I have included a weather link on the right bar so people can be better aware of the reason I live in Brisbane. A sub-tropical city on the east coast of Australia the only issue about weather is will tomorrow be like paradise or just perfect.
However, each winter, the temperature does drop to single figure celcius for about two weeks and when it does the family get nervous and/or just wait for me to start ranting about moving to Cairns, a tropical city a thousand miles north of here and definitely Tropical.
Why do kids roll their eyes like that?
Old soldiers prefer warmer climes. Something to do with osteoarthritis – a medical term for aches and pains associated with years of sleeping on the ground in not-so-warm climates.
So you can all feel sorry for me I have included a picture of the view from my home office. This nice little set-up is fiercely guarded by Holly, the Golden Retriever on sentry duty half hidden behind the chair.
I feel so secure.
The patio roof sheeting (the shiny stuf at the top of the pic) is insulated with 50mm of a foam not unlike cold-room material. The cold room insulation has been modified in Queensland to try and tame the power of the sun. Last Christmas the temperature was 10 degrees celcius less under the patio than out in the sun and it was still mid 30s under.
For those who live in snow-bound climates like northern Europe, and some of my readers do, you may find it hard to believe, but in December and January the pool is too hot to swim in and we have to provide shade over the pool to cool the water down.
If I get bored at home I can always tavel about 90 minutes north and arrive at the southern end of this shitty little beach. From the point, one can drive south (towards the top left hand corner in the pic) along an almost deserted beach (50 to 100 m wide at low tide) for about 60 km.
Fish, swim, camp, drink or just sit there and get overwhelmed by the beauty of it all.
Count my blessings…feel better now.
Very busy with Legacy this week but hope to be free sometime tomorrow morning to comment and watch the Left wind up for a huge dummy-spit on Saturday night. Legacy, that organization that looks after the widows and children of deceased veterans is planning an auction of militaria to be held at 41 Merivale Street South Brisbane, QLD 4101 (07) 3846 4299, on Sunday 17 Oct.
One lot caught my eye…
Dagger – Japanese Kamikaze Dagger. Has very old ancestoral blade C1850. Pilot’s name in panel on sheath with red ‘Rising Sun’ & “Kamikaze” on reverse. Brass Naval symbols on hilt. From estate of CPO Percy Ross, on HMAS Nizam at Phillipines Invasion.
Like, how many ‘Kamakaze’ daggers would there be left in the world? They should all be melted somewhere in the Pacific..a part of the wreck of a US or Aussie destroyer or simply at the bottom of the sea.
Phone (07) 3846 4299 for more details. Legacy accept phone bidding and will gladly send you a catalogue if your not local. If you are local drop in. I manage the database and catalogue so I can promise you over 500 lots of Australian military history.
I’m prepared to bet that the God of rational thought will prevail on Saturday and send the Coalition back to the treasury benches. The lesser gods of hedonism and socialism will have to take a backseat for another parliament.
I’m standing by for a deluge of ‘Just how stupid are the voters’ on Sunday.
Should be fun.
I will never, ever, tell stories again about bad Infantry camp sites.
How do you check the sentries?
From
Gut Rumbles.
If 228 people voted to withdraw our troops because a terrorist said so, then what the hell else are they confused about.
Isn’t there some way we can disenfranchise idiots like this?
Must be Green supporters.
A sucide bomber has detonated an explosive device outside the Australia Embassy this afternoon. Due to the strength of the security walls it appears no Australians have been killed. Typically, the bastards don’t care who they kill – even their own people are fair game.
The al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah group need to memorize the flag and be careful otherwise the last thing they see will be the flag with camouflage backing on the shirt of an Aussie digger.
Good at killing men and women, try a digger – he fights back. Just ask your scruffy mates from from other theatres of terrorism barbarity.
I have just spent six days at Carnarvon Gorge helping the staff of a local Boys college run an environment studies bush week. I am often caught criticizing the education system including the input of teachers and output of young Australians but must give credit where credit is due and in this case do it gladly.
The teachers worked very hard, sometimes up to 20 hours a day, leading the boys up ravines, along cliffs and high ridges. The entire exercise is one of learning about the environment, aborigines and their culture and the boys own self worth. Time spent around the campfire at night was devoted to assessing each boy and approaching his personal and academic advancement in a positive light.
