Below are some of the first pictures from Australia - I'm posting them in no particular order whatsoever, mostly to do with just when I resize and upload them.

I'll be adding more later, and Lynne has a link to another load of photos here - go look, she has many very pretty ones.

( Lots of Pictures )

*sniffle*
Last entry from Oz I think, as tomorrow we leave.

Spent the day very pleasantly being driven around Blue Mountains (so called on account of the bluish haze that forest of Eucalyptus trees produce) and looking at various cliffs and rock formations and people patiently bearing with me taking pictures of every tree, and soaked in a hot tub thingie and then we had some Japanese food and went to a dyke night at some pub in NewTown.

NewTown is for me scarily reminscent of Old Belgrade in its architecture and streets (well aside from being cleaner and not derelict or homophobic). I've been noticing this about Australia lately - how much chunks of it remind me of Yug. For instance, Port Stephens was for me very similar to Montenegro (well aside from also being cleaner and with helpful people), and the hostel where we are staying right now (Sydney Railway Square) is next to a railway station which seems the spitting image of the one in Belgrade. From our bedroom window we can see the trains and I (at best equipped with only the vaguest sense of direction and plan) can't shake off the feeling that I'm meant to be somewhere else, going to an important destination I've all but forgotten about.

It's been great being here. We've done lots of intersting things and had the most fabulous food - we have been living in this food court which sells Asian food, working our way slowly around the menus (I've never had that much octopus in my life as in the two weeks here).

It seems a wonderful country, and pacing its streets I kept being reminded of the various aspects of it that people on my flist would appreciate.
For instance:
twistedserious you'd like Australia, it is overrun by the Japanese, and verlaine I think you'd appreciate Australia too, for a variety of reasons, such as the fact that they are doing a giant re-run of Dr. Who on telly, showing it from beginning to end.

There are lots of things I will miss, although I am not sure how I feel about the isolation of Australia - the inescapable fact that it is soooo far away from everywhere and everyone else. In some aspects it is nice, pleasant almost - and in others I think if I lived here a long time I would start very much to miss Europe and the idea that all sorts of people I care about are just a train, or an EasyJet ride away.

I'm still getting the leaving syndrome though - this idea that there are always all sorts of things left undone and that if I just had one more day, or a couple of days then I would somehow accomplish more. It hasn't happened yet. There is never enough time for anything, or anyone you fall in love with.

Several years ago, in February of 2000 I met a man called Jack who I proceeded to fall into love and into bed with- but not in that order.

When I met him I wasn't looking for love. Mostly I was just looking for a convenient, decent-seeming person to sleep with as virginity had got tiresome by that point.

It was an impulsive thing to do, but I have been known to be highly impulsive and I've always been blessed with finding gems in unlooked-for places. Like a sunburnt man with skin the colour of polished walnuts and a quiet smile and polar-blue eyes beneath the trees in a shadowed garden where no one saw us speak or kiss.

I've always quite liked that. The fact that officially we never existed. What happened between us was never documented, not in letters or photographs or eyewitness accounts - there was no one who knew where I was or who I was with - no one who watched our eyes or mouths or hands beyond the moon (who keeps the secrets) and the twisting boughs and trembling leaves.

I knew when I met him that he was a biologist leaving shortly for Australia to do conservation work there. At that time it was one of the chief attractions - the fact that we did not have to see each other again.

Of course, there are always things I don't count on. Such as the fact that he was more than just a decent man - Jack was a gem (a graceful man - self-contained and gentle as a tree, who loved deserts, and loved and that loved to draw lizards and me, sometimes).I've never had a very good sense of time, nor a good sense of the rules and orders of things. And you'd be amazed how much intensity and passion and beauty a person can fit into three days, or how wonderful it feels to be loved by a man who is unhidden and wholesome and kind. Or how easy I found it to trust him - me who had not trusted anyone for a decade, with my body or my heart, or how love flowed as easily between us as our bodies did into one another.

But that was all later. At first there was just us talking in the garden, and I was not paying attention to whether he was going to help rescue salamanders or dolphins in Salamander Bay - I was somewhat drunk at the time when he was telling me these things, and preoccupied with how soon I ought to kiss him.

