travelling allrite

At last a warm and sunny day! I write that as our cabin sounds with the white noise of heavy showers, but it was true when we awoke, clocks turned forward by an hour with the arrival of daylight saving. We hired Alex a "go kart", a two seat tricycle, that we pedalled around the caravan park. Then it was time to head into Queenscliff proper to catch a ride on the Bellarine Railway. I have ridden this historic tourist train line many times over the year and it's one of my favourites, especially the start which sees you running just above the waterline of Swan Bay, alongside, weedy brine swamps. Our two wooden passenger cars plus guards van were hauled by a little tank engine steam locomotive that puffed along rarely exceeding 20 kilometres per hour. Past the bay, the into the rolling hills of the countryside, sheep, horses, cattle, olive trees and even a flower farm. It was a slow ride, but a relaxing one. Alex slept for about half of the 45 minute ride....

We celebrate a military defeat, many call for the anthem to be replaced with a song about a sheep thief and a bank robbing bushranger is a national hero. This is a strange country. Bit of a wet country too right now. A downpour at 5.30 AM woke Alex up which meant no more sleep for the next few hours as somebody wanted to play. After a Ned Kelly pie for breakfast at the Beechworth Bakery we chased the pie's namesake with a drive through misty green corridors, past floodplains living up to their title, to Glenrowan, the site of the Kelly Gang's last stand. After passing by so many times en route to and from Melbourne it was time to introduce Alex to this Australian legend. I realised how much I had forgotten about him when we entered Kate's Cottage. A replica of his armour and his ramshackle home along with many artifacts from the era and some talkative cockatoos. Well worth a visit and reading through Ned Kelly's history I could see why he might be consider...

There's a hurricane between us and America. Lucky we didn't go there. A big storm hit South Australia and the Riverina is flooded so it's fortunate we changed our mind about heading there as well. But how were we to know that it is a religious holiday in Victoria in honour of their most sacred event (the AFL Grand Final) and that all the food outlets would be full? Should have stayed back to watch our local NRL team play its first Grand Final in years? Who are you kidding? I honestly don't care. Besides which, I was born in Melbourne. Go the Storm? More like go into the storm. There was blue sky as we left Sydney but we were soon beneath the grey and white mass of clouds on this cool day. With the temperature outside in single digits the rain held off for a while, but after we passed the Federal Highway turnoff the showers started. Wind turbines shrouded in mist, churning the air in the stiff winds that fought us outside. The countryside was greener th...

On days like today I look out of my office window and watch the big jets turn across the sky and head away east towards the USA. I especially like to see the biggest of them, the Qantas A380s and 747s as the roar overhead. I could have been on one of those flights in a week and a half's time. Late last year I took advantage of a half points deal and booked us flights on Qantas to New York via Los Angeles and returning from San Francisco. It was done in a rush and without as much forethought as was sensible. Despite the ubiquity of the United States on our screens, in our culture as a whole, and even having read books on its history I realised how little I actually knew of the country. That's understandable. It's bigger than Australia with many more people scattered across its reaches. It is a country that both celebrates and fights it's diversity, takes pride in its role in world affairs but apparently suffers ignorance of them. The flights had...

"Relax," says Sempai Neil when I try to demonstrate my kata. "You're too tense Andrew!" Too right was I tense! I shouldn't be. The weather today was perfect. The weather tomorrow predicted to be the same. Turbulence should not be an issue. But an anxiety is not rational. It is a sense of dread, a tension. The night is a bit disturbed and I wake before the alarm sounds at 5.20 AM. But I wake feeling more relaxed than when I had shut my eyes. I take the dog out to do his business and give Alex and B cuddles before stepping out into the sunrise and off towards the bus stop. On a domestic flight like this I'd normally put sleep and family time ahead of time at the airport, but this flight has been booked through our corporate supplier and I can't check in online. Our team is moving in the organisation and a meeting was scheduled to talk to our new friends. My two Sydney colleagues were flying down and I didn't have much choice but to join...