Byron Bay Christmas

For the holiday week we decided to go to Byron Bay, NSW. Byron Bay sits on cape Byron on the North New South Wales coast. The small town boasts a pretty, functional light house, busy down town, hip restaurants and fantastic beaches. It is a green town that is plastic bag free and McDonalds and other fast food chains are prohibited to operate.

Byron is a beutiful small town that unkowing to us, swells to mega proportions during the Christmas week. We both agreed that we liked Byron and would go back again eagerly but never again during any public holiday. It is way too crowded and way too expensive as all hotel and meal charges essentially double during the holiday week. You live and you learn i guess.

We got there and got lost but eventually checked into The Bamboo Cottage, a B n'B we reserved in town. It was nice and the house was well kept by the owner Bernice. She gave us some info on the town and things to do around town but we ignored it and chose to our benefit to get out of town during peak hours.

Byron was kind of a hippie town until money discovered it. I believe it's history is somewhat paralell to that of Laguna Beach. Byron was once a little art community with cheap rents now there are swanky villas in the hills and a $30,000 a month rehab frequented by supermodels and sports figures. There were lots of hippies about but with all of the high end hair salons offering "dread locks" for a hundred bucks a pop, it was hard to tell who was really on the road or just looking earthy. Most were just looking earthy I suspect as any meal could not be had for under $25.00 a head.

Happily, although the restaurants were ungodly expensive were all very good. Every meal seemed better than the last and each bordered on exessively good. Everynight instead of braving the packed bars and night clubs we opted to head back to the hotel with some beer and sit in on the dark deck and have a drink with some of the other guests we befriended.

We had a great time in town but the best times were in the surrounding areas which will be in the following posts.

Merry Christmas

Lone Pine Koala Sancuary

We made the trek to Lone Pine this weekend to see some native Australian wild life. I mean, c'mon, I haven't even seen a kangaroo yet and I have been here over two months.

It is really a snap to get to. It sits about a half an hour bus ride south of the CBD, right on the bank of the Brisbane River near Queensland University.

They care for about 230 koalas and a plethora of other native animals. Tropical birds, emus, crocs, snakes, bats and dingos. They have a big reptile and venemous snak was display which was very informative as most of them are common in Queensland.

Mariana got to hold a koala which was quite an ordeal. They (koalas) seem very slow but tempermental and they have to be coaxed into your hands with food and at their pace. A couple of times we had to take a break and try again. They said to be very still as the koala thinks you are a tree which leads me to believe that they are not very smart.

As I sat petting a kangaroo it finally occured to me that we are truly in Australia.

Aussie Dream House

This spectacular and interesting house sits on the North End of the Brisbane River and I have thus deemed it "the dream house".

Life would be sweet indeed with what I am imagining are five to six rooms, five bathrooms and tons of entertainment space. It has a private dock with what appears to be a forty foot Skip Jack out front for any quick fishing expeditions. Mine would run on bio fuels.

Of course there would be cat trees in every room and cat walks constructed up high for the multitude of felines that we would have to bring in to complete the picture.

Leaving On A Jet Plane...

Today is the big day for our cats. It is the culmination of five months of stress, wondering and scheduling. I am still not comfortable with the thought of the plane ride and how terrifying it will be for them but it is better than the alternative of leaving them at a shelter, which we never would have done. I told Pandemic, "they don't go, we don't go". Pandemic has been great and agreed to pay for all of it. For all that wonder, for two cats to Australia including all veterinarian bills will add up to about $3500.00 USD.

Right now I imagine they are sitting at The Kennel Club near LAX waiting for transport to their midnight Qantas flight to Sydney, Australia.
It has been a long process that I started way back on July 26th but we are entering the home stretch. After they land there is just the 30 day in-country quarantine and they are official Australian residents.
A quick shout out to Mom and to Nathan at Pacific Pet Travel for coordinating the logistics end of the move while I sit in Australia. Pacific Pet Travel has been really great and professional during this process.

30 days to go...

Beach Blanket Bingo

Mariana and I decided to beat the heat and head to the beach. We went back to Burliegh Heads as it is a really nice beach and it was the best bet for some waves on the Gold Coast that weekend. We don't have a car yet and it has been frustrating as i have only been able to surf a couple of times.

I got skunked. It was 1-2 foot at max and the NW winds were all over it making for small and sloppy. It was a nice day however and we sat on the beach for a few hours and went for a few swims in the now very warm water.

Next week is Byron Bay so I should be able to get some board time then.

City Cat

I finally got to take the City Cat last weekend. I have been wanting to take it but thought it would be better to ride once Mariana got here. I didn't want to see everything then have to watch her have all the excitement on here own and me just feel like the tour guide.