I have been wishing I'd listened more carefully the past few days though, when we went to Port Stephens and found a place called Salamander Bay that's full of dolphins and people who work on the conservation and well-being of the species and I found it impossible not to think of Jack.

Not to wonder how he was or where, and what he was doing and whether he was still in Australia - it had been years since I'd seen the man after all, but ever since I set foot in Salamander Bay he's been on my mind.

I didn't ever get the sense that I'd run into him while I was here, I definately don't get the feeling he's in Salamander Bay anymore (if he ever was) but still...

There is a part of me which wonders, cannot help but wonder:

Where are you now? Were you ever here? Did we swim in the same sea, tread the same beaches, look at the same stars? And did you think of me when you watched the ones that fall, my love?

I love Australia.
I adore it.
I am absolutely thrilled by it.

We met Megan and her boyfriend last night which was great fun, They were both utterly charming individuals and there will be photographic evidence of this event at some point.

Lynne and I think that Oz combines pretty much the best of things both British and American, on top of being beautifully civilised and well-behaved as a country. Not to mention the fact that the weather is nice.

Of course, I realise that it's not perfect. For one thing water doesn't go down the pipes the wron way. And then it's extremely terribly isolated and cut off from the world (whereas Europe seems nestled in this lovely hub of activity where most people I need are just a couple of hours away).

Then in Sydney at least, there are the weird traffic lights which stay green a very very very short time causing me to have to spring across streets (to more melodious cries of Ouch Shit Motherfucker, as my knee protests vociferously). And the cabs look like police cars and I keep getting unerved by the amount of police presence in the streets before I realise that they are just taxis.

But aside from that, it's just lovely.
It's got the vast open spaces and friendly people of America but they seem to have the civility, politeness and the very fine wit of the British. On the other hand they aren't steeped in the Brit jaded cynicism and are unfailingly obliging and kind.

Years ago a very witty Yug man wrote a very witty Yug book called National Park Serbia about post-war Serbia as this isolated reserve in which all sorts of new species have sprung up and old species have taken a turn for the worse. And he documents all these species and lists them with their *latin* name: eg. The Savage Civil Servant out for your blood and liver, or the Hard Done by Citizen (Thirteenus Piggus) or the Unscrupulous Profiteering Prophetess (Nostradama Profiteria ).

Thus far in Australia we have encountered:

The Friendly Hostel Keeper Hostus Splendidus

The Very Helpful Bus Driver Charioteerus Compassionatus

The Arrogant Italian Dolurus in the Buttus (and thankfully not a native species)

The Born Again Christian Christianus Renaissansus

as well as naturally The Friendly Local and The Crushingly Good Didgeridoo Player.

And it is with a sense of real regret that I face the thought of coming back to the UK on Friday (amplified by the dread of the long flight on a plane that seemed to have been designed for tiny Japanese people).

However, we still have one more full day here and we aim to spend it in the Blue Mountains.

We're back in Sydney again, and aside from my knee which is worse for wear and the intermittent mozzie bites, we are in one piece and alive and well, and were having a wonderful time. We fell so deeply in love with the place we were staying that we stayed there much longer than intended (which involved phonecalls to cancel the other hostel we were at, and change bus times- the univesal response to all this upheaval was *no worries* - I love love love Australia).

The Aussie accent is contagious too- I can feel it sneaking up on me and almost irresistibly coaxing my I's into Oi and E into Eeees and Ehs. Not to mention the fact that I keep finding myself wanting to address everyone as mate and wish them a G'day.

And although my days in the rural Australia were truly wonderful they were internetless so I'm afraid my dears that I am terribly behind on LJ and haven't a clue of waht's gone on in your lives, so it may take me a while to catch up.

( Lynne and Nina's Adventures in the Bush )

And then the day after that we caught the bus back to Sydney. And that believe it or not is the short version of events because I'm running out of computer time and the rest of the adventures will be saved off for another day.

Heading out to Port Stephens very shortly- and my knees have been having arthritic thing for days so am NOTNOTNOT looking forward to the bus trip.

