A busy week...

Travelled heaps (about 1100km) and had a busy time, lots of jobs & got most of them done. Haven't had much time when i wasn't tired to get into the Wild Divine but have plans for the weekend. With any luck I should get a good few hours in.

Victoria is a lovely place, particularly when it isn't in drought & all brown. We have everything here - a good site for checking out Oz - the list down the left is clickable so you can view snaps by holiday-makers from all around Australia.


I remember once, coming back across the Nullabor the first time, we had a English guy as a hitchhiker - he kept wanting to stop at each corner & take a photo back down the road & another one forward. I pictured this guy getting home & having a slide night & showing like 36 photos showing a dead straight road going to the horizon, over & over... LOL

This Wide Brown Land

Across the world’s vast acres, there’s grandeur, sights sublime
Vast steamy torrid jungles, tall pines across ridge lines
Deserts wide, so sandy dry, while one consists of ice
Wide plains with golden grasses, and paddy fields of rice

The folk, they vary widely, though underneath the same
They build and work, they live or die, most try to ‘play the game’
Impressive are the monuments, pyramids – cities - walls
In atmospheric churches, fine art adorns the walls

One place for me that stands above, the ancient and the bold
Lies far away from central pulse, a land of different mould
Here dryness is the normal, with skies of azure blue
And eucalypt’s sweet fragrance, cloaks mounts with smoky blue

Mostly wide slow rivers, meander through the plains
But even they get awesome, come winter’s flooding rains
Clear and gurgling crystal creek, through rocky gorge descends
Our golden beaches, famed afar, for days of fun with friends

Our mountains show no boldness, slope-shouldered in the heat
And snow in one or two locales, where skiers can compete
But Errinundra Plateau, Australian Great Divide
The Barrier reef and Ayers Rock too, are known far and wide

Tanned laconic sun-browned man, his life the world admires
He’s capable and honest too, works hard and then fights fires
In town more continental, our attitudes not yours
We’ve started new and built our own, forgetting our befores

All you see when overseas, you can find right here
It’s possibly not quite as big, or maybe not so near
But pick your chosen climate, your sport, or just your views
We’ll pull out maps, and spread them wide, it’s up to you to choose

While wand’ring round exploring wide, you need to take good care
A taipan’s bite will kill you quick, there’s a redback on the stair!
Black widows and the funnelweb, black death on humans frail
Cute furry Mr Platypus, has poison near his tail.

Cuddly climbing button nose, koalas get their highs
By chewing eucalyptus leaves, (with claws! So watch your eyes!)
Furry snarling savage devil, will tackle any foe
Last marsupial predator, be a shame to see him go!

Kookaburras, crows and galahs, quolls spotted, tigers too
Black swan, blue tongue goanna, grey ‘n big red kangaroo
And snakes we have, twelve of the best, tiger, black and brown
Spiders too, tarantula, and redbacks (Don’t Sit Down!)

You can die of thirst or sudden flood, or drown in heavy surf
Sharks, they like us swimming too, with crocs it takes more nerve
They’re deadly silent swimmers, who ripple-lurk to snatch
But we’ve got Mick and Steve as well, their savagery to match

We’ve flies and ants, big mothers they, and march flies bite like hell
While mozzies with incessant whine, disturb our sleep too well
Blowflies buzz in dopey flight, sea jelly scalds the skin
And prickly little bindi-eyes, spike up through soles too thin

Aside from all the dust and sun, there’s something special here
A cast of light, a depth of view, a sense the past is near
It draws one with remoteness, contrasting friendly grins
An age-old air of weariness, hiding ancient sins

When fires blaze in the bush at night, camaraderie sets in
It matters not to anyone, the colour of your skin
Through drought’s long dearth, or fires blaze, or every flood’s grey surge
Without a thought, we race to help, those left out on the verge

It’s nice to be Australian born, and travel overseas
And hear the welcome, 'G’day Mate! A beer, if you please'
Some think us just plain common folk, a criminal mistake
We laugh and raise a glass to them, knowing ‘she’ll be jake!’

You think you can’t know much of us, we’re such a tiny crowd
But think of our inventing skills, our products stand up proud
Hills hoist and Victa motor mower, good wine and fine red beef
Barbecues and suntan cream, extensive list made brief

When Man moon-walked you only saw it through our Eye-on-Sky
The first foot set, the famous quote, (We know it was no lie!)
Americas Cup, that famous mug, (It’s theirs by right, they feel)
Was finally passed when Bondy came, with his famous keel

If outdoors, surf and barbecue, would sate your heart’s desire,
A land of much more freedom, but also drought and fire
With parks and beaches, fauna too, where Hilton’s never been
A better life you can achieve, fly in to Tullamarine!