The City Cat is great, it is a high speed, powered, catamaran that goes up and down the Brisbane River and makes frequent stops along the way. There is the City Ferry that makes even more stops. The river is a functional commuter system and a great way to see the city.

The Wife Arrives

Mariana got here last week and she is adjusting well. The first day is always tough and she got tired early which is to be expected. Since then, she has been good to go and we got out and explored Queen Street, South Bank, CBD, and City Beach.

Scrap Metal

I watched a fascinating program last night on an Australian station SBS. It was about an Australian man living in Laos, training local bomb squads to disarm munitions that have been left scattered about the country since the Vietnam War ended 35 years ago. I had always known that there were problems in the region with ordinance but I never knew to what extent.

I felt is deserves coverage.

Did you know?

Between 1964 and 1973 there were 580,000 B-52 missions flown over Laos and Cambodia, but mostly over Laos targeting the Ho-Chi-Minh trail?

The B-52 D and G models used for area carpet bombing missions could carry 108, 500 lbs bombs internally and externally, dropping them from an altitude of 35,000 feet?

According to my calculations that was 62,640,000 bombs dropped over Laos during a nine year period. This excludes other type aircraft sorties.

Of this, roughly 5 - 10 % of all bombs dropped were "duds" and left peppered over a country roughly the size of Florida. That means that they are littered with between 3 and 6 million 500 pound bombs, not to mention the deadliest threat to children, cluster munitions.

Cluster munitions are large bombs packed with hundreds of small, grenade sized bomblets, packed with ball bearings. They were used in large numbers indiscriminately through the jungle to take out large areas of living things. These are literally everywhere, lying around in a state of decay and instability. The worse part is that they look like a toy or a small ball to little kids who pick them up and get themselves blown to bits.

Laos is a poor country, most of the people live well below the poverty line and see any kind of scrap metal as a commodity, villagers find bombs and try to recover the scrap metal and end up killing themselves or maiming themselves in the process. It is a huge problem.

Laos has an amputation rate 600% higher than any other country in the world.


I am glad this Australian man is helping the people of Laos, I just wish I was watching a program about Americans cleaning up our own bombs instead.


Next Post will be bout something more positive, I promise.

Actually Good Aussi Television!

Stop the presses!!!

I actually saw something worth watching last night on Australian television. The Librarians on ABC is a situational comedy that takes place in a public library in Australia. It revolves around the main female character the head librarian. She is a staunch Catholic and mother of four that desperately trying to suppress her unconventional sexual urges and to keep her library under her strict control. Everything is thrown into a tail spin when her busty best friend from school days shows up and pushes her way in to her life. Hilarity ensues.
It is done in a mocumentary, improvisational style similar to The Office but i find this show is much more funny.
Australian TV is allowed to show more racier content than in the states and although mature in nature never goes too far. I would say rated PG 17. you can stream the show on the above link and if you have a broadband connection and thirty minutes to spare, I highly recommend checking it out. I have not laughed like that in a very long time.

Honest Abe...

It did not surprise me that they have televangelists here too. Although the Australian versions tend to be not as "polished" as say TBN, 700 Club or any other American "god" channels. I noticed they don't have the phone number at the bottom of the screen constantly scrolling, urging the flock to call in and drop a twenty for a prayer. This makes me wonder if theirs are actually in it for saving souls and helping others. Probably not but I think this one was...

Now, I only have four channels right now and being hung over from the debauchery of the company Christmas party I had little energy for anything else. I hope you can understand my actually watching these programs but I find I don't have to excuse this particular show. I was fascinated by it.

If it wasn't so plain I would not get it. They all dress like they just woke up on the set of Little House and they sing (rather badly) to the droning of a cheap organ grinder. They will sing their hymn, in this case "Little Donkey" then the camera will cut and they will occupy new positions in the church pews while one of the fellows gets behind a plywood podium and gives a modest sermon. His sermons were simple and direct and thankfully short.

That completed, they ran back to the choir and "hit play"" on the VHS camera and burst into "O' Come All Ye Faithful" in an unstable D minor. There will be no Australian Idols out of this group for sure.
The whole thing is done on what I am guessing are two 1980's era VHS recorders and no operators. When they switch positions, you can see the residual motion of the camera as it moves slightly from the pressure of being turned on. After the camera is switched on, one of the performers jumps back into frame to join the others. On one camera cut the older woman on the left just about took out one of her plants.


At least they are honest and humble and I will raise my glass to that.

Architecture

Period Australian architecture impresses me. This house is near my apartment and it is one of my favorites. It reminds me of a classic, Victorian in San Francisco with an Australian flair, corrugated roofs, large overhangs (for hot summers) and large decks for cooling off in the evening and screen doors to keep out the creepy crawlies. Notice the very bright blue sky that contrasts with the yellow paint and green palms.
The sun is very harsh here.