I AM looking forward to dolphins and didgeridoo playing - Lynne and I ended up at a free didge show yesterve and I *oooh*'d and *aaaaaaaah*'d even more than I had at Tharanie's tour. Spent some time chatting to a very nice man called Jeremy who makes didgeridoos and has proposed to sell us some simple unpainted ones for $150.

I've met quite a few people who are of part-Aboriginal descent (including some quite eccentric combinations, such as one guy who is a mix of Aborigine and Swedish) and it's fascinating to chat and pick their brains about their dual heritage (especially fascinating as most of them only encountered Aborigine culture in thier late adolescent-adult lives). There's an excellent movie about Aborigines in Australia in the early part of the 20th Century called Rabbit Proof Fence which among other things explains why there are so many people of mixed descent.

I learned all sorts of interesting things about didges, such as they are made from eucalyptus trees which are hollow inside because the termites have eaten their way through the soft centre but not the hard outer layers which are filled with tannin and that to make the didgeridoo one whittles down the hard outer layer.

I'm finally getting used to Aus, no longer feel so dizzy or disorinted even though the money still startles me because it has the queen's head on it but the two dollar coins are the smallest while the 20 cent ones are huge.

I think when I come back to England it's going to seem like an Ice age.

For those interested, further telling of yestereve's adventures partially related by meepettemu, here

I had a lovely, albeit somewhat surreal day because so many of Sydney streets and landmarks have the same names as London ones (i.e. Oxford Street, Hyde Park) and we had a lovely day being led purposefully by my friend Tharanie who gave us a tour of the city and patiently put up with me going *oooooooh* *aaaaaah* on every street corner. I'm so impressed with the lush green stretches of space and the tallness of the trees, as well as the presence of the botanical Gardens in the midst of the city (where we watched fruitbats and funny big screeching birds and at night saw the fruitbats circling the floodlit tops of tall office buildings- I wish I could take pictures of it but I don't think my camera will be up to it).

Went down to the Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House(cue more Ooohs and Aaaaaahs) and saw people ascending along the top of the Harbour Bridge in the blistering midday sun (a dubious pleasure which will set you back 150 Aussie $ - before anyone faints this is a lot less in pounds) and I acquired some very impressive sunburn across my shoulderblades (which thankfully doesn't hurt and hopefully won't start doing so when I lug my backpack).

We're shipping out of Sydney tomorrow to go to a rainforestey bit of the North Coast (which Lonely Planet informs me contains aligators whose attacks are *preventable and predictable*) and to do some dolphin watching (and in my case some bonus panicked scanning for sharks - I feel paranoid in any stretch of water that is not a bathtub or a swimming pool).

Courtesy of Tharanie we got fed Lamingtons (an Aussie thing- sponge coated with chocolate and rather yummy) and taken to the most sumptuous candle shop I have ever seen (be still my beating heart) and then got a chance to browse tourist tat to our hearts content. There's a lot of kangoroo related items, quite a few pelts (incredibly soft to touch and for me sad to look at) and some more disturbing household accessories such as a Kangoroo Scrotum Bottle Opener (ah, how I wish I was making that up).

Got waylaid by a shop full of didgeridoos (see also here )and I admired the nose of the guy playing them (beautiful and aquiline, aaaaaah bliss) and Lynne attempted to work out whether you could do poi tricks with bull roarers.

I was very taken by the didgeridoos and didgeridoo player - and even though circular breathing is way beyond me I can now comfortably make the basic drone . (Cue Nina walking down the street and blowing practice raspberries at random intervals throughout the day and night, occasionally intersected with attempting to work in other reccomended noises such as the yelping of a dog)

I wants one. I wants I wants I wants.

I'm determined to get one actually and carry it on the plane as hand luggage- Australians don't seem very fussed on what you export out of the country and hopefully the Brits won't be fussed (we've found a place that sells didgeridoos rather cheaply and gives a 50 % discount on top- which I tend to interpret as a blazing glowing neon sign from the Divine to blow raspberries to my hearts content and awaken my musical genes; possibly also an inducement to quit smoking so I can manage circular breathing without an asthma attack).

Other highlights of the day included a talking statue of a little terrier like dog, which graces a fountain and gets set off by some unknown mechanism when you least expect it - quite startling the first time it happens.

