Did I mention it is winter? Oh my god, it is so freaking cold. I am freezing my Phoenician ass off.

While hanging out in Deniliquin (where there are no rocks), a plan was hatched that would take me to Melbourne for the weekend. The sad part was I had to say goodbye early to the family I'd been living with. I was beginning to enjoy arguing with Harley (I didn't know he was a lawyer before I moved in), was able to keep up with Jenny (a librarian that saves up her daily word allotment and lets them loose in a raging torrent) and was making headway with their three children: Amy (she just got her license...), Eric (one more day and I'm SURE he would've spoken to me) and Dominic (he even tolerated my geology rants). But alas, the big city beckoned, and Jen Edwards (our Deniliquin host), Marla (another U.S. faculty) and I answered the call!

Melbourne felt like Vancouver to me. It isn't as "hard" as a big city, but it has all of the amenities. There is an artistic vibe and people still smile at you when you pass by. We took in 2 art galleries while we were there, including a huge exhibit on indigenous art. I'm really interested in aboriginal art, because it all tells a story. I suppose most art tells a story, but aboriginal art is more like a map...with a key and a north arrow.

While in Melbourne, I hooked up with the Stegmani (Dave and Wendy), who used to dwell in Berkeley, CA, but now live Down Under. Dave scares me when he drives on the right side of the road. I just about went into cardiac arrest when he ushered me into their car to take on the left side, but we survived. We mostly walked the streets of downtown Melbourne looking for the ever-elusive "Double Happiness" lounge. It was reminiscent of a night Dave drug a group of 10 of us around the streets of San Francisco looking for the Owl's Tree. The difference was that we eventually found THAT bar. No matter, we ended in a small, smokey lounge that had a Guns 'N Roses pinball machine. I laughed and thought of Scotty. We were in heaven, and Wendy showed us just how many free games she could win.

My time in Melbourne was short-lived and we were back in the car and headed for Albury. Four hours later we showed up late for a meeting, after which I went back to Janet's house for my last night in Albury. Janet, Kev, and I listened to surf music all night and drank Charles Sturt wine. Charles Sturt wine gives nightmares, I was excited to leave that particular vintage behind.

The next morning we boarded the bus - Canberra or bust! Canberra is the political seat of Australia. I guess they decided they needed a political capitol and rather than designate an existing site, they created a new one. It was interesting, because every doorway was symbolic of SOMETHING. The national symbol of Australia has an emu and a kangaroo on it. Apparently, they picked those animals partly because they are incapable of backing up. They can't actually walk backwards, implying that Australia can only move forward. But the funny thing is that the symbol has them facing each other, which implies that all they are going to do is bang their heads against each other. Canberra was a nice town, but it felt a bit artificial. There was a monument everywhere you looked. But, we did get to watch the sunset over the city from the Telstra Tower, and it is quite a lovely place.

The next morning we headed straight to the Blue Mountains, which create an incredible natural landscape. My soul was energized after going for a hike and listening to some bush sounds. Birds in this country are so loud. No really, they are raucous. I went on a truly lovely hike to Leura Cascades. It is like the Grand Canyon...but with trees. The place was originally being mined out for coal, but it has been converted to a national park...but not before they put in a tramway and railcar. Ah well, it is better than nothing.

Aussie Culture: Footie. Go Saints. In the southern part of the country, the natives are obsessed with Australian Rules Football. It is a rugby derivative. Apparently in Queensland everyone plays Rugby rather than Aussie Rules. It can get pretty rough, but everyone plays it. I watched Domenic in an under (13?) match, and it was great. But, I got the distinct impression that older kids (and adults) would just clobber each other. Every person has their team affiliation. Before I knew my address, I was walking around saying, "Go Saints." Saint what? I don't even know. BUT, their colors are red and white and I love them dearly.