The Magic of Australia

It was 37 degrees and sunny yesterday as I drove around to people's homes to interview them. One of my interviewees said "you've picked a bad day to be out and about". I guess she's never weathered a
 - 30C snow storm!

A few of us agreed to meet at the beach for a swim. When I arrived Louise said, first of all we have a surprise for you at Lori and Bob's place (who live nearby).   

So we headed there but she wouldn't tell me what the surprise was. I was thinking that a Canadian academic whose in town to present at a conference must be over for tea.

But, as we entered the yard I was told to be quiet.

And then I saw him or her in a small eucalyptus tree right beside their patio.

S/he had quite the overbite!

It's hot and windy and apparently the koalas, not usually in this neighbourhood, go looking for water. Lori and Bob have a bucket of rain water in their garden.

While we sat in amazement s/he fell from a higher branch down to a lower one, crawled back up and as if bored with it all...

hooked it's claws around the branch and promptly went to sleep!

Three weeks to go!

Today was my Farewell Party hosted by my friends and fellow Canadians Lori and Bob.

Thirty of us met at a park on the Esplanade with the white caps dusting the teal green ocean just steps away.  People hauled their Eskies (coolers) with wine, beer and cider and shrimp and meats to be cooked on the communal ’barbie’,  provided by the Council. Most parks, even small neighbourhood ones, have them.

It was sunny and warm as we sat outside, ate and drank wine and visited all afternoon.  

  

The group today represented seven countries.  

I will definately miss the friends I have met at Flinders! 

It was a long day for at least one of us!

Progress

On August 9 I wrote about being in a holding pattern. In the months of August, September and early October it wasn’t clear whether I would get the data collection for my research completed before Christmas, which was Plan A. Hence why I mentioned I had Plans B and C. One of which was to come home and do my research in Canada (which although desireable had complications in terms of ethics and supervisors). 

At that time we needed to get support from the government, the clinics and the nurses.  While I was awaiting approval, the health system began to fall apart. To quote a high level government official, SA Health is “single handedly lowering South Australia’s credit rating.”  Sound familiar?

After some delay getting through two ethics committees, and me not sleeping (and taking advantage of the local wines) while valuable research time began to evaporate, I finally jumped through all the hoops and my research started rolling in mid-October.

Today, I commenced my interviews. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief that, barring some unforeseen catastrophe,  I will get my data collected before I board my flight home for Christmas. And….I won’t be required to return in the New Year to do more.

Not unless of course I want to come back for a visit to this lovely place.

The funny Aussies

I find the Aussies have a keen sense of self-effacing humour. They make fun of themselves, their celebrities and politicians. There is little vanity to be found here.  
A fine example of this is the book 'Strine' by a fellow with the pen name Professor Afferbeck Lauder. The Aussies don't speak English, they speak 'Strine'. A section of the book is a dictionary and in it is the following classic example:

Mary Header

Daughter of one of the early Strine graziers. She was responsible after years of bitter struggle with the authorities for the compulsory education for sheep. She thus lit a lamp which has continued to burn steadily down the years and many of today's finest Strine sheep must be grateful to her memory.

One if her little lambs, Charles, who had followed her to school each day, eventually became an essayist and poet of considerable skill and composed the following song in memory of his sponsor:

Mary Header little lamb;

An intellectual nit.

It never passed its first exam

Because it couldn't sit.

So Mary Header little lamb

With veggies and mint sauce.

"Oh, dearest lamb." she cried. 

"I am hungry as a horse."

 

Purple Trees

I love purple and the most spectacular ornamental trees with purple flares are blooming in South Australia. They are called Jacaranda trees, but the locals who speak 'Strine' pronounce it  'Cheque Render'.

Melbourne Cup

Today is known as ‘Race Day’ in Australia, the running of the Melbourne Cup. Even though it’s only a holiday in the state of Victoria everyone around the country celebrates.  

You can’t miss it. First of all the women’s stores in mall starts promoting ‘race wear’ months in advance – fancy dresses, high heels and hats.  Then of course it’s all over the media. Charles and Camilla attended. But even in Adelaide I spotted women going to work in their finest fascinators!  I did a double take, you can imagine how funny that looks. 

At morning tea today the betting was on. Of course I just had to participate. My horse, Kelinni didn’t place but I had fun anyway.  Someone said to me in an embarassed tone, "we are such an advanced race" (pardon the pun). But I think it’s fun and heightens the appeal of this country.     

The list of jockeys and horses

The tea room

The Beautiful Riverland

I spent the weekend in an area of South Australia, east of Adelaide and close to the Victoria border, known as ‘The Riverland’.  The River Murray, which meanders east through here to other parts of Australia. Houseboats line the banks and we saw people tubing and boating in the 38C weather today.

The land is extremely dry and covered in mallee scrub except for where it has been irrigated which is  resplendent with vineyards and fruit orchards. Quite the contrast.  Deb grew up in the small town of Barmera where her parents lived on a fruit block, growing grapes, oranges and apples for various producers.  

The largest vines I've seen

Deb and her parents inside the winery

We drove through the famous Bourassa Valley, home to large wineries well known to Canadians including Penfolds, Jacobs Creek and Wolff Blass.  We spent the afternoon at Banrock Station, which apart from its delicious wines, is esteemed for protecting the wetlands and animals and birds who live there. 

See the wetlands in the background?

We drove aross wheat, barley and rye fields resembling the Canadian prairie.   Deb’s son works on his father-in-law’s farm and is currently harvesting crops. Here he is with his tractor.

Stephen is 6 foot 4!

It was a lovely break from the books and interesting to see another part of this great country.