Keeping Myself Amused

As I drove through Tenterfield today, I saw a sign painted on the road, saying 1501. I did a bit of maths and decided that it had nothing to do with the history of the Middle Ages. I thought about a time, one minute after three in the afternoon. That made no sense either. Fortunately within a couple of blocks I came across the same sign, not painted into a white box. It said simply 50 - and I was happy to go with the speed limit.

I entertained myself remembering signs I had seen along the way. A long term storage facility had a huge banner along the side saying 'Children Free'. I know a lot of parents who would be happy to put their kids into storage from time to time, even long term would be seriously considered. That would allow the cereal box header to come into play, 'Adults go free!' As someone who is experiencing the freedom of the road, I wish freedom for all adults.

Bundaberg soft drinks (like sarsaparilla and ginger beer) have a suggestion on the label, 'Invert bottle before opening'. I assume they want us to turn the bottle upside down to dislodge any sediment or to shake up the bubbles or for some other serious reason - and then turn it right way up before opening. Inverting and then opening would result in an empty bottle.

I've been to two Toastmaster meetings in the past two days. On Tuesday night I joined the Gunnedah Toastmasters for a Speechfest meeting. I was lucky enough to get on the program and did the final speech in the Speaking to Inform manual. I was a bit disappointed as I had a wonderful quote to finish with and forgot to read it. Because I have finally, after 35 years of Toastmasters, had the confidence to attempt my speeches without notes, I forgot I had the quotation written out and left on the lectern.

My evening ended on a high as Angela and Peter invited me to camp overnight at their farm. I had planned on free camping at the RV spot near the river but Angela insisted there was nobody there and I should come with them. Apparently there was thunder and lightning during the night but I slept through it all in the total quiet and dark of their property. I was a bit slow getting away as we talked for quite a while and I sorted out a few simple computer issues.

On Wednesday (last night) I went to the advanced club in Tamworth. Like most advanced clubs there were a lot of very experienced speakers and the agenda provided a good variety. I was involved in the warm up exercise and a Just a Minute segment.

I headed off north immediately after the meeting and stopped about half an hour along the road. I thought I had slept well but ended up having a short nap today at Armidale and another at Glen Innes. I was tempted at Tenterfield but continued to the Jennings Hotel which is a step over the border from Wangaratta. Tomorrow I'll be back in Queensland.

Adelaide

University Building

I have just moved on from Adelaide - too busy while I was there to write. I had planned to stay at Brownhill Caravan Park as there is no free camping near the city. I was told there was a bus stop close by. I think that person must be a long range hiker! The bus stop was at least a kilometre from the park office and another km at least from the unpowered sites. As I was planning to visit some Toastmasters clubs and get back late at night, I didn't appreciate the thought of that walk in the dark at night.

I found the closest park to town, Levi park. I don't expect city caravan parks to be cheap so wasn't surprised to have to pay $35 a night. I always ask for a solo's rate and occasionally I get a slight reduction. This time I had to pay full price, the same as a couple so made sure that I at least had a hot shower night and morning to get some value from my tariff. As it happened I had a good spot among the tent sites at the back of the park with the River Torrens trickling by in the gully below. At the front gate, less than 200m from my van was a bus to the city, free between 9.30am and 3pm for old folk!

 

Catholic Cathedral

Now, 9.30 seems a respectable hour to go into the city but of course I had to pay to come home. During the day I was able to hop on and off buses and trams and see most of the city. I did actually walk the 3.5km city scenic circuit at least once and covered a lot of ground in the shopping malls, especially the Rundle Mall and the Central markets. There was plenty happening in the city as it is still school holidays and the weather was very enticing for tourists.

Mary MacKillop
 at Adelaide Cathedral

Rundle Mall

Court House

Part of University of Adelaide

The Intercontinental Hotel
where I didn't stay!

Railway Station and Casino

One day I jumped a tram and spent a few hours at Glenelg, the closest beach. It is very much holiday oriented with lots of kids activities, water sports and food outlets. A tram arrives from the city every 15 minutes and continues almost to the jetty. The weather was fine and hot and a walk on the jetty was refreshing. I shouted myself to a prawn skewer for lunch.

I managed to fit in two Toastmasters meetings in my three nights in Adelaide. Both were right in town and I asked someone to drop me back at my bus stop afterwards. There are dozens of bus stops and I hopped off anywhere along the way to town. To return in the dark, I only knew the one outside the railway station, so I used that to be sure I'd get home. I enjoyed both meetings and was lucky enough to be put on the program for both. What surprised me was the fact that, with a couple of notable exceptions, I had to introduce myself to the members as they did not approach me with a welcome. Are my clubs like that? I don't think so but will really have to look at guests welcomes when I get home. It might be time to have a Mystery Toastmaster again - with a fine for anyone who didn't greet that person during the night. The Mystery Toastmaster could be a member or guest, just to remind members that we are in the business of communication - with members and with potential members and guests.

