Stephen here. We arrived in Townsville on Wednesday afternoon. We'd stopped there briefly on our last trip to Australia at the end of 2000. We checked out the hostel and found that the kitchen was tiny. We figured this gave us a great excuse to treat ourselves to a meal out, and so after dark we sauntered down to Tim's Surf And Turf and had the eponymous steak and prawns. Yum!
Townsville was just a stopover to take us to Magnetic Island - 8km off the coast. It's a very attractive island (or a repulsive one, depending on your polarity). (Do you see? It's magnetic.) In fact the island is not magnetic, and is so called as Captain Cook's instruments went funny as he sailed past it in 1770.
We passed the tropic of Capricorn back in Rockhampton, so we're into Tropical North Queensland now. Thus Magnetic Island is truly a tropical island. It really is beautiful here. Much more heavily populated than Keppel Island (where we were a week or so ago), though still populated with odd wildlife. We're surrounded by possums as we eat, and "screaming" curlew birds wake us in the night.
We scrabbled around the island on Thursday, walking (and climbing) about 10k, exploring the bays and beaches. Unfortunately Anne got bitten to ridiculous extremes by mossies. She has bad reactions to bites, and has large lumps on her leg, arm and bottom. Her back looks like she's been removed from The Matrix! She's itching, is in pain, and is very unhappy about it. Fortunately she has a supportive boyfriend who puts up with her irritability like a martyr. I am great. Poor Anne though (for being bitten).
Today we scrabbled over a big hill to a secluded beach at Balding Bay. We sunbathed there for hours. After some time we realised that a few of our fellow bathers were entirely nudie! This was, we later read, an unofficial nudist beach. Unfortunately it was generally only men and older people who'd shed their clothes - none of the more nubile younger ladies. I was thus able to concentrate my attentions on the new Harry Potter book, which Anne finished two days ago.
This afternoon we went through hell trying to book hostels north of Cairns. We got quite stressed and realised we should have booked earlier. We may end up spending one night in a dorm again. Oh noooo!
The story:
Stephen and Anne, both in their late twenties, quit their jobs and left London. They took a year off. They first travelled to Australia, with a week in Tokyo on the way. After living and working in Sydney for three months they toured Australia for five months. They then spent two months exploring New Zealand using rental cars. They ended the year with two weeks of sun in Fiji, and a short jaunt in LA and San Fran. They then returned home, to a new life!
Friday, June 27, 2003
Snorkeling memories
Anne neglected to mention my antics whilst snorkeling off the Whitsundays. First off, I swallowed a load of saltwater in one horrid mouthful. I felt dodgy for the rest of the day and kept burping. Blargh!
Second, we bought a disposable underwater camera in Airlie Beach before we set sail. I was swimming on my back underwater, posing so that Anne could take a dramatically heroic shot of me. Once she'd taken the photo I swam into some hard coral and cut myself (ripping my stinger suit). It hurt like hell, and the crew of the boat told me that coral can grow inside you if it infects you. I'll keep you posted as to whether I turn into Coral Man. (In my X-Men outfit, at least I have the uniform.)
Second, we bought a disposable underwater camera in Airlie Beach before we set sail. I was swimming on my back underwater, posing so that Anne could take a dramatically heroic shot of me. Once she'd taken the photo I swam into some hard coral and cut myself (ripping my stinger suit). It hurt like hell, and the crew of the boat told me that coral can grow inside you if it infects you. I'll keep you posted as to whether I turn into Coral Man. (In my X-Men outfit, at least I have the uniform.)
Sunday, June 22, 2003
Welcome To The Hell-Hostel
We were forced to sleep in a shared dorm last night, with five strangers.
This is not good. We're not really up for that, and have been getting double or twin rooms everywhere else. In most of those we have to use a shared bathroom, so we are roughing it a bit.
Neither of us were pleased by having to share a room at the Airlie Beach YHA. A computer error meant that they couldn't tell us if a double was available when we booked, but they would put that down as the preference.
After stressing about it, and considering blowing fifty dollars on a room in another hostel, we got an OK night's sleep in the end. It still meant that we had no privacy, and when Anne fell asleep with her glasses on and her book open (as she always does) I had to sneak across the room in my pants (cue joke about there being room in my pants) to take her book from her and put her glasses in their case.
Someone had plugged their mobile in to a wall socket by my bed and left the phone on. I switched it off so I wasn't awoken by text messages in the night, though later wondered if they had set the alarm to wake them up. They should have kept it by their bed, shouldn't they.
Plus, Anne and I had been given "stinger suits" (thin wet-suit type things to wear while snorkelling) and if we'd had a private room we could have tried them on and looned around in them pretending to be space aliens or something. As it was we probably would have felt embarrassed doing this in front of the surly, anti-social people in our room, so didn't.
Not the way a couple in their late twenties should be travelling. We'll try to avoid that happening again.