Flower Power: For Real

I thought this piece was interesting. I took the photo a couple of weeks back on the South Bank while on a walk. It is a solar powered, rotating wind mill in the form of a flower.

There is a lot of public art in Brisbane...

Funky Facade

This building I pass on my way to work every day is currently under renovation. I love the facade and iron work. It looks to me like it also boasts a glass ceiling for natural lighting. I can't wait to see it when it's finished.

Bad America

I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that Britney Spears (stankienuss ho-esnus) is insanely popular in Australia. The morning show actually has a five minute spot set aside just for the B-News of the day. I noticed that the moo-moo's she always seems to wear (with cowboy boots?) are in vogue here as well. Mostly she is popular as in the States, not for her music but for her drug fueled antics, promiscuity, clothing (or lack thereof) faux pas, and general white trashiness.

There are just certain things I wish would not leave the borders of The United States.

Other notable items that make us look bad: George W. Bush, Fox News, Mc Donald's, War on everything (i.e. drugs, poverty, x-mas, the use of the word war in general) Wal Mart...

Sold!!!

I just got word that the R00-Mobile has been sold, no thanks to you slackers that had a chance to buy it but didn't... You snooze, you loose!


That was a relief and it makes us feel much better and gives a renewed sense of hope. You don't know (some do) how hard it is to sell a used car in Orange County. From now on I am only leasing roo-mobiles.

Actually, it has been really nice not having a car. Sure we will get one. We will need something for the weekend explorations and the stores and all that although, they don't seem to be the status symbol here nor carry the same importance as they do in LA. You are not what you drive! I am hoping the next roo-rocket will be way under $10,000 and get better than 30 mpg as gas is pretty expensive and the Roo's want to be environmentally friendly.

I do want to give a shout out to my Mazda 3, I loved that car and will miss it, especially my Sirius Radio.


Sincere gratitude to used car sales ladies extraordinare'; Lana Neufeld and my Mexican mafiosa; Mariana, good job girls.



One car down , one to go. I am going to celebrate tonight!

The Fast and The Furious; Romania

Street Racing Scene in Romania.



Rock on...




http://www.prostreetromania.ro/prostreet.htm

Everything Wild 4... (officially freaked out)

I got to work yesterday and was telling one of my co-workers about the really big spiders I saw on the way to work. He is from Canada and although somewhat new to Australia, he has seen more than I have.

"Have you seen the bats"? He asked me.

"What Bats"? I croaked.

He started to explain to me that the park I walk through every night on my way home has a huge tree that is crawling with Spectacled Flying Fox Bats.

"So, those crows I see flying around at night are not crows, but bats?!?!?" I stammered...

"Nope, they're bats"...

So, last night I am out on the deck and as these things fly by I notice the silhouette and sure enough, they are huge bats. I am thinking they are about the size of a moderately proportioned house cat but with wings and claws and fangs, all of it. The creepy thing is that if they detect you, they will make a pass at you.

NowI got the hee-bee-jee-bee's from big really big, carnivorous spiders, then I have to worry about flying house cats...

It's just getting better all the time...


Actually if you see them close up, they are kind of cute little guys... I tried to get a picture of one last night but with a digital camera and in the dark it is proving to be tricky. One of the guys here has a blog with video of the tree in the park at dusk, you can check it out here...

http://thedickinsons.blogspot.com/2007/04/australian-bats.html

Everything Wild 3...

I am walking to work this morning and I happened to look in the yard of a house I was passing.

Take a look at what I saw.

There were some bushes out in front with the biggest spider web I have ever seen. Then I noticed what was on the web, about ten of the BIGGEST SPIDERS I have ever seen. The thing was teeming with them. I have never seen anything like it and i don't want to see anything else like it. I hate bugs!

I pulled out the camera for a picture or two, from a safe distance. I thought about how I don't think I would ever want to be a gardener here.



I have possibly identified it as a White Tail Spider or Lampona cylindrata. It is not supposed to be deadly but it does have a toxic bite.

http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/white_tailed_spider.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tailed_spider


Man, that's messed up...

Work

Where the magic happens...

BBQ at the Roo Cave

I was the guest of honer at a "post Snapper Rocks Surf" celebration the other night... Few beers, few laughs, and some music. I was the only one there but I had a great time and I controlled the IPod...

Snapper Rocks, Kirra; Paradise Lost

Coolangatta: Snapper Rocks, Kirra and Rainbow Bay.

The Super Bank

Now this place has been a full on dream of mine since I can remember. Scenes of days past, Kirra's long, roping, blue barrels. Firing down the bank, spitting reforming, hucking, spitting reforming, for hundreds of yards. On it's perfect days it has been known for 10-15 second barrel rides as being the norm.

