A very short post from Geelong

I arrived safely here in Geelong after a shaky arrival in Melbourne!!!! Before I left Alice, I was packing and realised my trusty old suitcase probably would not survive another tossing by airline baggage handlers. I bought another one in Alice- large, charcoal gray, all sorts of bells/whistles/zippy thingeys. Before I left I thought I should put something on to identify it. All I could find was some green wool I had leftover from a jacket I had just finished Hugo. So I plaited a length and wound it around the handles. Done.... So I thought..... Arriving in Melbourne I sorted out a shuttle which would take me to the hotel- only if I hurried, I had 5mins to collect bag... got bag off roundabout thing, into shuttle, to hotel in CBD Melbourne. Cellphone chirruped a msg- checked voicemail only to hear please could I return to airport asap as I had the wrong bag-and the owners were connecting to a flight in Launceston. I checked the bag- it was identical to mine....and believe it or not had green wool plaited around handles!! and it had a" heavy bag" sticker on it as well !!!So into a taxi back to Tullamarine and then back to hotel . So if you are travelling things are not always as they seem......Even the baggage handler standing guard over my bag could not believe they were identical..

The accommodation is ok, room quite comfy, bed better than Alice, but no hot water!! apparently an ongoing problem... The nearest supermarket is several km away- so yesterday went on a mission-took me an hour to walk, get basic groceries and carry then back. I do miss having wheels.
I think next weekend I will hire a car for weekend and explore the Bellarine Peninsula which is this area southwest of Melbourne. So much to see and do.

Sorry about the lack of photos- I will try and find an internet cafe thru the week....
take care

AU REVOIR TO ALICE..I WILL BE BACK SOON

During the week I decided I had not been on the road north.I had done East,West and South routes, so away I toddled in my little elderly Mazda 121...hey when one has no car- it is superb. The main thing that never ceases to amaze me here is the distance from one place to another. These sign posts, well they speak for themselves.





The road to Halls Creek which if you find a map heads n/w bypassing Darwin. I am told it is red dirt and basicly straight all the way!!!!! I have made some great friends here, one young couple have just bought a 4WD twin cab ute, so have promised we will do that trip later in the year. It is the sort of trip one does once......... I do look forward to that.



All the interesting roads are 4WD only- great at the moment, but a storm can change things dramatically.I did about 200m on this road- the poor 121 nearly rattled herself apart- the corrugations horrendous.

I still find this landscape very appealing. Maybe its the warmth of the colours contrasting with the harshness of trying to make a living in it. Maybe its just so different to NZ.

About 60km north of Alice I found this marker to the Tropic of Capricorn. I had not realised how far north I actually was.

This week has probably been one of the most frustrating I have ever spent- fighting bureaucracy at its worst. I needed my Aust Institute of Radiography Accreditation to work elsewhere in Oz.( N.T. has a reciprocal agreement with NZ...there is some sanity here.!!) I spent 2 weeks thinking.........

sleeping...relaxing...

reading.......

Just waiting for it all to be sorted. Many phone calls all over Oz, slamming phones down in absolute frustration- (not really like me at all!!) Then the better news started- Fri morning-I heard my car had finally sold- so I had money to keep home bills paid. Thankyou Chris for your hard work...... Friday lunchtime it finally all came together- I was, who I had been trying to convince them I was. I was able to book flights to Melbourne and I leave Mon afternoon. The job I am going to is in the hospital in Geelong, and is for 6 1/2 weeks, then I return here to Alice.

Au revoir to Alice.... I will be back 1st July .

RAINING OVER ALICE

It is sad when the news of the week is a rainstorm over Alice.......I know ChCh and elsewhere have had their share of rain in the last few weeks. I have been here 8 weeks now, and it is the 3rd time a little rain has fallen. It is an amazing phenomena- the humidity rises, it gets so sticky hot-like a nor'wester-and then the clouds gather. I prejudged what might happen, and thought I would see what happened over sunset....and it did. Hey, I do get it right occasionally. I thought I would share then with everyone.




Above Alice there is a hill called Anzac Hill which during the war it was part of a very important fuel reserve/base. It gives one a 360' view over Alice- perfect for photographers. I was on my way out for dinner- some great eating places here- so climbed up with my camera (of course). This is what evolved over the next 30 mins.

Way out to the west was this squall, hugging the hills. I loved the way the light came through it.

The colours changed......

...and just when some thought it was all over, it fired(!) up again. There were the usual tourists up watching the sunset, but time constraints meant most of them left before the last beautiful blast.

I am still doing battle with the A.I.R. Now my boss here in Alice has got onto my case...and has written them a letter that will either fast track it all, or I will have such a black mark beside my registration I won't work here again.......For a professional body, it is despicable how they waste resources and time. My job in Geelong is being held..for a few weeks..maybe soon I will get there.

ps..this is not my boss here...there are certainly no flies on her. She is lovely.

It is still warm here- up to 35' most days, but it is very pleasant dry heat, quite bearable. The nights are dropping to about 17', (also bearable.) Alice is unique- even though it is in the midst of desert, it has an abundance of water. Underground aquifers flow throughout the area apparently, which is why the smallest amount of rain makes the rivers flow above ground.