The other important business in Adelaide was to see a physiotherapist. I must have poor driving posture as I waas very stiff and sore and every muscle was tight. I went to a physio centre on Tuesday and Thursday and had a good massage from Tom who specialises in sports injury - so it must have been a shock to work on my flabby body - though I am sure my muscles were as tight as anybody's. On Wednesday, not content with allowing my body to heal slowly, I went to another physio. The centre must have been registered as it is accredited by health funds but I have my doubts about my individual physio. I was pummelled and kneaded like a loaf of bread and came out worse than I went in. When I said he was too rough, my masseur just said that's what deep tissue massage is all about. However, even I know there is no deep tissue between the spine and the skin and he gave that area a good working over. The next day, I couldn't bear to have Tom touch my lower back so that was a bit of a waste. However, my neck and shoulders feel good again and I will be more conscious of my posture as I drive.

People of the Journey - South Australia

SA will be about longer term stays so I expect to meet far more fellow travellers.  In the five days at Southend, I had quite a bit to do with Jackie and Paul, and Susan and Natasha and their kids. Once they left, blown away by the Easter storms, I spent some time with Gay and Evelyn. I was sorry not to have met them earlier.

Langhorne Creek was an interesting place. I found it by accident. Driving past, I realised that it was shady and inviting so put down roots for a couple of days. Near me was a family from Western Australia. I was absolutely impressed by the kids, Jennifer aged 14 and Alexander aged 12. Obviously their parents Debbie and Charles were doing the right thing for the kids to be so advanced. They are on the road for a year. Alexander has been accelerated two school classes and Jennifer is working at year 12 level after spending three months in Italy last year. This year of travel is a great opportunity for the kids – though I imagine there are tensions with two generations in a small caravan for months on end. They seem to be managing well.

I spoke to most of the campers over a couple of days there. On the last morning I had to call for help as my battery was almost flat. I could wind down the windows and clean the windscreen but not turn the engine over. I had some offers of help but Ron and Sue had a power pack which they attached to my battery and I was away. Next time I travel long term, I will have one of those. And perhaps next time I won't run so many things without being attached to a power point.

Monday night I went to a Toastmasters meeting of a club called More than Words. The club had formed initially to support speakers with a stutter or stammer. Since then it has broadened. I was lucky enough to get a Table Topic and to evaluate a speech. The photo shows several members and Fiona who was a guest at the meeting. There were a couple of members that I would love to mentor, long distance by email or phone or uTube. I like their attitude and they have a lot to offer and to gain from Toastmasters. I can’t help myself, can I? I must have a messiah complex. If I am approached, I will do it.

Adriana Michalickova
I don't usually use surnames
but with a name like that.....

This evening I spent a couple of hours talking to Adriana from Slovakia, living and working in Prague. She and her boyfriend are cycling across Australia, from Sydney to Perth in three months. They are a bit behind schedule as she has had to stay in Adelaide for medical problems so they are getting the train on Thursday to Kalgoorlie. From there they will cycle the south west corner and be on a plane home in less than a month from now. Impressive!

In Coffin Bay I had arranged to meet Red Hatter Kay. She left me reeling. Tiny and turbo charged! In her working life, she was in a position where she not only had to be extremely organised but also had to organise a busy business - and that takes hard work. Now in retirement she and her husband Tony are involved with a Uniting Church mission in Mwandi, Zambia. Tony is working there at the moment on a project to bring a safe and healthy water supply to the community. They are working with over 720 orphans  (of an estimated 1500 in the district) and other vulnerable children. The emphasis is on feeding them and providing health care and education. The educational opportunities stretch from primary to tertiary schooling with 8 at university and 12 at college. What a difference that mission is making! It gets support from several countries but it is the people of Port Lincoln area who collect donations and pack goods. When enough is gathered, they pack and send a 40ft container to Zambia with everything from clothes to school material and medical supplies. The variety must be incredible - and the work of packing to use every skerrick of space in the container sounds like a nightmare to organise. I am humbled, Kay.

Tess stood guard, Kay's fearless hunter

I Feel Like a Giant with Petite Kay

Some of the Port Lincoln Red Hatters
Who Welcomed me to Their Meeting

My time in South Australia was cut short so there aren't as many people featured here as I had expected. However, those who are here, provide an example of the diversity of my contacts along the way.

