In the Land of Oz

I’ve been in Australia for just over three weeks, and the thought occured to me that ‘Blogabout Europe’ is no longer an appropriate title for this blog.  So I’m going to start a new one in the next week or so, and it’s going to be Australia-centric.  If you have any suggestions for a new name, please let me know because I’m experiencing a lull in creativity.

Australia is like the promised land after nearly two years in the UK.  This is, in large part, due to the weather, but mainly because of the overall quality of life.

Example:  Last week, I went skiing for the first time, a few hours inland from Canberra.  A few days later, I went to the beach.  The conditions were excellent in both locations for both activities.

In the morning I get up and run in the Blackbutt Nature Reserve across the street.  The other morning I literally raced an emu.  This is not an exaggeration.  The emu instigated it, and I am proud to say that it lost.  The fact that there was a fence between us is a minor detail.  There are also goannas, fruit bats, kangaroos, and even koalas scattered around the reserve.  Nothing like the smell of eucalyptus in the morning.

Yesterday I went for a walk around the wildlife exhibits and got an impromptu meeting with a wombat. The keeper happened to be passing by and asked if I would like to pat Bonnie or Clyde, the resident wombats.  Who passes up this kind of opportunity?  Not me.  In case you were wondering, wombats have scratchy fur and get jealous if they are not the ones being patted. They also like chocolate and crunchy noodles, though they aren’t allowed to eat either one.

Not the kind of stuff you get to do on a daily basis anywhere else, at least not in my experience.

Regular blogging (and photos!) to come, which will focus on life and travel in and around Australia. As soon as I come up with a name.