Melbourne

I have some advice for anyone thinking of going to Phillip Island in winter. Don't do it. If you still want to go, my next piece of advice is-- don't do it. If I still haven't convinced you then I suggest you wear about six layers of clothing. It is bloody freezing. The wind comes direct from Antarcrtica without crossing any intervening space between.
 
I didn't see any of the penguins (I was either too early or too late-- I was not going there at 5:30 in the morning) but I did see some seals. Though they did look like some rocks so that was a lot a lot fun. After that I went down to the Mornington Peninsular and drove around for a while.  I took lots of photos.
 
Today I went in to the city. I saw the art gallery and the museum and just walked around other than that. And now I think I've had enough of Melbourne. Tomorrow I'm going to see a couple of movies (I think). Then on Thursday I'm off to the Great Ocean Road.
 
I haven't done any writing at all in the last few days. I promise to make up for it.
 
In in unrelated news, my sister will be taking possession of her first house in about 2 weeks. And I may be there just in time to help move. Oh boy.

Some People Might Call It Lost

Day... Umm... I don't know what day it is.
 
I left Sydney on Sunday morning at about 10:30 and had a leisurely drive down to my Aunt's place in Tabourie Lake. Not a lot to report there, really. Their house looks a lot different sine last time I was there, about 14 years ago.  My Aunt and her husband look pretty much the same though. Then I left there at about 8:30 the next morning. I wasn't sure where I was going to be stopping that night-- it depended on how far I went.
 
I think there was once a survey done in which 95 percent of people asked thought they were a better than average driver. (Ok, so I do not remember the exact number, but it was a bloody high percentage.) The point is, that kind of percentage sounds mathematically impossible. Really though, all those people may actually be right because I saw some people who were really dragging the average down. You know those signs at the end of overtaking lanes that say 'Form one Lane'? I'm sure you do. One guy I saw thought passing one of those signs was a perfect opportunity to move from the right hand lane to the left to overtake (or is that undertake) a car that had just recently formed one lane. In another place, in some town or other, I was happily driving along at 80km/hr (I was allowed to) in the centre of two lanes. I could see a sing saying there was road-works ahead and that the left lane would be ending-- it was the first warning. So I was going along at 80 and a car in the left hand lane decided he was going to go around the truck in front. Of course, he cut me off and I had to slam on my breaks. But then, of course, there was another truck in front again and when he caught that one, he decided to go back to the left... Only there was no left to go to. He took out a witch's hat before realising.
 
Unlike most people, I think I'm an average driver, but sometimes I wonder.
 
Anyway, not segues today...
 
I have decided that I really like the south coast of NSW. I would like to live somewhere between Moruya and Eden, so if anyone reading this know of any work in the area... The work can't be too hard of course. And I must get paid a lot of money.
 
I made it to Lakes Entrance by about 4pm. It looked like a nice place, so I decided to stay there for the full 3 days I had until I expected in Melbourne.
 
Because of my tent having spinal problems, I hired a cabin for the three nights. And at $40 per night it was well worth the money. It had a heater and a shower and an electric blanket. Hmmm... Electric blanket. The shower was actually fairly horrible though. Hot one second, freezing the next. I used it, but wasn't at all happy with the experience.
 
I didn't do a whole heap at L.E. It rained on and off for the first full and cricket was on, so I watched TV and wrote most of the day. Whos stupid idea was it that one of my characters should now have tattoos and that those tattoos should be an important part of his culture? Idiot. 
 
The next day I wandered around town a bit and took a walk out to the Entrance. It was all nice and relaxing, which was the point really.
 
I left there yesterday morning and drove to Melbourne via Wilson's Promontory and the Mornington Peninsular. WP was nice but I didn't have enough time to go on any of the walks. It was originally my intention to stay somewhere close to there for at least one night, instead of 3 at LE, and now kinda wish I had-- though maybe I would've been too lazy to go on much of a walk. The shortest I saw was 3km one way. It was colder than Lakes Entrance and bloody windy.
 