Went also to see crab racing, but unfortuantely bar was too packed and we only managed to catch the very very end. Ah, well.
Did manage to nearly cause a bar brawl though which is probably some kind of female rite of passage, but definately wasn't that high on my list of Things To Do In Australia.

I'm still very dazed and confuzed by the time difference, but at least for once I don't have to wake up at ridiculously early hours in order to speak to the Aussies.

Yesterday spent a lot of the day playing phone tag with my friend Tharanie, where like something out of a sitcom I'd leave her a message and every single time she'd check her messages I'd ring again and get the message that she's on the phone and to leave a message etc.

And then i rang again while she was ringing the hostel to leave me a message and so on. It's actually very fortunate we're meeting at all - it only occured to me that I hadn't spoken to her in a year and htat I was going to be in Australia in a week last week so I left her a very garbled phone message on a number I had (without a clue if it was still her number) and sent a marginally more coherent e-mail; it turns out she's not in Sydney anymore but is in Sydney for this week on a course and has the day off today and has kindly volunteered to take us places. :)

It is ironic, but generally meetings work out well for me and just drop into place despite or probably because of my huge disorganisation, so without divine intervention I'd never get anything done./ ;)

Peoples who would like a postcard- please leave a comment saying so and email me your address because even for those of you whose addresses I know, I've left my address book behind. Whoopsie.

My head is still reeling from having been travelling some 31 hours travelling (and from bowing indiscriminately to everyone since Japan) and I'm completely lost as to where I am in time and space, but I have still retained my ability to speak English (just about) and am wandering around in my head in a happy daze going *oooooh, spring!* *showers* *sunlight*
( Trek to the Land Down Under )

First leg of the journey went quite well, in Kansai Airport at the moment (it*s like a floating island) and the japanese keyboard is weird< so excuse the typos.

We are fine, knackered but almost human again after discovering the delights of the shower facilities. 600 yEn = the half hour opportunity to shower, wash hair, brush teeth and feel ALIVE again. Flight was very lush indeed, i can honestly say it*s the first time i have enjoyed airplane food.

At the moment lynne and i are just killing a bit of time before we board the flight to Sydney< so far we have slept< attempted to communicate with people< ridden cute shuttles, played card games with tarot cards and I entertained passerbyes by hitting myself over the head practising the backwards weave with poi.

iT still all feels vaguely unreal but i*m terribly excited about it. Japan is so cool - at least the bit of it i can appreciate from the airport. Plus i like having my money be worth an obscene amount of Yen, But then everything costs an obscene amount of Yen too so it*s a passing pleasure.

Will update again with tales of adventure and woe when i get the chance. :)

Just spoke to the lovely meepettemu who made my week by informing me that Japan Airlines has slightly changed our flights due to overcrowding and assigned us Business Class seats from London to Tokyo.

Oh Lush. Lush lush lush lush lush lush.
Thank you Lord. Thank you Japan Airlines.
I love all of you.

*blissed out*

So, I'm leaving for Australia on Friday evening. Which is not a whole lot of time from now.

I'm so nervous and excited that my stomach is one tight knot of energy. There's sooooo much I still need to get done, and because I've had to spend more money than I like recently I'm on a budget.

Things to buy:
two packets of cards, 6 dice, a Lonely Planet guide to Auz, several rolls of film, more socks and something else vital that I keep forgetting.

I'm outfitted with a big backpack, but only the vaguest idea of what I shall put in it, because spring is a fickle season and can turn both hot and very chilly.

And the art of needing to lug everything on your back strongly influences the need to travel light - but at the same time the possibility of going out clubbing/bar-hopping while in Sydney and the meeting of interesting and attractive people whom one might get acquainted with intimately (what else after all, are holidays for? ;) ) highlights the need for both condoms and going-out-in clothing.

Condoms, being light and very easy to pack are the least of my worries. On the other hand, shoes - and clunky and indispensable things like towels are going to be more of a headache.

As will how many books to bring, and whether I can get travellers cheques for Australian $.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. So many things to do!
I am exceedingly excited though, and the chorus in my head goes from:

Australia! New Horizons! Adventure!!!!
to
Passport, Tickets, Money, Packing, Errands ... System Crash

*rushes around like a mad thing muttering to self*