If you read boys college and think ‘privileged’ don’t. A lot of parents work two or more jobs to have their sons attend this college and whereas one boy might be the son of a wealthy businessman, the boy along side is not. The boys are only privileged insofar as their parents strongly believe in education
Another pleasing aspect was the presence of fathers and others who had once had an association with the college who gave a up a week of their busy live to travel on a 1600 km round trip at their own expense to help guide and provide role models for the boys. Company Directors, Tradesman, a 79 year old ex Luftwaffe technician, a publican who has recently divested himself of his hotel and a brace of young ‘old boy’ uni students.
Such is the committment of those who believe in education.
I contributed by helping to run the Base Camp. My legs, and more recently, my right arm, are beyond their use-by date so leading boys up ravines onto high ridges is beyond me. But hey, I can now enjoy the life of a base soldier.
I was thanked for my help but the abiding bottom line is that I am a better person for having witnessed this dedication to our youth and I congratulate all who attended- particularly the leaders.
While there I met an old mate from Army Days who, with his wife, had spent some days on bush walks. When I told them I was with the schoolboys they were generous with their praise of these 15 year olds, who, to a boy, had looked up on their weary climb up the gorge and exchanged pleasantries, said Hullo, how are you? Great place isn’t it? Did you see the echidna down the track?
Best praise of all – unsolicited.
My background leads me to be critical and demanding but I have no criticisms and would only demand you consider sending your boys to Nudgee College, Brisbane
They would be in good hands.
More tomorrow
I’m back! More to follow
I’m now at Darwin after 3,750 km of pub crawl. I’m on a six week trip through Queensland to the Gulf country, across to Darwin and then Kakadu, (the locals call it Kakadont due to all the nanny state rules) Jabiru, Coburg Peninsular, Nhulunbuy, Gove, Katherine, Eva Valley, Alice Spings, the Simpson Desert, Birdsville and home. Plan to be back by end July with about 12,000 km of Australian under our belt.
A friend, Brian, and myself are doing the first part of the trip sans wives – hence the pub crawl statement. The ladies have now joined us at Darwin and from now on things will be more civilized – so I’ve been told.
Communications varies from moderate to non-existant so postings will be spasmodic until I get back to civilization. Yes, Darwin is civilized but it gets worse from here. I am logging all the trip and will post in bulk on return.
Conversations at pubs with people at the coal-face of outback life and it’s problems has been my purpose and will be the subject of later postings.
At Darwin I have had the pleasure and time to speek with Shane Stone, the ex Chief Minister of the NT and Liberal heavyweight, and can only say I now view NT problems from a different perspective. Illuminating. More later.
At Nhullunbuy I will be meeting with Galarrwuy Yunupingu and family and look forward to reporting on that. I go there with an open mind and will work hard at keeping any pre-conceived ideas to myself. I want to listen to someone elses point of view, someone who actually lives the problem..walks the walk and talks the talk.
Maybe I’ll learn something that has eluded me until now but doubt it. I think the problems are well recorded by now.
Otherwise I’m on leave.
Due to my computer’s mother board noticing the expirey of it’s warranty I had to have another one installed with the result that I didn’t collect my emails from Thursday thru Monday.
Monday, issued with new passwords I pressed the send/receive and went and made coffee.
Wow. 382 emails! So many friends. Obviously some correspondents were old girlfriends with thinly veiled comments of a personal nature and just as clearly some others (with male names) were old old drinking mates who failed to believe my juvenile boastings on conquests – why else would they suggest chemical enhancement for my libido?
Jordan, I can’t remember where I knew him, suggested my girlfriend would thank me big time. If such a person existed she wouldn’t thank me after my wife had sliced and diced her and posted her home in a small post bag. Still, maybe he doesn’t know I got married.
Worse to come – I have to talk to Telstra Bigpond Technical Help. 23 minutes to get past the gatekeeper with her inane, repetitive waffling and then the Indian accented;
“Good morning sir, how can I be helping you”
Stay cool, Kev. Don’t waste 23 minutes.
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