Star Date: May 2004
New South Wales & Queensland
Hello Dear Family & Friends!
Jalapeños
Life is a rush into the unknown.
You can either duck down
And hope nothing hits you.
Or stand tall as you can…..
Showing your teeth….
And say
“Dish it up Baby,
And don’t be stingy with the Jalapeños!”
(Victor Kim-Messier)
Didgeridoo player.
Australia continues to amaze us. The spirit of the people here proves that Australians have spent the last 100 years of their history ‘loading up on jalapeños’, as they converted this barren continent into the thriving country it is today. Pioneers one and all, they have learned to survive in their sometimes inhospitable surroundings. With less than 20 million residents, in a country the size of China or the US, the wide open spaces are enormous. Interestingly immigration remains tightly controlled and baby bonuses are still offered, (currently about $5000+ a child), encouraging the colonists to keep up their end of the deal. Possibly time will see better relations between whites and Aborigines and a greater acceptance of the different races and cultures of this planet.
Beautiful eyes and great smiles.
Everyone is crowded along the coastlines, with the majority in the east. With thousands of miles of beautiful beaches and shorelines, much of the nation’s past time is concentrated in beach and water activities. They originated the term “Life is a Beach!” If you like the out of doors or beach this is the country for you. Most days included a walk along the beach and an occasional swim. Somehow when you walk up to the shore and read the sign warning of dangerous currents, large waves, sharks, stingers, sea wasps (painful death in 24 hours) crocodiles, etc. it takes away the spontaneity of jumping in for a quick swim. Lifeguards warn to swim only in areas with shark nets, that is if you happen to like your legs, life, the lot. If you don’t see locals swimming at a beach, anywhere in the world, there may be a good reason. This being said, life along the ocean is enticing and not to be missed. Go have fun!
We have enjoyed the amenities of the large modern cities and hidden away in quaint little towns and coves in between. Our memorable times spent with friends on the Gold Coast, in Surfer’s Paradise, Brisbane, Maryborough, Rockhampton, Townsville, Cairns and all points therein, will remain with us always. When visiting with others, we often don’t realize the opportunity for sharing and learning, for all those present. It isn’t coincidence that all the people in any particular situation are brought together. One should learn from, and look for the good in, everyone around us, otherwise a rich opportunity for personal growth may slip through our fingers. We can often learn the greatest lesson from someone who has completely different ideas or views, if we are open. Wouldn’t it be a boring world if everyone looked and thought like us? Hooray for multiplicity. Celebrate the diversity. Bring on the jalapeños!
Sunny personality to match her bright sun dress.
And so it goes………………………………………….Next final explorations of the east coast before heading west. Until then take care and thanks for keeping in touch with us on the other side of the globe. When things get slow, remember to spice up life!
Love, xoxoox Nancy & Joseph
We listened to music and tried our
hand at throwing boomerangs.
The 76 VW Kombi, alias “Blue Dragon”, hidden back in the forest.
Blending in with the water and hard to spot, this unique platypus busily goes about its business.
Surf is always up somewhere in Australia!
The Hulk came running into a post office, amid dropped jaws, to mail a letter. Possibly on his lunch break from saving people?
Off to explore the world! We had a lot of fun trying on the
different hats of our gracious and fun SERVAS hosts in Brisbane.