Damnation!

I was sitting in a park the other day and could see only part of a street sign, ...nation Drive. Despite an adequate vocabulary, the only word ending in ..nation that I could think of was Damnation. Damnation Drive had a nice ring to it. As most towns have a theme in naming streets, I amused myself redesigning the neighborhood - Lucifer Lane, Satan Street, Brimstone Bridge. Then I remembered that Dad used the word to express dissatisfaction (which incidentally I also did this evening when I failed to save the post and had to start again.) That gave a new emphasis to my creativity. When I finally got to my feet and discovered I was looking at Coronation Drive, I had run out of ideas. To my consternation I realised that I needed to bring more determination and imagination to the designation of this task. (I knew there were other ..nation words.)

Once again my travels have been through some beautiful country in lovely clear crisp weather. I left Hobart yesterday to drive the Huon Trail. With perfect weather I decided to drive direct to Southport which is the furtherest the sealed roads go in all of Australia. I followed the Huon River most of the way. David Jones (of Hobart, not Peninsula Toastmasters or Department store fame) had showed me his photos the previous night and made me very conscious of reflections. I hope I have some good photos but can't download them till I get back to Zudi's on Tuesday night.

I made a couple of detours on the way. The Thermal Springs sounded like a good way to ease aching muscles. The photos from the promotional brochures must have been taken in the depths of Winter, showing steam swirling around swimmers. The reality was not so exciting. The pool was a standard rectangular concrete pool, not the bubbling spring in the wilderness that I had envisaged. I don't know if it was really 28 degrees as promised. Perhaps it was, but it was barely lukewarm, not the languid heat I had imagined. The hot shower afterwards was very welcome, though. I had planned to visit Hastings Caves as well. The advertisement said that no particular skill or equipment was needed. That sounded like me! No particular skill! When I arrived I found that the tour started with 50 steps down, which for me is harder than going up - and plenty of them as well, 500 steps in all! So no cave exploring for me.

When I finally got to Southport, I considered for a moment (well, I could have!) taking the dirt road as far as it went and then doing a three hour walk to the most southerly spot in Australia. I know I have been to the most easterly. I also managed when I was in Ireland going the the furtherest north, south, east and west. In Iceland (as distinct from Ireland) I stood on the most easterly point and I have done something similar in other places, so a long trek just to gaze out into the ocean left me  as cold as the Thermal Springs.

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I camped here metres from the water
with Bruny Island in background

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Sunrise taken from my bed

The last two nights I spent in camping grounds very close to the beach. Sunday night was at Port Huon where I was about ten metres away from the water. On Monday night, I was barely three metres away, looking out towards Bruny Island across the D'Entrecasteaux channel. As the sun set, the cliffs were golden in the sun. But even better this morning, I saw the sunrise. Yes, I know that some people see it often. I don't so this was quite an occasion for me. However, the very best part was that I took photos without getting out of bed, then rolled over and went back to sleep.

I spent much of Tuesday wandering around a couple of little towns. I stopped in Huonville for breakfast and had a quick look around there. Then I went on to Cygnet on a mission. I had read a feature in a local newspaper about a chocolate maker in Cygnet, with her product called Cygnature, which appealed to my love of word play as well as chocolate. When I finally located the shop, I found it closed on Monday and Tuesday. Then I searched for The Deepings Woodturners as their advertisements looked interesting. After cruising up and down the highway and asking several of the locals I found it - also closed. Despite current advertising, it seemed to be a permanent closure as it is a bit early even in Tasmania to close down for Winter.

At the last stop for the day, I met with success. I called at the Grandvewe (note the spelling) farm and sampled sheep milk cheese, a liquer made from the whey and also an ice-cream. I have brought some of the cheese and a pinot paste back to share with Zudi. It has a different taste from cows milk but it is quite pleasant and the cheeses are lovely. I'll follow up on the website for more infromation as it was an interesting stop.


My neighbours last night are from the Gold Coast. I think Queenslanders outnumber Taswegians at the moment. David and Vivienne are travelling with their seven year old daughter who seems to be having a wonderful time. While her parents spoiled me with black rice pudding and alcohol, Kirra discovered the joy of iPads. There may be a bit of pressure brought to bear - and I may not be very popular in days to come.


I had every intention of attending a Toastmasters meeting at Kingston tonight. I got the details from the TMI site and then found it in a local paper yesterday as well so I was pretty sure of the venue and the time. But I have been caught before. Fortunately I rang the contact number. The club has amalgamated with the Hobart club which meets next week. Damnation!