidential, but it will undoubtedly be a substantial sum.

Australian Favourites

2009-04-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

This article in The Age reviews how some of Australia's favourite foodstuffs are created.

Australia

2009-04-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

Bright

2009-04-28T02:01:00.000-07:00

Easter was spent in Bright, where we took up residence at the bustling Bright Accommodation Park. It was a busy weekend in Bright, with tourists flocking to the country town to enjoy everything it has to offer - largely scenic amenity and the occasional market. The beautiful days were balanced by the cold (and frequently rainy) nights, which led to one aborted BBQ where we were forced to seek food and shelter in the local pub. We took day trips to Mount Buffalo and Harrietville (including the Bungalow Spur toward Mt. Feathertop).

Photos here

Whitewashing

2009-03-29T03:07:00.000-07:00

Two and one-half years ago, I voiced my concerns about the marked lack of diversity within Australian media right here at BP.com. At long last, the issue has gotten a bit of an airing, with this article in The Age.

A pale limitation
Melinda Houston
March 29, 2009

"IS AUSTRALIAN television really "hideously white"? Last year Britain's racial equality chief Trevor Phillips initiated an inquiry into racial depictions on television, and summed up Britain's television diet in those two pithy words.

What's slightly embarrassing for us down under is that two of the programs singled out for criticism by English viewers were [Australia's] Neighbours and Home and Away. Even from the other side of the world they couldn't quite swallow a Summer Bay denuded of non-Anglos." continues

Perth - The Final Frontier

2009-03-28T20:53:00.000-07:00

Ever since arriving in Australia over four years ago, I've been waiting for an excuse to visit the nation's west coast. Over the years, I've made a dozen trips to Canberra and Brisbane and perhaps two dozen (or more) to Sydney and even a few days of recreation in Adelaide. But until last week, I'd had no reason whatsoever to make the grand voyage across the continent to Western Australia. But with Greenhouse 2009 hosted by Perth, a swarm of climate scientists (including Uta and I) descended on WA.

Perth may be perceived to have a lot to offer, particularly to backpackers, construction workers and those affiliated with the mining industry (which collectively comprise the bulk of the city's population). Others, however, may be a bit put off by the fact that those construction workers are actively rebuilding half of the city (mining revenue has its benefits) and the fact that high wages lead to absurd prices for goods and services. In addition, with Perth being the most remote city of any note on the planet, it attracts no shortage of odd individuals. On the positive side, this makes for high quality people-watching.
While the city itself leaves a bit to be desired (save for King's Park and the Grosvenor Pub where I enjoyed a pint), we found refuge in various suburbs including Subiaco , Cottesloe, and the more distant Fremantle. But the region's most attractive location has to be Rottnest Island (aka "Rotto"), where we spent an entire day cruising by bicycle.

Perth is also the jumping off point for any number of other destinations such as the Swan River Vally, Margaret River, and the Pinnacle Desert. Such attractions, however, will require another trip.

Photos here

In a League of Its Own

2009-03-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Australian Rules Football season is underway, and while it may still have quite a ways to go before it becomes a "world sport" (hell, it's got its work cut out for it just getting respect in New South Wales and Queensland), with the help of Toyota, the AFL can put together a pretty flash promotional ad for the season kick-off.

Earthquake Part II

2009-03-18T04:06:00.000-07:00

Last week's 4.6 tremor raised a few eyebrows, but no one suspected that event would be followed by another 4.6. Yet at approximately 4:30 this afternoon, that's exactly what happened.

Visiting Sydney?

2009-03-09T03:59:00.000-07:00

For those interested in dropping in on Sydney in the near future, check out CNN International's write-up on things to do in Australia's biggest city.

Earthquake!!!

2009-03-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

When one lives in an environment about which he is unfamiliar, certain things come as a surprise. For example, we were quite surprised last night when our entire building started shaking, as we silly expats didn't realise that Melbourne is prone to the occasional earthquake. The baby tremor measured just 4.6 on the old R-scale, but was nevertheless enough to cause one to stand up and take notice.