Mornington Peninsular was interesting as well. Farms overlooking the ocean (or bay or whatever) about 3/4 of an hour from the centre of Melbourne.
 
It's funny the things that set off memories. Whenever I smell smoked fish, for example, I think of pizza. Yep. My father never really like pizza but loved smoked fish. When I was a kid, my sister and I were the opposite. So every time we had pizza, he had smoked fish. Every time, And of course, the fish smelled a lot stronger than the pizza when it was cooking, so now, when I smell smoked fish I think of pizza.
 
Now, doing all this driving, I sometimes didn't feel like listening to music. Which turned out to be strange itself (not strange that I didn't want to listen to music-- but it was strange being in the car with no music going. I was starting to think my car sounded like Ben Folds, Guns and Roses and the Screaming Jets. It actually makes a enginey sound. Who'd have thunk?) So anyways, I was driving along with no music, and for some reason or other, I decided to put on my indicator-- probably had something to do with going around a corner, who knows. And, well, I was reminded of coming back late from a long trip when I was a kid.
 
I would always wake up at the same time-- when the car slowed before turning off the main road and into our street. The indicator would be on, about the only sound there was. I would keep my eyes closed, half asleep, listening. Half way around that last corner, indicator going, there would be a crunch of gravel. Always the same. For years.
 
That gravel is still there-- I don't know how. So, even now, ten years after I moved out (and even though I have no real reason to remember the town fondly), the sound of an indicator and crunching gravel sounds like going home.
 
But, I was in Melbourne, going to my cousin's home. Some people might say I got lost, I like to think of it as exploring. In my defence, it was dark, and peak hour traffic, and I didn't have the most detailed map ever drawn up. But anyway...
 
And that's about it from me. All very exciting. My novel is moving along nicely though, I think. And I'm relaxing. If only I could do this all the time.

Day 3

Day Three
 
Today I hung around at a friends place in Hornsby for a few hours, catching up after a year.  Then I drove down to Campbelltown (Minto actually but) and visited some relatives (one of who has kindly donated internet time).
 
Yes, I know day three should have started with me leaving South West Rocks, but Day two did not quite go as expected. It was pissing down rain on and off all day yesterday. At about 4 in the arv', during a break in the rain, I decided to get most of my stuff into the car, in case it was raining this morning. Then it rained some more. And stopped. And rained.
 
And, I hate to admit it, but my fix with the tent was causing problems. Because the two bits of metal were just tied together with string, they moved around everywhere. Which meant the tent moved around everywhere. And flapped, and leaked and...
 
During a break in the rain at about 7pm I decided that 'd had enough and packed up. By 8pm I was on the road heading for Sydney.  There were more of the signed speed cameras. There was not a lot of traffic. There was rain and stars and open road. It was actually a great drive.
 
When I hit the New Castle Freeway it got a bit surreal. The road is divided with trees lining the median strip most of the way. At one point I went for about 10 minutes without seeing another vehicle. Three and four lanes of road all to myself. And late at night around midnight, mist started gathering in the gullies. I dipped down into it every few km. And cars coming the other way lit it up very eerily.
 
I got into Hornsby early in the morning and stayed at my friend's place. I don't see her as often as I should.
 
So, in review... Days 2 and 3, Exposed about two rolls of film in the morning at South West Rocks. Sat around in the rain for a while. Worked on a few chapters of my novel. Packed up. Drove to Sydney. Then today hung around with friends and relatives.
 
The highlight... The drive down last night-- Music, open road, rain and mist. Totally alone (except for a car filled with hastily packed crap). Flying along at 110km/h has never been so peaceful.
 
Wonderful.
 
Photography and relatives were good too, of course.
 
And I did kinda see some whales in SWR. Kinda. They were a few miles away and all I really saw was the spray, but I did get a photo.

Day One

Pacific Highway my arse.
 
I finished packing this morning (well, I didn't, but more on that later) and left at about 7:15. There was Guns and Roses in the CD player (which has been working faultlessly for the last few days now) and a song in my heart-- it wasn't a happy song, seeing I was listening to G n' R, but it was a song.
 