Movies and books on the coach
We saw Rush Hour 2 on the coach from Rockhampton to Airlie Beach. It was really poor, made bearable only by Jackie Chan's fighting and stunts. Two stars (for the fights).
Snow Dogs starring Cuba Gooding Jr was on later in the journey, but we couldn't bring ourselves to watch that. Anne was immersed in the new Harry Potter book, and I was finishing off Nicholas Parsons's autobiography, The Straight Man: My Life In Comedy. I picked this up for two dollars (about 80p) in a "pre-loved" (second-hand) book shop in Hervey Bay. I got it as I liked the picture on the front as much as anything, but it was an interesting look at the entertainment industry in the second half of the last century. Its start pre-dates most of what I've read about comedy (i.e. Peter Cook and his ilk) and had some good insights. I now have the dubious claim to fame of knowing more about Nicholas Parsons than anyone I know. (I bet now that Colin will come up with loads of stuff I didn't know about him.)
This is not good. We're not really up for that, and have been getting double or twin rooms everywhere else. In most of those we have to use a shared bathroom, so we are roughing it a bit.
Neither of us were pleased by having to share a room at the Airlie Beach YHA. A computer error meant that they couldn't tell us if a double was available when we booked, but they would put that down as the preference.
After stressing about it, and considering blowing fifty dollars on a room in another hostel, we got an OK night's sleep in the end. It still meant that we had no privacy, and when Anne fell asleep with her glasses on and her book open (as she always does) I had to sneak across the room in my pants (cue joke about there being room in my pants) to take her book from her and put her glasses in their case.
Someone had plugged their mobile in to a wall socket by my bed and left the phone on. I switched it off so I wasn't awoken by text messages in the night, though later wondered if they had set the alarm to wake them up. They should have kept it by their bed, shouldn't they.
Plus, Anne and I had been given "stinger suits" (thin wet-suit type things to wear while snorkelling) and if we'd had a private room we could have tried them on and looned around in them pretending to be space aliens or something. As it was we probably would have felt embarrassed doing this in front of the surly, anti-social people in our room, so didn't.
Not the way a couple in their late twenties should be travelling. We'll try to avoid that happening again.
Movies and books on the coach
We saw Rush Hour 2 on the coach from Rockhampton to Airlie Beach. It was really poor, made bearable only by Jackie Chan's fighting and stunts. Two stars (for the fights).
Snow Dogs starring Cuba Gooding Jr was on later in the journey, but we couldn't bring ourselves to watch that. Anne was immersed in the new Harry Potter book, and I was finishing off Nicholas Parsons's autobiography, The Straight Man: My Life In Comedy. I picked this up for two dollars (about 80p) in a "pre-loved" (second-hand) book shop in Hervey Bay. I got it as I liked the picture on the front as much as anything, but it was an interesting look at the entertainment industry in the second half of the last century. Its start pre-dates most of what I've read about comedy (i.e. Peter Cook and his ilk) and had some good insights. I now have the dubious claim to fame of knowing more about Nicholas Parsons than anyone I know. (I bet now that Colin will come up with loads of stuff I didn't know about him.)
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Notes from Stephen to correct Anne
In response to Anne's post (below) about Great Keppel Island - me naming the crow Russell was a clever pun. Russell sounds like Rustle, which means to steal, and that's what the crow was attempting to do.
We also saw some Kookaburras close up, and I've just uploaded lots of photos to the yahoo photo album (link on left) which include our wildlife spots of the last few days (and, yes, plenty of John Possum).
We also saw some Kookaburras close up, and I've just uploaded lots of photos to the yahoo photo album (link on left) which include our wildlife spots of the last few days (and, yes, plenty of John Possum).
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
So long, and thanks for all the treats.
We bidded (bade?) a sad farewell to my mum today at Hervey Bay coach station. She's off back to Brissie, from where she'll fly to Ayres Rock, and then to the UK. It's been great seeing her, and we only bickered a bit (mainly when I was driving). I'd like to thank her publically for all the treats and hotel rooms, and for travelling all this way to see us.
Anne is a saint for putting up with both of us moaning about the illogical pedestrian crossing light sequences (having tolerated me moaning about them for three months). She was amply rewarded though - especially with the luxurious Noosa appartment!
Now we're in Rockhampton ("Rocky") - The Beef Capital Of Australia. We're here so we can go to Great Keppel Island tomorrow for some beaching and treking. It's a tough life, but it's the path we've chosen.
Anne is a saint for putting up with both of us moaning about the illogical pedestrian crossing light sequences (having tolerated me moaning about them for three months). She was amply rewarded though - especially with the luxurious Noosa appartment!
Now we're in Rockhampton ("Rocky") - The Beef Capital Of Australia. We're here so we can go to Great Keppel Island tomorrow for some beaching and treking. It's a tough life, but it's the path we've chosen.