Talking Climate in Noosa

2009-03-06T23:40:00.000-08:00

Following our successful weekend in Sorrento, we flew up to Queensland's Sunshine Coast. I attended a workshop at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Uta, being a woman of liberty, settled into the beaches and shopping of Noosa. Fortunately, those Queenslanders know how to run a workshop - we finished each day ~2:30 to allow time for rest and relaxation in the Queensland sun. We stuck around for the weekend, which gave us a chance to sample the culinary delights on Hastings Street and stroll through Noosa National Park (koalas galore!). I borrowed one of Tim's boards to try a bit of surfing - gravity, low friction surfaces, noncompressible fluieds and lots of people in the water doesn't make for an easy recreational past time. But I reckon it keeps you fit - not too many overweight surfers out there. . .

Photos here

A Weekend in Sorrento

2009-03-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

I appear to be falling a bit behind here. . .

Roughly two weeks ago, we joined a crew of consultants and former consultants from a consulting firm that shall remain nameless (hint: Uta used to work there) in Sorrento. We rented (or hired, if one is using the Aussie lingo) the palatial estate, Costa Lotta, just across the border from Sorrento in Blairgowrie. The house had plenty of room for its 11 guests including a barbie big enough to cook up all the meat.
Photos here

One for the Record Books

2009-02-07T04:24:00.000-08:00

All last week in Melbourne, the forecasts for today were ominous, with talk of a return of last week's heatwave conditions as well as some of the most extreme fire weather in memory. The forecasts proved quite accurate, with temperatures in Melbourne topping out this afternoon at over 46C (117F), the highest temperature ever recorded within the city. Meanwhile, high winds played havoc with bushfires - fires that were relatively small and isolated 24 hours ago erupted into massive fires that burned out-of-control (go here for some photos). By early afternoon, the view from our balcony was totally obscured by smoke from the Bunyip Ridge fire to the east of Melbourne. At present, the death toll stands at 14, with some victims being caught by fast moving fires that provided little warning. But that number is projected to rise. While temperatures have dropped back down to normal levels, the changing wind direction threatens to simply push fire fronts off into new areas.

Update: 8/2/2009: 24 hours later and temperatures have returned to normal levels in Victoria, but the bushfires continue to rage. As of 7:45 Sunday evening, the death toll stood at 66 and climbing, making this one of the worst fires (if not the worst) in Victoria's history. Over 700 houses have been destroyed, and in some instances, entire townships have been erased including the town of Marysville, where I once spent a couple of pleasant nights attending a conference.

Cheap Flights

2009-02-02T03:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the free market, it's now cheaper to get to Australia (from the U.S. at least). The only two airlines flying the LA/Sydney route (Qantas and United) now have some company in the form of Delta and Virgin Australia. Rumour has it that the competition has significantly shaved airfares. So now even more Yankees can have their own little Australian adventure.

It's a Dry Heat

2009-01-31T21:37:00.000-08:00

Melbourne is regarded (particularly by those in Sydney and Queensland) as one of Australia's most chilly cities. However, summers in Melbourne can be accompanied by rather extreme heat. This past week was a case-in-point, with three consecutive days where temperatures exceeded 43C (109F). The consequences for Melbourne were readily apparent - a rash of heat-related deaths; a complete collapse of the train system; and widespread problems with the electricity grid that were exacerbated by the eruption of a number of bushfires.

Update 2/2/2009: The heatwave has claimed another victim. Melbourne's brand new observation wheel has been shut down indefinitely due to structural failure during the heat wave.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-31T21:15:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Presidential Inaugural occurs every four years, but January 20, 2009 was inarguably a bit different then prior events. Fortunately for me, I was once again back in the U.S. in January, which enabled me to sneak in a trip to the nation's capital for Inauguration Day. I flew into DC from Phoenix where I'd attended the annual AMS meeting and landed at Washington National where outdoor temperatures were a chilly 12F (-11C).

Scott and Katie were kind enough to put me up for a few days, and one of the first tasks was to ensure we had sufficient cold-weather gear to survive several hours of exposure on the Mall. A visit to REI provided the first tangible evidence that a large number of people were planning on attending the Inauguration, as REI was packed full of people and hats, gloves, and long-underwear were all in short supply. On Sunday the 18th, we headed down to the mall to check out the Lincoln Memorial Inauguration Concert. However, we arrived a bit late to get into the secure area and thus had to be satisfied with a distant view of a jumbotron from outside the perimeter. The day also revealed that while Metro services might be adequate for getting into DC, the system was totally overwhelmed after events finished, forcing us to walk back across the Potomac into Virginia.

