At 08:13 PM 4/13/2009, you wrote:
>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 found Ducane Road. Wow! There you are!


>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.

Jack Russells are such drama queens.

>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.

Probably a mistake giving the dog coffee. Jack Russells are manic 
enough as it is.

>(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/