Movies
A couple of movie reviews. On our last night with my mum we took her to see Phone Booth at the flicks and then for a pizza. I'd been annoying Anne for weeks by calling the film Telephone Box instead of Phone Booth, and I annoyed her even more by asking for the tickets with the wrong name too (Tony - I can hear you wincing in sympathy with Anne). The lady selling tickets didn't even register my hilarious mistake - spoil sport.
I enjoyed the film a fair bit (though Anne didn't like it as much as I did). It was interesting more as a novelty work I suppose, but was well done, and I pretty much got what I expected. Three and a half stars.
On the coach from Hervey Bay to Rockhampton today we were treated to mad-cap comedy Rat Race on video, with bad picture and bad tracking. Damn, I miss DVD. I'd never been interested in this film, but I suppose it was quite entertaining in a ridiculous way and an OK way to pass part of a six hour coach journey. The plot was preposterous throughout, and I was particularly amused when at one point (no more silly than the rest of the film) the girl behind me muttered "Oh, as if". How I laughed. I'm sure this is generous, but I'm giving it two and a half stars.
I enjoyed the film a fair bit (though Anne didn't like it as much as I did). It was interesting more as a novelty work I suppose, but was well done, and I pretty much got what I expected. Three and a half stars.
On the coach from Hervey Bay to Rockhampton today we were treated to mad-cap comedy Rat Race on video, with bad picture and bad tracking. Damn, I miss DVD. I'd never been interested in this film, but I suppose it was quite entertaining in a ridiculous way and an OK way to pass part of a six hour coach journey. The plot was preposterous throughout, and I was particularly amused when at one point (no more silly than the rest of the film) the girl behind me muttered "Oh, as if". How I laughed. I'm sure this is generous, but I'm giving it two and a half stars.
Monday, June 16, 2003
A few books
Stephen here. One thing I didn't get much time to do in Sydney was read books. Since I was walking to work I wasn't reading during the day and I was often pooped at night. Since we've not had time to watch films lately (sob) I thought I'd summarise the books I've read.
In Sydney I read a great book on the history of transportation (of crims) to Australia, Robert Hughes's The Fatal Shore. This was reasonably heavy going, but really interesting, especially when living and working in the centre of it all. (I won't give star ratings for books - since books are highbrow and thus can't be summed up just with stars.)
Also in Sydney I read half of How The Mind Works by Steve Pinker. This was also heavy going, but really rewarding. It explains so much and goes into a lot of haman nature in great detail. I finished it as we were travelling.
So only one and a half books read in the three months we were in Sydney. I'm quite a slow reader, but this is slow going even for me. Now we're travelling I'm reading more, which is good, and swapping books at secong hand stores (though I "released" How The Mind Works at BookCrossing.com).
I read BBC reporter John Simpson's A Mad World, My Masters - stories from his time reporting foreign affairs. Simpson is a great story teller and often very funny. I'd read his first auto-biographical book before I came out here and am looking forward to his next.
After three non-fiction books I dipped into fiction with Robert Harris's Enigma - a good yarn set around code-breaKing Bletchley Park during WW2.
Then it was on to Michael Palin's Hemmingway's Chair. It was well written and amusing, but I thought the plot was a little lacking. Maybe I need to know more about Ernest Hemmingway?
I've just started another Robert Harris book: Archangel (about a hunt for Stalin's notebooks). I'll let you know how that one goes.
Looking forward to the new Harry Potter next week! I think we'll splash out on that, though Anne will read it first as she reads really quickly.
In Sydney I read a great book on the history of transportation (of crims) to Australia, Robert Hughes's The Fatal Shore. This was reasonably heavy going, but really interesting, especially when living and working in the centre of it all. (I won't give star ratings for books - since books are highbrow and thus can't be summed up just with stars.)
Also in Sydney I read half of How The Mind Works by Steve Pinker. This was also heavy going, but really rewarding. It explains so much and goes into a lot of haman nature in great detail. I finished it as we were travelling.
So only one and a half books read in the three months we were in Sydney. I'm quite a slow reader, but this is slow going even for me. Now we're travelling I'm reading more, which is good, and swapping books at secong hand stores (though I "released" How The Mind Works at BookCrossing.com).
I read BBC reporter John Simpson's A Mad World, My Masters - stories from his time reporting foreign affairs. Simpson is a great story teller and often very funny. I'd read his first auto-biographical book before I came out here and am looking forward to his next.
After three non-fiction books I dipped into fiction with Robert Harris's Enigma - a good yarn set around code-breaKing Bletchley Park during WW2.
Then it was on to Michael Palin's Hemmingway's Chair. It was well written and amusing, but I thought the plot was a little lacking. Maybe I need to know more about Ernest Hemmingway?
I've just started another Robert Harris book: Archangel (about a hunt for Stalin's notebooks). I'll let you know how that one goes.
Looking forward to the new Harry Potter next week! I think we'll splash out on that, though Anne will read it first as she reads really quickly.