On the big day, we awoke at 5:00am, were out the door at 6:00am and managed to be on the Mall by about 7:30am. This left us with just just four hours to wait in freezing conditions until the beginning of the ceremony. We managed, however, to cope with the cold, and though we were probably a good mile away from the Capitol building we can still claim to be among the 1.5 million who were "there". After the swearing-in, however, we had another adventure trying to escape from DC, ultimately making our way again to the 14th street bridge and using our feet to get back home. We spent the rest of the day resting, getting warm and watching the Inaugural parade on TV.

And to top off the whole trip, I managed to hitch a ride back to Australia aboard one of Qantas' new A380s. Yes - it's a very large plane.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-31T20:13:00.000-08:00

Another Christmas, another adventure on the Australian coast. Christmas 2005 was spent in Adelaide. Christmas 2006 was spent in Tasmania. Christmas 2007 was spent in Merimbula. Christmas 2008 represented a return to coastal NSW, with visits to both Mallacoota and Bateman's Bay, followed by a quick over land dash to Canberra.
We headed out from Melbourne to Mallacoota on the 22nd of December, setting up camp in the Foreshore Holiday Park. My memories of Mallacoota revolve around large numbers of mosquitoes and an encounter with the legendary (and quite tasty) jellycake. However, we did manage a couple of treks into Croajingolong National Park, and I managed to narrowly avoid stepping upon a Brown Snake, the species of snake responsible for the most deaths in Australia. I'm beginning to believe that thoughts such as, "hey, I wonder where this path leads. . ." should not be acted upon.

From Mallacoota, the drive to Bateman's Bay was only a couple of hours over familiar ground, although we did stumble upon this grizzly car accident south of Eden. In Bateman's Bay, we camped outside of town (the town being the least attractive aspect of the region) in the community of South Duras at the South Duras Caravan Park. The caravan park was chock full of stereotypical Australian wildlife including kangaroos, possums, and goannas, all of which spent the nighttime hours attempting to steal half of our stuff and shitting on the other half. Nevertheless, South Duras Beach was a lovely playground. We also explored Pebbly Beach in North Duras as well as Mt. Duras (where we got tangled up with a leech or two). We spent one magical evening on Duras Lake, paddling with Bay & Beyond Sea Kayak Tours, and our final night on New Year's Eve was celebrated with a minor feast, but we didn't quite stay awake long enough to ring in the New Year. From Bateman's Bay, we drove inland to Canberra where we spent a couple of days soaking up a little Aussie history, before attending the wedding of Nick and Dominique. We spent a morning in the National Museum of Australia (which I think we agreed had one of the most kick-ass gift shops of any museum we'd ever been in), followed the next day by a visit to Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial. That left us a bit fatigued for the night's wedding festivities at the Canberra Yacht Club, but we managed to rally.

Southern Star

2008-12-20T15:06:00.000-08:00

After a couple of years of delays, Melbourne's own Southern Star Observation Wheel opened yesterday to mixed reviews.

Community Service

2008-11-26T04:25:00.001-08:00

After allowing the mail to pile up for the past three weeks, I finally opened up the post box this evening to retrieve the bills, junk mail, and other assorted items. The most interesting discovery was a flyer from a concerned citizen calling the attention of the community to an alleged illegal brothel in our midst - in fact, just a 100 metres down the road from us. Apparently, someone at 392 Church Street offers "Oriental Relax - Massage". Not sure what that is exactly, but there appear to be at least a few folks in the community that disapprove of such relaxation. I walk past said house at least twice a day and have never noticed a thing, nor has anyone ever offered me relaxation. But one can rest assured that I'll be more attentive in the future. . .

Seattle & The Everglades

2008-11-25T03:30:00.001-08:00

I was away for a while, back to the good ol' USA for a quick publicity tour. I started off dropping in on Seattle, visiting some folks at the University of Washington and basking in the cold, dreary, rainy weather for which the region is famous. I did manage to find some time to check out the Underground Tour, which provided a bit of history about the development of Seattle while demonstrating that with the right angle, one can turn a hole in the ground into a tourist attraction.