I think I may have already explained that I'm lazy in another post? Yes? Well, my laziness is outweighed only by my cheapness. I'd rather drive for an extra 10 minutes than pay to go over the gateway bridge. So, I drove through the city and hit the so called Pacific Highway about half an hour later.
 
Point number 1. The pacific highway is not overly peaceful. It is not very friendly. It's just a road with lots of people driving along it. When I was a kid, family holidays normally involved towing a caravan. One year I had a moment of brilliance and made a sign for the back of the caravan. It said, "Sorry if we held you up, have a nice day anyway." The roads where we went were peaceful and happy. When people overtook us they'd laugh and wave and toot their horn. Most people did that. Almost all of them. Before the sign? Nothing. They drove past and continued on their way. Happy, peaceful roads followed my sign. None of that on the so called Pacific.
 
Point number 2. Driving south this morning, I had my first sight of the Pacific Ocean at about 9:30 in the morning. That's over two hours after I first started to drive on the highway. About 180km. I glimpsed it then. I risked death and carnage by climbing partially across to the passenger's seat and craning my neck out the window, just to see the ocean-- like trying to catch a sight of the "city views" from units in Toowong. The next sighting was just before Coffs Harbour some time around noon.
 
Pacific Highway my arse.
 
I said that it was my cheapness that stops me from using the Gateway Bridge, it is also the fact that you don't really get to see anything, other than people racing along in their cars. I also like going through the city because it gives me the chance to witness a bit of life-- even if most of the people are just racing along the footpath. I just think it's more interesting going through the city.
 
For that reason I am also a little bit disappointed with the Pacific Highway. It isn't until just before Coffs Harbour that you really go through any towns. Yes, towns may well slow you down but...
 
Speed cameras also slow people down (what a segue). I'm normally a fairly law-abiding citizen. I've had my run ins with speed cameras, but 999 time out of 1000 I sail by them without a care in the world. And that sailing makes me feel good. "If I was a criminal," thinks I, "If I was a hoon, I would have been caught then." But I wasn't, and hopefully some other bastard will be.
 
I passed about 10 fixed speed cameras on the trip south today, some within a few km of others, and each and every one of them had warning sign before you got to them. The signs were far enough in advance that you would have to be travelling a few km an hour over light speed not to be able to slow down in time. What is the point, I ask you? (And if someone would write a comment, they could answer. Of course, if they did, I'd then probably make some smart arse remark about rhetorical questions, but you never know. And yes, I also know that the point of it it all is to slow people down.) There was also a cop with a radar that I had no problem with.
 
Another thing I saw near Ballina... Thursday Plantation. Ummm... Is that anything like a banana plantation? Is there a market for Thursdays? I would have thought a weekend would be much more profitable. I could do with a few extra Saturdays myself.
 
Anyways, I got to the Trial Bay Goal at South West Rocks, where I 'm staying. I'm not staying in the goal, they have camping areas nearby. After booking in, I found my site and started to set up my tent.
 
Except I was missing a bit. It was only a little bit. Its a cross that goes at the top of the tent and holds all the poles, which are outside the tent, together. It also has a hook to hold the top of the tent. As I said, it's only a little bit, but without it, nothing works.
 
I was pissed of. Let me tell you-- I was mightily pissed off. Tent pegs were also missing, probably in the same place as the other bit. Damn.
 
I found a little camping store in SWR.
 
"Do you need a hand," the man asked.
 
"Yes," replied I. "I have most of a tent. I would like the rest."
 
But he couldn't help me and sent me in the direction of a hardware store that has some camping stuff. Nope. No good. There's a camping store in Kempsy-- 34km away. I gave them a call. I quite liked my "most of a tent" line and used it for the third time. The woman on the phone didn't laugh. She didn't help me either. By this time, I am mightily pissed off. Yes, I was mightily pissed off earlier-- I'd been about as pissed off as I can be (quietly, of course) for about 3/4 of an hour.
 