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
A map!
I've put a link to a map of Australia on the left of the diary. Should have done this ages ago really. See how little we've come in two weeks.
Highway 1 Revisited
We hired a car on Sunday and left Brisbane. On the way out we went to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where we saw koalas (of course), roos, wallabies and other animals. Mum really liked the koalas and took literally thousands of photos of them (not literally). We saw koalas move and even jump, which is quite a novelty, as they usually just sleep in the day. We were able to feed the kangaroos which was pretty good too.
Last time we were here (Nov, Dec 2000) Anne and I drove up Highway 1 from Brisbane to Cairns, and that's the road we took up to Noosa after leaving the koala sanctuary. We drove a couple of hours to Noosa - a posh(ish) beach resort at the top of the "Sunshine Coast". It's very pleasant here. Mum forked out for a luxurious two bedroom apartment with kitchen, laundry and two (two!) bathrooms! After exploring a little Anne and I (over)cooked some pasta and we watched Analyse That on the movie channel. It was rubbish, and it's horrible to see Robert DeNiro do comedy. Two stars.
The weather was glorious on Monday, so we sat on the beach all morning and baked ourselves. This was just as well, since the weather's been grotty today. We timed things right though and did a three hour costal and rainforest trek without getting wet. We'd been told to look out for koalas, so my mum and I did our necks in by straining to look for them up in the trees. We saw very little though, other than pretty birds and big spiders (my mum maintains they weren't as big as some she's seen in her dental surgery in Welwyn Garden City). Finally my mum spotted a big koala sitting in a gum tree and we were then happy.
We now have a couple more nights here in Noosa before moving on. Life is hard.
Last time we were here (Nov, Dec 2000) Anne and I drove up Highway 1 from Brisbane to Cairns, and that's the road we took up to Noosa after leaving the koala sanctuary. We drove a couple of hours to Noosa - a posh(ish) beach resort at the top of the "Sunshine Coast". It's very pleasant here. Mum forked out for a luxurious two bedroom apartment with kitchen, laundry and two (two!) bathrooms! After exploring a little Anne and I (over)cooked some pasta and we watched Analyse That on the movie channel. It was rubbish, and it's horrible to see Robert DeNiro do comedy. Two stars.
The weather was glorious on Monday, so we sat on the beach all morning and baked ourselves. This was just as well, since the weather's been grotty today. We timed things right though and did a three hour costal and rainforest trek without getting wet. We'd been told to look out for koalas, so my mum and I did our necks in by straining to look for them up in the trees. We saw very little though, other than pretty birds and big spiders (my mum maintains they weren't as big as some she's seen in her dental surgery in Welwyn Garden City). Finally my mum spotted a big koala sitting in a gum tree and we were then happy.
We now have a couple more nights here in Noosa before moving on. Life is hard.
Saturday, June 07, 2003
Surfers Paradise to Brissie
Anne and I arrived in Surfers Paradise at lunch time on Wednesday. The weather wasn't good, and the "paradise" looked very much less than that. The hostel wasn't up to usual YHA standards either, and was run by a bunch of miserable, coughing, lazy, unpleasant English girls who were more interested in partying than cleaning up after themselves or opening reception. The food store near the hostel was woefully inadequate and we ended up having a "Ragin' Cajun" burger at McDonalds. We then trekked the 3.5km into town and bought a cheap steak and salad at Woolworths. That night's meal was one of the most glorious things ever to pass my lips, so the day wasn't a complete disaster.
The next day, the sun shone and shone. Suddenly we could see the attraction of Surfers Paradise, and we rushed to the beautiful beach and spent the morning there. This was more like it. Hurrah! Funny how much difference a bit of good weather can make.
The sun didn't improve the hostel, however. Never visit The British Arms YHA hostel at Surfers Paradise, I tell you.
Much better is the hostel from which I'm writing this blog - the YHA in Brisbane. We arrived here on Friday morning and I went to the airport after lunch to meet my mum (where she was shocked at my head - see my last post). She'll be with us now until about 17th June.
She took us for a nice Italian meal last night, and today we took a bus tour of the city. At first it didn't look like there was much here, but the bus tour revealed some very pleasant areas, including countless parks, nice buildings, and a man-made beach and pools by the river. We spent hours wandering after the bus tour, and got a catamaran up the river. Again, the winter weather's been great, so that has helped.
We're (my mum is) hiring a car to drive up the coast from tomorrow. It should be great fun. It's good to see my mum after four months away. I hope I don't annoy her too much! Anne and I are in tight tight budget mode, so we're having to adjust for my mum who is here for a holiday and is not looking to skimp. What makes it easier is that she seems to want to treat us - hurrah!
On an unrelated note, someone has contacted me about my family tree research (which is on our home page). They're sending me the details of a cousin of my dad's who lives near Cairns. Small world!