PB160011
Originally uploaded by BLP

I subsequently left Seattle for the more sunny Florida landscape, dropping in for a night at home in Atlanta before arriving in Miami to meet up with my Aussie companions who accompanied me on the rest of my tour. After a night in Miami, we headed through the Everglades, stopping at Wooten's Airboats to do a bit of airboating with Captain Scott.

We moved on with new found knowledge about the wildlife of the 'glades (including the proliferation of Burmese pythons and a recipe for venison burgers that was mouthwatering), spending a night in Naples before arriving in St. Petersburg to attend the Coastal Cities Summit. I, however, had to depart from the conference a bit early in order to make the long journey back to Melbourne and then on to Mildura to attend the 10th annual Mildura Gasshuku.

Closed for Business

2008-11-25T02:18:00.000-08:00

In a bizarre blow to Australian tourism, the Simpson Desert has been closed for the summer, due to forecasts of extreme temperatures in excess of 50C. Apparently, the government has decided that conditions are just too dangerous and doesn't want to be in the position of having to fetch more than the usual allotment of corpses from the desert sands.

However, given that high temperatures are nothing new to the Australian landscape, others have proposed alternative explanations for the closure. Adelaide's newspaper, The Advertiser, for example, stoked the rumour mill which is abuzz with whispers about aliens being discovered in the park.

Crocs Back in the Spotlight

2008-10-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

Australia's grumpiest animal icon is back in the media...

First, stories are pouring in from Magnetic Island off the coast of Townsville in Queensland, where a 2.5 metre croc has taken up residence and in so doing has single-handedly destroyed the island's economy. As stated by one dive operator: "Sharks we can handle, but you just don't know what one of these things might do." Well, I guess that settles the question of which species is more feared.

Meanwhile, Time magazine has this story about the more humane treatment that crocs receive these days from humans. After the recent disappearance of a fisherman in Queensland, wildlife officials rounded up the usual croc suspects. But instead of dispatching the animals, they were given x-rays and endoscopies to check for any remnant human remains. The gentle treatment is apparently due to the perception by some officials that crocs over 13 feet are "icons".

Bloc Party & Death Cab for Cutie

2008-10-23T17:15:00.001-07:00

Bloc Party is poised to release there third album, with the first single sounding, well, a lot like Bloc Party (not that that's a bad thing).

Meanwhile, I picked up a copy of Death Cab for Cutie's latest album a couple of weeks back, and have enjoyed it immensely - chock full of hits as they say.

Trick-or-Treat

2008-10-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking - all those tacky costumes - must be Halloween. But no, it's just spring carnival - the annual celebration where horse racing and "fashion" mix, with sometimes disastrous results.

The Tourism Wars

2008-10-18T19:17:00.001-07:00

There is nothing Australia's media likes more than fueling social debate over issues about which Australian society could really care less. So it is with Tourism Australia's latest campaign. In 2006, the powers that be rolled out the marketing gem below, which caught bloody hell from all sorts of folks, because it featured profanity (never mind that the word "bloody" is only considered profanity in a few very tiny markets - in the US, it's simply a word to describe how you'd like your steak prepared) and a young woman in a bikini, in addition to a mosaic of a broad range of Australian icons and attractions. Now anyone who has ever actually been to Australia knows that the word "bloody" is so pedestrian and ubiquitous that to call it profanity is a bit of a stretch. Similarly, bikinis are also ubiquitous and, in fact, one of the primary reasons why people flock to Australia from the northern hemisphere is so that they can wear a bikini while baking themselves silly on the nation's beaches. So, while perhaps being every so slightly cheeky, the campaign in question was a fairly accurate representation of the nation's mood and amenities.

Fast forward a couple of years, and witness below Australia's attempts to take their marketing campaign up-market. They've brought in Baz Luhrmann to lend a hand, which cleverly leverages his soon-to-be-released epic film, Australia. The message - all you workaholics suffering through the financial crisis can find respite in the heart of Australia. So are Australians happy? According to the media, the answer is "no". The complaints are that the ad is too "white collar" (why isn't anyone using words like "bloody", the way normal Australians communicate) and doesn't feature Australia's beaches (where are all those girls in bikinis).

So at this point, I'm fairly convinced that there isn't a tourism campaign that exists that the media won't find a way of criticising. But to be fair, it's hard to come up with material to fill newspapers day-in and day-out in a country where not too much happens and most folks are pretty pleased with their lives.

