Friday, December 30, 2005

Oklahoma Downunder


I came across a softball game on a lazy Sunday afternoon. If the name of the baseball diamond wasn't so poetic, I would have swore I was somewhere in the midwest.

Camping over Xmas

Christmas is a strange time in Australia. While the commerical and religious overtones are evident everywhere, it is also the official start of the summer holidays with the kids being off for the next two months. Like the May Two-Four weekend in Ontario, everyone can't wait to get the hell out of the city, with camping being the main activity. So when in Rome...

We went to a national park strangely named Wilson's Promontory. It is the southern most point in continental Australia and one of the most popular spot for Melbournian caravan set. Thankfully we decided to hike in overnight than to assemble in the trailer park reminisent of a tent city you see in a disaster zone.

We did a walking loop starting on the 23rd, camping at three hike-in only beaches. On the way we braved brilliant sunshine, 70km wind gusts, swarms of flies, cold steely rain, balls-clenching cold water, and a pack that increasing got heavily as Shirley's gradually got lighter.

Our first night was at the Sealer's Cove campground, a former outpost for seal hunters. If there are see seals around, so they say, get outta the water because there's probably a couple of sharks lurking around.


Christmas dinner (and lunch and all other meals for that matter) consists of tuna in a pouch and instant pasta. I did manage to pack in some turkey salami, but an overzealous crow made of with it while I was not looking.

Our holiday home away from home, complete with a kitchen with a view and a pet crow that loves salami.

The view from the trail between Sealer's Cove and Refuge Cove, one of the nicest trail I've been on.

Hiking above Refuge Cove, probably the best campsite we never stayed at.

Instead of bears, campers have to worry about wombats, which are like raccoons on steroids and likes to check out tent for hidden caches of food.

Waterloo Bay, another one of the hiker campground. The sand is of brilliant white. Too bad the sky was a matching grey. This was out last campsite before we head inland and back to the car.

Did I say we braved swarms of flies? I'm not kidding. Apparently there are 40 billions flies in the country. They like places that are warm, dark and moist, like your nostrils and mouth.

For more pictures click here:Christmas in Wilson Prom

34 degrees Xmas Day



Well the weather is hot, school's out, everyone is off on their summer holidays. It must be Christmas time. It is 34 degrees Celcius (over 100F). People are out Christmas shopping and I'm wearing shorts and sandals. Last thing on my mind is shopping. (I hear it's a snowy winter in the northern hemisphere this year).

Cubist Cow