The next day, the sun shone and shone. Suddenly we could see the attraction of Surfers Paradise, and we rushed to the beautiful beach and spent the morning there. This was more like it. Hurrah! Funny how much difference a bit of good weather can make.
The sun didn't improve the hostel, however. Never visit The British Arms YHA hostel at Surfers Paradise, I tell you.
Much better is the hostel from which I'm writing this blog - the YHA in Brisbane. We arrived here on Friday morning and I went to the airport after lunch to meet my mum (where she was shocked at my head - see my last post). She'll be with us now until about 17th June.
She took us for a nice Italian meal last night, and today we took a bus tour of the city. At first it didn't look like there was much here, but the bus tour revealed some very pleasant areas, including countless parks, nice buildings, and a man-made beach and pools by the river. We spent hours wandering after the bus tour, and got a catamaran up the river. Again, the winter weather's been great, so that has helped.
We're (my mum is) hiring a car to drive up the coast from tomorrow. It should be great fun. It's good to see my mum after four months away. I hope I don't annoy her too much! Anne and I are in tight tight budget mode, so we're having to adjust for my mum who is here for a holiday and is not looking to skimp. What makes it easier is that she seems to want to treat us - hurrah!
On an unrelated note, someone has contacted me about my family tree research (which is on our home page). They're sending me the details of a cousin of my dad's who lives near Cairns. Small world!
Dude - where's my hair?
I've not "blogged" this before as I wanted to surprise my mum when I met up with her in Australia, but just before we left Sydney I had my head shaved! Not bald, but a "number one" all over. It was a bizarre experience. I felt breezes on my head for days, and kept catching my reflection and recoiling as I thought Phil Mitchell had finally tracked me down (or "tracked me dahn").
I figured I have an opportunity to do this sort of thing, as I don't plan to look for work until next February. When am I going to get that chance again? I'm used to it now and can hardly remember what I looked like with beautiful locks.
I met my mum at Brisbane ("Brissie") Airport yesterday, and she was shocked. It took her a moment to recognise me with my new hair, and she immediately decided she didn't like it. I've told her she'll get used to it, but she could barely look at me yesterday. So it's a new look that not even a mother could love. At least Anne's stuck with me. (We have joint travel insurance.)
I figured I have an opportunity to do this sort of thing, as I don't plan to look for work until next February. When am I going to get that chance again? I'm used to it now and can hardly remember what I looked like with beautiful locks.
I met my mum at Brisbane ("Brissie") Airport yesterday, and she was shocked. It took her a moment to recognise me with my new hair, and she immediately decided she didn't like it. I've told her she'll get used to it, but she could barely look at me yesterday. So it's a new look that not even a mother could love. At least Anne's stuck with me. (We have joint travel insurance.)
Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Winter travels
After Coffs Harbour we travelled up the coast to Balina, a small tourist resort about 20 miles south of Byron Bay. We stayed in Balina for two nights.
Friday night we went Greek Style, and had a meze in a restaurant. Whilst cheap, it was a little over our budget. Ahem - we'll learn. It was good though! We spent a relaxed Saturday just wandering around Balina. We walked for a good while up the coast (still aching from our previous walks and injuries!) We did a self-guided tour of a historic Balina street (in which most of the historic buildings had been replaced) and went to a good, small naval and maritime museum. They had a raft which had been sailed from Ecuador to Australia in the seventies! The aim was to show that people could have sailed that far in pre-Columbus times, and hence that migration from the Americas to Australia could have happened. There were also lots of war displays. V good for a two dollar donation.
On Friday night we had the small hostel to ouirselves, which was great. On Saturday, however, several guests arrived - a young girl, an older man, and a couple of old women. The young traveller was welcome, but couldn't the others have paid for a proper hotel room? How selfish of them! We watched The Bill with them for a bit in the evening, then antisocially went to our room to read.
On Sunday morning we did the short coach ride to Byron Bay (annoyed only by the dire older couple sitting behing us - they were so dull and annoying). Clearly, the relaxed hippyish Byron Bay was just what I needed. I was expecting it to be a bit grungy and unplesant, but it's actually really nice, with good beaches and good places to walk. On Monday morning we walked along the coast to a lighthouse and Ausralia's easternmost point - the Lowestoft of Down Under! We were looking out for wildlife, amd saw some bush turkeys. Odd to see turkeys wandering around in the wild. We'd been told that you can sometimes see dolphins in the sea from the lighthouse. We'd looked ofr a while and seen nothing, and when Anne went to move on I was determined to stay to see some dolphins (for free, rather than paying for a tour!) A few minutes later I spotted six or seven of them in a group swimming up the coast, and was disproportionatley chuffed with myself for the rest of the day.
On Monday afternoon we went to the local hippish cinema, which my sister had recommeded to me. We watched The Hours, a mad-cap, hilarious film which keeps you laughing from start to finish. Of course, that's a joke. This is the much Oscar nominated movie starring Nicole Kidman's fake nose. It's about three women in different times, and kept me interested for the two hours it lasted. Good stuff - four stars.