Meat Wagon

2008-10-09T02:15:00.000-07:00

Apparently, there is a mobile meat pie business in Sydney that's been in continual operation for 70 years. And yes indeed, it has its own website: Harry's Cafe de Wheels.

Dream Festival

2008-10-04T03:01:00.001-07:00

We strolled through the first annual Dream Festival this afternoon - caught some odd looking inflatable art and ate some snacks.

Photos here

Glimpses of the Past

2008-10-04T02:59:00.001-07:00

The New South Wales State Library has digitised a number of photographs in its collection and posted them online for public viewing via Flickr.

Another reason why Melbourne is better than Sydney. . .

2008-09-29T05:08:00.000-07:00

A national survey of Australian attitudes toward diversity has identified New South Wales as the most "racist" of the nation's states and territories. Forty-six per cent of survey respondents stated some ethnic groups "should not be in the country." But only about 10 percent of Australians went as far as to say that different ethnic groups shouldn't inter-marry or that certain ethnic groups are inferior. So I guess that means half of Australians are racist, but only 10% are REALLY racist. Well, that's a relief. . .

Australia Does Epcot

2008-09-29T05:02:00.000-07:00

Apparently, visitor's to Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival can now get a taste of Melbourne's famous laneways and cuisine. Tourism Victoria managed to land Melbourne a spot at the famous food gig (not that anyone in America actually knows where Melbourne is). For some, it may provide some incentive to make the great trip down under. But for most, I reckon Epcot is as close as they'll get to the sunburned country.

All Victoria Grand Final

2008-09-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

Another year, another footy Grand Final. I've decided that there is no greater spectacle in Victoria than the Grand Final. Melbourne Cup is a close second, but horse racing just doesn't have the mass appeal to all ages as footy. As great as the World Series, the Superbowl and March Madness might be, I'm not even sure they can compare. After all, any town that can support nine professional teams in the same freakin' sport is going to be tough to beat when it comes to fanaticism.

In any case, this year's Grand Final came down to a clash between the defending champs, Geelong, and Hawthorn in front of a crowd of 100,012. We had to pull for Hawthorn, because you've got to go for the underdog and because we've been to Geelong (aesthetically, it leaves something to be desired, and we can't pronounce the city correctly anyway). A Grand Final is not something to be watched alone, so we experienced the festivities at Ernie and Lisa's new penthouse flat. And fortunately, but surprisingly, the Hawks broke loose after half time and cruised to victory. This was followed by lots of fist pumping and ass slapping by the victors.

The Grates - Burn Bridges

2008-09-21T04:50:00.001-07:00

The Grates have a new album out and you know what that means - a whole suite of catchy new tunes and a few very odd videos. . .

Cousin Ralf

2008-09-21T04:32:00.000-07:00

We spent the evening with Cousin Ralf last night, who was in town for the weekend on one of his routine tours of the region. We took Ralf for dinner at Hairy Canary, followed by a quick drink at The Birdcage.

Finally!

2008-09-06T00:37:00.000-07:00

At long last, our asses can enjoy the comfort to which they are entitled. After 9 months of pain and suffering, delays and frustration, the sofas we ordered at the beginning of the year have arrived and have been installed in Casa de Preston.
Although it took a bit of sweat to get them into our apartment (suggestion for furniture delivery companies - probably not wise to hire 16 year old boys that weigh 40 kilos to deliver furniture), our abode is now filled with the fine smell of rich Chinese leather.

Now, however, it has become apparent that the new sofas are far finer than most of the other stuff that exists in our home, so we may have simply doomed ourselves to a long-term series of furnishing upgrades.

The old sofas (and all their history) have moved down the road to the house of young Master Julian. Hopefully they will prove kind to his bum.

Physics Rap?

2008-09-04T22:41:00.001-07:00

Newley tipped me off to this little gem. . .a "rap" on the Large Hydron Collider

New Governor General

2008-09-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Australia will be swearing in a new governor general today. Quentin Bryce, the former governor of Queensland will be the 25th GG, and the nations' first female to hold the office.