Modern times has not been so nice to Kirra. The constant dredging of the Tweed River and the sand pump at the top of the point has robbed it of it's past glory, but it is supposed to still have it's day on occasion.

Then there is the Superbank. Starting with Snapper Rocks at the top of Rainbow Bay has become one of the most filmed and photographed spots in Australia. A long, perfect, sand bottomed point break is a magical looking place when it is on.

The surf looked epic as I was pulling my board out of my car. As I walked up the point it was amazing to watch the machine like cadence of barrel after barrel, roping it's way down the sand bank.

The wave will run down the line and start to flatten out, then it will hit the next bank and bend to a new angle, creating a very hollow, thick double up that explodes on the sand bar and accelerates down the line to the next bank and repeat. It is amazing to watch when it's on. I think i saw it at about 50% of it's potential but it looked amazing.

As I paddled out the wind shifted and kind of messed it up. It was still good but kind of lumpy and warbly and with the side wind it was hard to make sections not to mention see ahead of you through the spray.

California is not crowded:

It is also unfathomably packed with people. It makes lowers on a summer time south look virtually empty. There were probably three hundred people stretched along the three hundred yard stretch, every skill level represented, on every variety of craft and of questionable sanity. I don't know why or how they do it. Burleigh Heads looked better than Upper Trestles on a good day and there were four guys out. Snapper was marginally better but there were hundreds.

Most people were of the category "can't surf" and were more a hazard than anything else. One girl in front of me panicked as a wave broke in front of her and just froze and got pummeled. I duck dove right under her and she got washed over my back. I came up and shouted at her, "are you f#$%ing crazy"? She was wide eyed with terror and totally out of her element, she was not even the worst offender I saw. There were allot of people wearing Gath helmets and at first I thought it was because it is a powerful break, which it is not but, I soon figured out it was because of all the bodies and boards flying in all directions and the extreme danger you face when paddling out at the circus that is The Super Bank.

I was out for three hours and got three waves. The best being a fluke. I was desperate for a wave and took of on a head high gem with two people behind me. I was going to get one turn in then pull out but as I looked back to turn I heard one of the guys yelp as the other guy cut back into him and they took each other out. Success! I was the last man standing. I almost couldn't believe it. I pumped like hell and beat the first section and got in a couple of decent turns. I was surprised at how fast the wave is. You fly down the line and hit the elbow section and have to hit the gas to get around it. I can imagine when it is hollow it would be a back - door - shack-o-rama. The whole time you are dodging people, fending off shoulder hoppers and trying to see with the wind spray and evening sun in your face.

It is a difficult wave to surf although I think the shifting winds had allot to do with that. As well, you get quite a bit of leg burn after the first fifty yards or so. I think i might start climbing stairs in my spare time to get some endurance into my lower extremities.

It was an extremely beautiful surf spot. The point is lush with restaurants and bars lining the shore. The water was neon blue and clear when the sun was out. It started to rain while I was there and never got cold. There were bait fish swimming about and even though the water was at least six to eight feet deep, you could clearly see the bottom. The water does not smell and there is no trash at all.

Other notable events: finding parking is impossible, paddling til' the arms are numb, interesting birds, clothing is optional on the beach. Highly organized life guards with funny hats.

I can now say I have surfed the Super Bank, will I surf it again we will have to see about that.


The town of Coolangatta is great. Set back in the trees by the point it is a city on the ocean. Small but with lots of hotels, shops and cafe's lining the beach road. This would be a perfect place for me and the wife to go on weekends as I can surf for a couple of hours and she would have plenty to do and see, then a nice lunch after and a pint on the point...

Neener - neener - neener! I surfed the Super Bank and You Didn't!!!

ha

Burliegh Heads; Paradise Found

Wow...


First stop off the M1, Burliegh Heads. (cue the god music and parting clouds)

Who Can Forget the the Cyclone Season of 77' captured at Burliegh Heads in 35 mm splendor in Fluid Drive? Tom Curren winning the 1978 Jr's Championship in perfect 8 foot, grinding green barrels against Mark Occiluppo, setting the stage for one of surfings greatest rivalries? Notable local legends; modern retro man Dave Rastovich PT and Rabbit.

Burliegh Heads for me was somewhat of a mecca. A place I always dreamed of seeing but never actually thinking I would get to, never the less surf. It is a sub tropical, lush point on the Gold Coast with lava formed rocks on the point, a popular vacation destination for the mature unlike the craziness that is Surfer's Paradise. Green and beautiful with just enough city to make it sheik. There are restaurants and bars lining the white, talcum powder sand beach.

This would be a perfect place to set up Nick and Mariana's Bed and Breakfast and Kitty Corral Boarding house.

The waves looked pretty good but the wind was howling off shore with a bit too much South in it. I decided to head farther down the line to Snapper Rocks...


I will be back very soon to surf this spot.