Anne is currently off having a massage. I myself am relaxed enough as it is. Ahem.
Sunday was the first day of winter here, so I'm pleased to report we went to the beach on Sunday and sat by the pool yesterday - we've got a little tanned. Our tans had both faded in the months we worked in Sydney. It's grey today, but we're heading north tomorrow so we're not worried. Surfer's Paradise here we come! (Apparently it's not nice - I think we'll be the judges of that.)
Friday night we went Greek Style, and had a meze in a restaurant. Whilst cheap, it was a little over our budget. Ahem - we'll learn. It was good though! We spent a relaxed Saturday just wandering around Balina. We walked for a good while up the coast (still aching from our previous walks and injuries!) We did a self-guided tour of a historic Balina street (in which most of the historic buildings had been replaced) and went to a good, small naval and maritime museum. They had a raft which had been sailed from Ecuador to Australia in the seventies! The aim was to show that people could have sailed that far in pre-Columbus times, and hence that migration from the Americas to Australia could have happened. There were also lots of war displays. V good for a two dollar donation.
On Friday night we had the small hostel to ouirselves, which was great. On Saturday, however, several guests arrived - a young girl, an older man, and a couple of old women. The young traveller was welcome, but couldn't the others have paid for a proper hotel room? How selfish of them! We watched The Bill with them for a bit in the evening, then antisocially went to our room to read.
On Sunday morning we did the short coach ride to Byron Bay (annoyed only by the dire older couple sitting behing us - they were so dull and annoying). Clearly, the relaxed hippyish Byron Bay was just what I needed. I was expecting it to be a bit grungy and unplesant, but it's actually really nice, with good beaches and good places to walk. On Monday morning we walked along the coast to a lighthouse and Ausralia's easternmost point - the Lowestoft of Down Under! We were looking out for wildlife, amd saw some bush turkeys. Odd to see turkeys wandering around in the wild. We'd been told that you can sometimes see dolphins in the sea from the lighthouse. We'd looked ofr a while and seen nothing, and when Anne went to move on I was determined to stay to see some dolphins (for free, rather than paying for a tour!) A few minutes later I spotted six or seven of them in a group swimming up the coast, and was disproportionatley chuffed with myself for the rest of the day.
On Monday afternoon we went to the local hippish cinema, which my sister had recommeded to me. We watched The Hours, a mad-cap, hilarious film which keeps you laughing from start to finish. Of course, that's a joke. This is the much Oscar nominated movie starring Nicole Kidman's fake nose. It's about three women in different times, and kept me interested for the two hours it lasted. Good stuff - four stars.
Anne is currently off having a massage. I myself am relaxed enough as it is. Ahem.
Sunday was the first day of winter here, so I'm pleased to report we went to the beach on Sunday and sat by the pool yesterday - we've got a little tanned. Our tans had both faded in the months we worked in Sydney. It's grey today, but we're heading north tomorrow so we're not worried. Surfer's Paradise here we come! (Apparently it's not nice - I think we'll be the judges of that.)
Monday, June 02, 2003
Photo update
Hope to do a longer update on our time in Balina and Byron Bay tomorrow, but for now we've uploaded some photos to the Yahoo photo album (Big Adventure Photos link to the left).
Friday, May 30, 2003
Quick movie update
A quick round up of the films we've seen in the last week and a bit. I mad the most of the VCR in Sydney (before Richard bought it) by hiring Top Gun, which I'd never seen. Anne thought it was odd I'd never seen it, since I've seen so many films. I quite enjoyed it - it was so cliched and silly (partly because I've seen it copied so much I suppose) but ultimately well done. Very silly in parts, and Quentin Tarantino seems to have the subtext down pat with his "Go the gay way" dissection. Three and a half stars!
Also in Sydney I watched Changing Lanes while Anne was working (she'd already seen it). Ben Affleck and Samuel L Jackson in a witty revenge drama. Pretty entertaining, though tied up too neatly at the end. Three and a half stars.
At Coffs Harbour YHA we've seen two vids. The first was the dreadful Vertical Limit. This is a mountain climbing thriller which is just ridiculous. It stars Chris O'Donnel, with the supporting cast being either unknowns or bit players in US TV series. It has some entertaining moments I suppose, but everyone watching was laughing at the bits which ought to have been tense and exciting. One and a half stars.
Better was The Patriot, which we saw last night. This long US Civil War drama, starring Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger, is entertaining and fun. I remember when it came out there was controversy about the accuracy of it, but I certainly didn't come away thinking I knew more about the civil war - I didn't assume it historically accurate. Gruesome in places, and not as good as Braveheart, it gets four stars.
Now we're in YHAs and don't have the pick of the video library (or even, necessarily, a say in what's on) I figure the quality of the films we watch will be much more variable.