If you're wondering what the GG does, here's the official word:

A Governor-General appointed by the Queen shall be Her Majesty’s representative in the Commonwealth, and shall have and may exercise in the Commonwealth during the Queen’s pleasure, but subject to this Constitution, such powers and functions of the Queen as Her Majesty may be pleased to assign to him [emphasis added to reflect the fact that they may need to update the Constitution to make it more reflective of the 21st century].

Based upon the above, and the general hands-off approach of the Queen with respect to the Commonwealth, I think it is fair to say that the GG is symbol of Australia's relationship with the UK, but not much else. And given the constant debate over Australia becoming a republic, I reckon the days of the office are numbered.

Coffee

2008-09-04T16:53:00.000-07:00

The Backpacker had a bit at The Age online about the quality of coffee around the world. Apparently, some of the better nations for getting a decent cup of Joe include Italy as well as a few spots in Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Malaysia) and South America (Argentina). Those nations more notorious for coffee include the UK and, of course, the good ol' USA (although in defence of the USA, what it lacks in quality, it makes up in quantity).

The single best place (allegedly) for coffee in the world: Melbourne, Australia. But this is coming from an Aussie, and if you're looking for a coffee snob, you'll be guaranteed to find one in Melbourne.

America

2008-09-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America!

After spending a couple of months in the US and Europe, I checked back in on Australia for a few weeks only to head back to the states for a more formal holiday. We arrived in an America struggling through high fuel prices, absorbed by the Olympics (Go Phelps!), dodging tropical cyclones, and with presidential campaigns well underway.

First stop - Madison, Wisconsin (via Chicago)

I'm coming home, I'm coming home
Via Chicago

We dropped in on the family in Madison, which in winter is one of the last places on the planet you want to be. In summer, however, this progressive college town is quite pleasant. As our first port of call, jet lag was an issue, but Uta at least overcame her sleepiness with Olympics fever, staying up to the wee hours of the morning watching Michael Phelps and underage Chinese gymnasts do their thing. We spent a day at the outlet mall in the Dells buying everything they had (and laughing hysterically over how cheap everything was). We also made the mandatory stroll down State Street and sat out in the sun at The Terrace.

Second Stop - Atlanta, Georgia

Welcome to Atlanta where the playas play
And we ride on them things like every day
Big beats, hit streets, see gangsta's roamin'
And parties dont stop til' eight in the mornin'

Home sweet home. We spent ten days in Atlanta, hooking up with many friends and loved ones and continued our binge shopping which necessitated the acquisition of an additional suitcase. We arrived just in time for me to catch the 11th annual South Atlantic Karate Association summer training camp and for us to participate in the 2nd annual cornhole tournament (we were eliminated in the first round). We also hit Midtown's Cypress Street Pint and Plate, the Midcity Cafe, Rosa Mexicana at Atlantic Station, and the old favourites of Fellini's and Moe's and Joe's (which has gone a bit up-market since being bought out, but still has pitchers of PBR for $3.25 on Tuesdays). A highlight for Uta was a visit to Friedman's, where shoes can be found in absurd sizes - I bought a pair of sneakers while Uta got to see how her feet measure up to Shaq's (who reportedly is a size 24). I also dropped in on a few folks at Ga Tech and spent a morning tyring to inspire a few young minds over at Fernbank Science Center. We topped off our stay in the ATL by peeking in on a real estate development where we discovered that for the price of our little two bedroom apartment in Melbourne, we could have one of these brand new monsters in Atlanta. Food for thought. . .

Third Stop - New York, New York

New york, lookin down on central park
Where they say you should not wander after dark

Despite Uta's many trips to NYC over the years, my experience with the city consists of only one prior trip which occurred during the early 80's. If things have changed since then, I don't remember. We checked in at the SoHotel (which is actually more in Little Italy than in SoHo, but that's marketing for you). Our first night, we hooked up with the SoHo Swede for dinner, and then rested up for what would prove to be a 15k forced march on Monday, from SoHo to Central Park (stopping in at the Empire State Building) and then back. Tuesday, we headed to Flushing Meadows to witness Day 2 of the U.S. Open, where we saw Haas triumph over Gasquet, Robredo nail down the lid of Zverev's coffin and where some clown mistook me for James Blake's brother, Thomas. Wednesday it was more tourist stuff - Chinatown, St. Pauls and the WTC site, Wall Street, Battery Park and the Staten Island Ferry. We met up with B-Rob and Trey for dinner, followed by drinks at the requisite hip cocktail lounge. Thursday we walked through the West Village, did some shopping in SoHo (including the cleverly named stores "Shoe" and "Bag") and then wrapped up the day and the trip by catching Rent on Broadway (in it's last week).

