Feb Fun

Hi Gang,
I am back in my home and naked land. Having a go at dark and cold days. I have bought a TB of external memory and as soon as I corner my tech support I will be unclogging the photos and cleaning up my act. I know lots of you are waiting to see the pics of New Zealand. Thanks for your patience.Isn't it good to know that some things never change-once a Luddite always a Luddite.
Stay warm my Canuck friends! Stay cool my oz mates!
G'day eh!
Bern

Dec is tomorrow

Hi Gang!
Dec 2010 will happen in about 2 hours from now. How can that be? Where has the time gone? I have been busier than you can imagine. I must be having fun. I am still trying to find the perfect sunset on the perfect beach. I need all the vitamin D I can get. There I go demanding beach again.

I co hosted a Can-Aussie feast last Sat night to say thank you to some of the folks who have fed and entertained me during my stay. It was a sit down dinner and I think a good time was had by all. I will miss my Aussie mates. They are a fabulous group of people.(almost as nice as maritimers but with a funnier accent) It has been an AMAZING year. I would like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement and friendship. You nourish me. I am looking forward to seeing you all again-soon. As you get ready for the bustle of the holiday season be sure to take care of your selves.
G'Day-eh!
Bern

November News

Hi gang,

I am alive and well and living in Australia. Things have got a bit hectic lately as I discovered I am running out of time. I have also discovered I can not post pics from that brick building any longer-not sure why. The pics are still cloging my computer and I am hoping to find a teenager to help me out really soon to get them off. I will have to see what I can do with them later. So sorry. Those of you who really want to see them will just have to come over to my place on January 26-or there abouts to help me celebrate Australia Day. I may not be able to put anything on the barbie-they actually eat prawns here not shrimp but I may be able to whip up a pavlova or find some Tim Tams. I may not be able to find red bubbles but I am certain there is a shiraz or two waiting for me at the LCBO. I have started the dreaded REPORT CARDS. They are the same on any continent. I am trying to jam in as much as I can before this adventure is over. Next weekend is the Christmas Pageant (BIG parade) and I am having dinner at Parliment house later in the week with the MP for this region. The time is flying by and I am having HEAPS of fun. I sure am going to miss my little possums and all the fab mates. I feel crook just thinking about it. Hope you are all well!
G'day eh!
Bern

wild side pics

More to come! GDay-eh!

Bern

A Walk on the Wild Side

My new friend Jenn had a thing about seeing crocodiles. We did see plenty. I was so surprised the first night we arrived in Darwin and went to the Mindle Night Market (they had to have it at night because it was too hot during the day) and there was this BEAUTIFUL sunset at the harbour. It looked like 1000 people on the beach in the sweltering heat and not a soul in the water. Apparently that had something to do with the port authorities pulling 159 crocs from the harbour so far this year(this was in July). Once you hear the snap of a croc's jaws you get a very clear picture. Some of the crocs in these pics were part of the croc feeding boat tour on the Adelaide River. Other pics were random crocs and I wasn't sure if they had been fed or not............

Darwin and surrounds

Hi All,
I just thought you might find some of these photos interesting. I was aware at all times that danger was lurking behind every corner, bush and tree. The croc infested waters were scary. All my aussie mates had warned me about swimming or going in, on, or near the water. It was like the conversation I had with Amelia before I left. I was NOT about to ask the crocs if they were freshies or salties. Salties eat people. Supposedly freshies don't. No thanks. I just stayed in the boat and kept my hands and feet pulled in. I saw several crocs. They certainly look like relics from the days of the dinos. The trip to the North End included Kakadu, Katherine Gorge and Lietchfield Park. All amazing and different.


The senery here was very different from the dessert. I must say I loved the colours of the dessert. It was in the NT that we saw some amazing sites with aboriginal wall paintings and art on the rocks. The 32 degree heat was a lot warmer than the 6 degree daytime temp of Alice Aprings.

Jenn and I really enjoyed our hikes through the national parks in the top end.

I will see if I can find more pics.

G'Day eh.

Bern

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all my Canadian friends,





I hope you are enjoying the fall harvests. I think I can detect the faint aroma of turkey wafting in my direction. I am indeed alive and well having just returned from the Great barrier Reef and one of the most wonderful adventures ever. It would seem I have clogged(like the technical term???) my computer with pictures. Heck I had so much fun figuring out how to get them on that I am not sure how to get them off! I then attempted to drown my waterproof camera and it stopped working. Some of you may recall the fiasco with the cell phone in the washer. I did think about baking my camera at 250 for 3 hours but not in a gas oven. I had another brain wave instead and took the silicon cylinder out of my medication bottle and placed it and the water logged camera in a ziplock bag. It was simply too humid in Cairnes and also in Bali(that's another story) but when I returned to the drier climes of Adelaide, low and behold the camera started to work again. YES. See I am not just another pretty face.

I just tried something on my work computer and look at that-3 freezing friends in front of Aires Rock. Yes it was the day of the coldest recorded daytime temperature EVER there. It was a high of 6 degrees C. We had been told it would be in the mid 20's during the day. Yes it did rain (only 3% of the folks who see Aires Rock see it in the rain) and I was lucky that my tent DID NOT leak. Heck I am Canadian and I can handle just about anything. I really enjoyed the spiritual feeling of this area. Now that I know I can do this I will write more later. My computer is not 100% either so be patient if you are emailing me or try my gmail address. Life is moving at 100mph at the moment. I have 9 weeks left and places to go and things to do yet!

Many thanks for all the birthday greetings. I did miss my annual fete with my friends and my Mandy birthday cake but I did manage some Morton Bay Bugs(google it) compliments of my friend Jenn. Ok I have to run. I will catch up L8R.

lots of love and hugs from downunder,

G'day eh!

Bern