Also in Sydney I watched Changing Lanes while Anne was working (she'd already seen it). Ben Affleck and Samuel L Jackson in a witty revenge drama. Pretty entertaining, though tied up too neatly at the end. Three and a half stars.
At Coffs Harbour YHA we've seen two vids. The first was the dreadful Vertical Limit. This is a mountain climbing thriller which is just ridiculous. It stars Chris O'Donnel, with the supporting cast being either unknowns or bit players in US TV series. It has some entertaining moments I suppose, but everyone watching was laughing at the bits which ought to have been tense and exciting. One and a half stars.
Better was The Patriot, which we saw last night. This long US Civil War drama, starring Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger, is entertaining and fun. I remember when it came out there was controversy about the accuracy of it, but I certainly didn't come away thinking I knew more about the civil war - I didn't assume it historically accurate. Gruesome in places, and not as good as Braveheart, it gets four stars.
Now we're in YHAs and don't have the pick of the video library (or even, necessarily, a say in what's on) I figure the quality of the films we watch will be much more variable.
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Free spirits. No, make that Bad Attitude
Hello. Stephen here. We left a raining Sydney by coach at 1pm on Monday - bye bye Sydney. We were on our way - free as birds. However, I was getting stressed. No more security. Carrying everything on our backs - how would we cope? Plus my knee was still smarting from the weekend.
But after a three hour journey (US Marshals on the video - I didn't watch it) we arrived in Newcastle. It wasn't raining, but it was very windy. The hostel was nice - a heritage building, big staircase and roaring fire. We immediately signed up for a free meal at a local Irish pub - they get the backpackers in by giving them a free meal and the backpackers buy drinks. Everyone wins.
We met in reception at 6.30pm, and walked to the pub with ten others (in line). Anne didn't like this. It reminded us of ITV's Club Reps programme and we half expected to be made to sing dirty songs. We were feeling quite antisocial. Oh dear - bad us. When we got to the bar the free sausage and mash was just fine, and we got talking to an Aussie couple who were travelling around. We left after two drinks and were in bed by nine (after sitting reading by the fire for a bit).
Next morning were were catching a coach to Port Macquarie at 10. I got in a strop when we didn't have milk for coffee. Grrrr - need my morning coffee. I was being irrational and calmed down after a bit, but realised I need to change my routines and work out what I need and don't need. We bought milk when we got to Port Macquarie - job done.
On Tuesday afternoon, just after we arrived, we went to a Koala Hospital, run by volunteers. There was some information to read (which Anne, as ever, lapped up in style of Number 5 from Short Circuit) and then there were several pens with trees in. We got to play Spot The Koala as we looked in the trees. Some had been brought in suffering from burns following bushfires, others had been attacked by dogs or hit by cars. Some had "wet bottom", a form of chlamydia (sp?). One particularly was a sorry sight. She was almost blind and would never leave the hospital. We watched a lady feed her with a milk solution, and the koala was the most animated we've ever seen one. It was quite amusing. Anne got all soppy - I doubt she'll ever want to eat a koala sandwich again.
Later that same day, we were walking to town when Anne slipped on a metal grate and fell like a sack of potatoes. I didn't have a chance to try to save her, though obviously I would have done my best had I had time. She fell on her hip and elbow, and got a wet bottom. I offered to take her to the koala hospital to see what they could do, but she refused medical attention. There was nothing I could do - Anne's and awkward patient. She soldiered on, moaning. It was raining, and didn't stop raining before we went to bed (past ten this time!)
So are we coping? We're pretty fussy people, so I guess it will take us a while to get out of our routines. Many of the other backpackers seem to be gaunt and unhealthy, with persistent coughs, so we're determined not to fall into similar habits. Most are also well under 25, so we're feeling pretty old. But this morning was nice and hot and sunny. We wandered around Port Macquarie, and sat on a bench reading our books in the sun - glorious. The coast here is pretty spectacular, with some big waves. I think at one point we may have even started to relax!
So, on to Coff's Harbour by coach in an hour or so. We're spending two nights there (and then have at least two nights at each stop until Brisbane) so we can slow our pace a little. Go, laid back us.
But after a three hour journey (US Marshals on the video - I didn't watch it) we arrived in Newcastle. It wasn't raining, but it was very windy. The hostel was nice - a heritage building, big staircase and roaring fire. We immediately signed up for a free meal at a local Irish pub - they get the backpackers in by giving them a free meal and the backpackers buy drinks. Everyone wins.
We met in reception at 6.30pm, and walked to the pub with ten others (in line). Anne didn't like this. It reminded us of ITV's Club Reps programme and we half expected to be made to sing dirty songs. We were feeling quite antisocial. Oh dear - bad us. When we got to the bar the free sausage and mash was just fine, and we got talking to an Aussie couple who were travelling around. We left after two drinks and were in bed by nine (after sitting reading by the fire for a bit).