I'll be heading back to the US in November (Florida) and January (Phoenix). In the meantime, if you're dying from visions of the silly land, go here.

Look at Them Wheels!

2008-07-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

This article in The Age reports on the world's rapidly expanding love affair with the observation wheel. Melbourne's own version is due to open later this year (with commanding views of the port), and I'm a bit disappointed to discover its size is rather tame in comparison to the behemoths being erected in Beijing and Singapore. But, as with all things Australian, I'm sure it'll be big enough for the city to boast that it's wheel is "the largest in the Southern Hemisphere."

Starbucks

2008-07-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

The coffee giant, Starbucks appears to be losing the coffee wars in the Antipodes, with the hot beverage retailer announcing the closure of 61 of its stores in Australia. Outlets in Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra will evaporate, leaving only Melbourne and Sydney to hold the line.

SPO

2008-07-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

On the return from the UK, I dropped in with mom on the in-laws in St. Peter-Ording, Germany. It's just not summer without a trip to the coast, a bit of unpredictable weather, and some tasty German cuisine. The trip offered the opportunity to see the results of the renovations that were underway in Bad during our visit last year, including the new Gosch (which proved quite tasty). I also got to take the new Dittmer family Smart car for a spin around town and managed to squeeze in a bit of golf (a challenging endeavor in the face of North Sea winds). The sadness associated with having to leave was offset slightly but the upgrade to business class on the return home. Sweet!

Around Nofolk

2008-07-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

After mother was safely shepherded out to Norwich, we did spend at least one day out and about in the countryside. We rented a smart looking Peugeot, which was marginally drivable due to the rather small space available for a driver's feet (apparently Frenchmen have wee feet). We took the Peugeot out to Blickling Hall, a Jacobean estate first constructed in 1620 and subsequently occupied and renovated up until 1940 when it was turned over the National Trust. This was followed by a jaunt over to the newer, but still impressive Sandringham Estate of the Windsor Family ("the Norfolk retreat of the Queen"). While the several houses of the room were viewable by the public were chockers with twee stuff, I found the collection of family photographs in the museum out back the most interesting.

London

2008-07-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

What better place to spend the Fourth of July than London. . .I spent three nights there over the revolutionary weekend, meeting up with ex-pat friends of various nationalities and picking up mother so that she could enjoy bit of a European vacation. Due to stereotypical London weather, we did some stereotypical tourist stuff, catching all the sites as it were - from Harrods to Westminster to the Tower of London to Greenich.

Norwich

2008-06-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

Norwich, UK - the town where medieval cathedrals are as thick as coffee shops in Seattle. If one's looking for untouched country, this is the wrong place. It's pretty hard to step anywhere without stumbling upon something from at least the 11th century. Claims to fame include the Norwich Market, the Norwich Castle, and of course Norwich Cathedral (that's the big one).

Despite being a relatively small nations, the UK can be a bit of a challenges to get around in. It took me the same amount of time to get from Heathrow to Norwich as it did to get from Washington, DC to Heathrow. Apparently, the folks at Paddington Station sent me to Kings Cross rather than Liverpool Street. Hence, I had to change trains in the less than quaint village of Peterborough and was forced to spend quite a bit of time hanging out there.

So, I'm here in Norwich for at total of four weeks, hanging out at the University of East Anglia as a "Visiting Fellow". In addition, I'm working out a couple of times a week with the Eastern Shotokan Association, and keeping up with the European Cup 2008. I've already traveled up to Newcastle to visit the University there and will be celebrating the Fourth of July in London next week.

I've enjoyed uncharacteristically pleasant weather - not like that Washington, DC place which was stinking hot. Sure, the rains roll in now and then, but I've managed to dodge the worst of it. The harder thing to dodge is the exceedingly large number of pensioners cruising around town in their little electric scooters. They're everywhere - the health service must subsidise them. Also, it's interesting to be in a town where the bicycle really is a core method of transport for everyone.