Okay, a small travelogue is called for. If you're not in the mood, skip this
page. If you have Google world or whatever, we are in Ducane Road, Gelorup,
near Bunbury, Western Australia. I suppose it is about 350 kms from Perth,
but I'm not going to check it.
I'm writing this on the fly, so don't listen to distances or times too
specifically. We aimed at leaving Perth at 8am, having filled with petrol,
packed and planned the day before. But, due to me looking at emails and
foraging for just the 'right' couple of books to bring (and change my
selection of CDs) we left at 8.30am. Our 10 month old Jack Russell cross,
Zimmy, was not impressed with getting in the czar, but soon settled down to
lieing flat on a pillow on the back seat and panting, tongue hanging out.
We played John McLaughlin with Shakti on the way out of the metro area, an
almost straight drive up a city highway (Tonkin H'way), then a straight
left/right combination to get onto the South West Highway which pretty well
gets traffic all the hundreds of kilometres to many of the major country and
regional centres down south in this state. Because it was Easter Monday the
traffic was mainly coming home to Perth, so we had an easy clear path. The
traffic coming the other way was heavy, and even with the speed limit at 110
kph we saw four police cars writing out speeding tickets and then checking
those cars for road worthiness in the three hours we took to get here. Only
one huge truck was going our way and he pulled over very kindly to let us
pass. We stopped once to let the dog do its business and to have a cup of
coffee and a spinach quiche at a small town. (Yes, this man does eat quiche
- and just about anything else offered to him!) The music changed to Miles
Davis in Paris, with Kenny Garrett on sax, one of my favourites. You may
well ask, where was my wife's choice in this music? Well, she actually chose
that one, so I'm not all selfish She does talk the entire time, so the music
is a kind of soundtrack for me to listen to as the kilometres click by >g<
When we stopped the dog took great delight in doing a ceremonial crap just
off the main footpath in the main street (which was the highway going
through town). But the spinach was wonderful, the coffee not so great. I
drink it black, and its flavour matters a lot.
No, we didn't see any kangaroos, koala bears or echidnas (or frill-necked
lizards). They know enough now to stay away from traffic like this and roos
mainly only come out, in small family groups often, at dawn and at dusk. Up
north there are millions of them, but down south you see them less often. I
just add that in for those who have never travelled in Oz.
We arrived early, about 11.30, and the owners (my wife's niece and husband)
showed us how to maintain the pool, how to set the temperature on the spa,
what happens if the power goes off, how the reticulations works, what the
dog eats for meals, where the possums get in, how to replenish the birds
water, etc. All the instructions just made me nervous at all the things that
could go wrong! We live a simple life in a simple house: this would seem
like luxury to some, although all it seems is gaudy and tasteless to me.
The main TV (there are at least five) has a screen the size of a small
theatrette. After the owners left, my wife and I picks up each lounge chair
and moved them back about a yard, just to be able to take in the big
picture. But they do have every channel available, paid and free to air, so
I watched the one day match from St George's between Sth Africa and
Australia. Unfortunate result, but it was good to be able to watch it.
Enough? Oh, my interview went surprisingly well. The adrenalin switches on
with the microphone and I bullshit my way through many questions. The
interviewer and I laughed at the end because my first answer went nearly
seven minutes! If ever you need a short, bearded after dinner speaker, call
me: I'm available and will talk on any subject, whether I know about it or
not! Ha ha ... He'll be in the suite this morning, in Perth, editing it,
cursing my loquacious nature.
Here I am, having fed the dogs and swallowed some cupboard cardboard (no
oats in sight), writing to you. Hope you are all well and that the ink is
flowing onto the page without too much trouble.
Andrew
2009/4/14 Mark Weiss <[log in to unmask]>
> OK, I found Busselton on Google Earth. More specifically? Maybe we can spot
> the top of your head.
>
> Not too far from the wineries.
>
> Mark
>
>
> At 05:42 PM 4/13/2009, you wrote:
>
>> hope you had a good interview, Andrew, & are enjoying the 'south'....
>>
>> (I mean how far south, really, from Perth?)
>>
>> Doug
>> On 12-Apr-09, at 11:12 PM, Andrew Burke wrote:
>>
>> Aha, hooked up already. No, we are housesitting near Busselton. It has
>>> wireless and all - good for an internet addict like myself!
>>>
>>> But now have to get ready for an interview (local ABC), so I'll tune
>>> in
>>> again later.
>>>
>>> Andrew
>>>
>>>
>>> 2009/4/13 Max Richards <[log in to unmask]>
>>>
>>> south means Margaret River and all the wineries, does it?
>>>> and no internet cafes...?
>>>> enjoy, Andrew.
>>>>
>>>> Max
>>>>
>>>> Quoting andrew burke <[log in to unmask]>:
>>>>
>>>> I'm off down south here for a couple of weeks, so postings to this
>>>>> list
>>>>>
>>>> may
>>>>
>>>>> be erratic ('You mean they ain't yet, Mr Bones?'). Now you be kind
>>>>> to
>>>>>
>>>> each
>>>>
>>>>> other ...
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Andrew
>>>>> http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> This email was sent from Netspace Webmail: http://www.netspace.net.au
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Andrew
>>> http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
>>>
>>
>> Douglas Barbour
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>> http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/ <http://www.ualberta.ca/%7Edbarbour/>
>>
>> Latest books:
>> Continuations (with Sheila E Murphy)
>> http://www.uap.ualberta.ca/UAP.asp?LID=41&bookID=664
>> Wednesdays'
>>
>> http://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2008/03/new-from-aboveground-press_10.html
>>
>> The covers of this book are too far apart.
>>
>> Ambrose Bierce
>>
>
--
Andrew
http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
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