On the Bottom Half

Upon reaching the summit...

First, I have to thank "The Shack" - if it were not for "The Shack", I wouldn't have a wireless network to hijack internet access. Thank you "Shack".

I'm currently sitting on a street corner outside our hotel in Darwin with a laptop on my lap, stealing internet access from someone who has an unsecured wireless network in his or her home. If you read this, thanks and come to the hotel for a beer - you're sure to see us on the street every night.

The trip through the Outback was truly awesome. The vastness of it is staggering - sort of like Saskatchewan, but more of it, and with 'roos and emus. The drive took four days, and myself and Jon were driving the Thrifty ute with a trailer. Did you know that even without a factory cruise control, you still have a factory cruise control in the Mitsubishi Fuso? It's called the floor and with your foot pushing the gas pedal onto it, the truck only goes 120. Not that that mattered because once you reach Northern Territory, there are no speed limits and the only thing to slow you down are the numerous and slow Australian drivers, kangaroos, and large vulture like birds that are unusually protective of their roadkill hoards. Oh yeah, and with diesel at $1.51 + a litre, you couldn't afford to speed were it not for the bottomless credit with which we university students operate.

The character of the Outback changes every so often - it is truly mutable and doesn't look the same from one hour to the next. What is open and vast with low scrub and red, red soil becomes densely treed with the most staggeringly beautiful, silvery-barked eucalyptus. There are signs warning that "Drowsy Drivers Die" (witty alliteration, if I do say so myself); signs warning that the next 2 kms of road are designated as a Royal Flying Doctor Service Emergency Airstrip; floodways that freely transgress the road surface; 53 m road trains - lorrys pulling four trailers (wah-hoo, is all I can say). It is an environment especially rich to write about.

However, I will leave more for another day. We are currently in Darwin, and the humidity is comfortable at 12 midnight. The daytime temps are about 34 C, but the Timor Sea of the Indian Ocean, at which the beaches of Darwin are situated, are like getting into a bathtub. Truly a wonderful experience for a Canadian used to the 12 degrees of West Coast water. No surfing :-(

Update complete!

In response to previous comments, I just have to add: Vegemite - yes, I've tried it and I'm mustering the courage to try it on more than a corner of toast. Whew, it's powerful! No beer allowed until the race finish, so I'll get back to on that one Ed...

Good luck Sheila - my thoughts are with you! The sand is wonderful and the water is awesome!

Love you guys too... Always.

posted by Kyle @ 07:20