Off to a metal fabrication workshop. Rick or Rob or... someone,.. gave me two little metal rods. Best he could do. Back to the hardware for string and tent pegs. Tie the rods together, tie the tent to the rods...
 
And this very moment I am sitting in my tent hoping the rain (bastards) doesn't weaken the string or something... So it wasn't really a good start, but now I'm feeling pretty good about it all. McGyvered up and solved the problem all by my lonesome.
 Camping is stupid though. I don't have internet access. I'll have to post this at some later date. So, I think I'll complain about having to do without the necessities for a while longer and then watch a DVD.

Holiday Day... ummm.. 5? Just

EnVision has come and gone. And it was worth every cent. All three tutors had nice, helpful and interesting things to say. All the people were great. I have a lot of work to do, though thankfully most of it is _fairly_ minor.

Intense? Still wouldn't say that. Intense for me would be writing 5k words in one day, but most of the stuff I did at the workshop was fiddling, more than anything else. Editing and rearranging and thinking. All of it was fun and worthwhile and has improved my manuscript, but not intense. My story was fairly complete though so...

Went to Wordpool on Tuesday which was fun as well. Four really good readings there-- special mention to Sean Williams (and his haikus) and Trent. Was a good night. Also gave me a chance to catch up with some people before I go away (as if I see most of them more than once a month anyway). I will be missing my second Vision meeting in about 7 years... I really need to get a life...

Leaving for Melbourne tomorrow. Woo hoo. I think I've packed everything but of course, it really is impossible to know. I won't know until I go looking for something. The main things I need-- tent and food (to save money-- ie, I won't have to hire rooms for the night and I won't have to eat take-out.) Check. Computer (for writing-- most important thing of all). Check. Camera. Check. Warm clothes. Check. I have actually taken most of the clothes that I own-- at least the ones I've worn in the past year. I know I have to much, but better safe than sorry.

First night is in South West Rocks. Two nights there, actually. Hopefully lots of opportunity for photos, seeing I'm camping at an old goal there.

Other than that... time for bed. Supposed to be leaving early tomorrow morning. That's looking less likely each passing minute.

I need your address if you want me to send a postcard, Kate. If I get your address Heather you can have one too. Wouldn't that be exciting :) Any further requests may be considered.

Holiday... Day 3...

Today is a rest day for EnVision. So I'm sitting up home trying to work up the energy for some writing, or packing.

Yesterday was good. The new charpter 2 I wrote for my novel on day one was basically completely scrapped-- just a few paragraphs remain from teh start. But the new version will help fix some problems a littel bit later on, so it works out nively. Tansy has also read a few of the later sections and come up with some good suggestions. I think the entire thing should improve immensely. Woo hoo.

The regular Vision meeting is on today, btu a lot of the regulars are not going-- either because of EnVision or because of Sean Williams Masterclass, which was organised by the QLD writers centre.

So, all is going well, although I've already lost track of what day of hte week it is a couple of times. Which is a good thing, I suppose.

Holiday... Day 1

Today was the first official day of my holiday but I left work at 2pm yesterday and went to the EnVision dinner at the Pancake Manor so it feels like two days, really. Either way, it feels good.

But I've had a sore wrist for the last few days and woke up at about 3am this morning and could hardly move my hand at all. I found some prescription drugs (that had been prescribed for me a shoulder injury ages ago) and... well, they sorted things out nicely, thankfully. For a while, I was thinking that I might not make it to Envision, but I turned up this morning ready and raring to go.

And, thankfully again, I had nothing to worry about with Tansy's structural changes. She wanted me to change to order of a couple of chapters to make each character's introduction a bit longer-- or stronger. She had another couple of suggestions that will probably work quite nicely as well.

So... all told, not bad at all. I wrote a new chapter today, cut out another.

The whole experience was not quite what I thought though. Jason had been saying how intense the whole experience was last year (he's back for this year as well) but it seemed like another day of writing for me. Maybe it is different to last year, or maybe a normal day of writing for me is something that he considers 'intense'. Not sure.

But it was definitely good.

No time for writing this. Must write novel.