Next morning were were catching a coach to Port Macquarie at 10. I got in a strop when we didn't have milk for coffee. Grrrr - need my morning coffee. I was being irrational and calmed down after a bit, but realised I need to change my routines and work out what I need and don't need. We bought milk when we got to Port Macquarie - job done.
On Tuesday afternoon, just after we arrived, we went to a Koala Hospital, run by volunteers. There was some information to read (which Anne, as ever, lapped up in style of Number 5 from Short Circuit) and then there were several pens with trees in. We got to play Spot The Koala as we looked in the trees. Some had been brought in suffering from burns following bushfires, others had been attacked by dogs or hit by cars. Some had "wet bottom", a form of chlamydia (sp?). One particularly was a sorry sight. She was almost blind and would never leave the hospital. We watched a lady feed her with a milk solution, and the koala was the most animated we've ever seen one. It was quite amusing. Anne got all soppy - I doubt she'll ever want to eat a koala sandwich again.
Later that same day, we were walking to town when Anne slipped on a metal grate and fell like a sack of potatoes. I didn't have a chance to try to save her, though obviously I would have done my best had I had time. She fell on her hip and elbow, and got a wet bottom. I offered to take her to the koala hospital to see what they could do, but she refused medical attention. There was nothing I could do - Anne's and awkward patient. She soldiered on, moaning. It was raining, and didn't stop raining before we went to bed (past ten this time!)
So are we coping? We're pretty fussy people, so I guess it will take us a while to get out of our routines. Many of the other backpackers seem to be gaunt and unhealthy, with persistent coughs, so we're determined not to fall into similar habits. Most are also well under 25, so we're feeling pretty old. But this morning was nice and hot and sunny. We wandered around Port Macquarie, and sat on a bench reading our books in the sun - glorious. The coast here is pretty spectacular, with some big waves. I think at one point we may have even started to relax!
So, on to Coff's Harbour by coach in an hour or so. We're spending two nights there (and then have at least two nights at each stop until Brisbane) so we can slow our pace a little. Go, laid back us.
Friday, May 23, 2003
A man of leisure
Yay - no more work for me. I left The ABC on Wednesday. Quite an experience there. I was working on improving the processes in a few areas, and was designing diggy Excel spreadsheets to do lots of cool things. (Remember that this is accountancy so "cool" is a relative term.) I borrowed a book from Andrew and Shae on Excel programming and have now taught myself macros and VBA to a reasonable level. After I'd designed a sheet, full of whizzy macros for the petty cash officer I went through it with her and taught her how to use it. It was clear to me that this spreadsheet would save her a lot of time and make her record keeping better. I'd made it idiot proof so she couldn't corrupt it - only the cells she needed to type in were unprotected, and there were double checks and validations everywhere. Anyway, I didn't want to scare her off as she's quite a nervous person, so I took it slow and walked her through the process. After the first day, it was clear that this would cut her work by a huge amount, so I was surprised when she said, "Yes it's good, but I don't think I'll be able to use it." Oh dear. I asked what was wrong and said that I'd change it to her specifications. She said that she was worried that if she used this spreadsheet she'd have nothing to do for much of the day. And that attitude pretty much summed up the culture there, and, I've heard, at many public services. So long as you fill your day it doesn't matter how inefficient you are. Grrrr! I didn't tell her that her boss was looking to throw more work her way, but I was pleased that by the time I left the cashier's office was running smoothly with my program, and she seemed happy.
I was also working on another department, where I was hindered at every step by the guy I was trying to help. He was such an arse, and seemed to think I was there to make his life more difficult. If he'd given me the time and support I needed I could have cut his workload and made his life easier, but as it is I had to leave that to my replacement (whom I advised to go over this guy's head and not to rely on him).
So having finished work, I am now unemployed - hurrah! We have a few days to sort things out, and then we start our trek up the coast to Brisbane, where we'll meet up with my mum.
Today and yesterday I've been sorting out accommodation and coach trips between Sydney and Brisbane - we leave for Newcastle (about three hours north) on Monday, after our flat's been inspected.
After a nice meal in a Spanish restaurant, we went to our final quiz at our local bar last night. Richard came too, so of course we won (we need him for the music and sport questions!) I was touched when the quizmaster gave us a big pack of Tim ams as a leaving gift (if you've read my praise for these Aussie biscuits you'll know why I was so happy). We stayed afterwards and chatted with him and the quiz regulars after. I'll miss the routine of our regular Thursday quiz. In the three months we've been here we've not missed one Thursday, and have won all but two times. Creatures of habit, us.
So now our routines are gone. Travelling is, by its nature, a haphazard and disorganised affair. It's apt then that we have our two week journey to Brisbane planned with military precision, and have accommodation booked for most of our stops. Ahem. One step at a time I say. Maybe by next February I'll have relaxed, and will wander round singing "Hakuna Matata" (sp?) all day. (It means "no worries".)
(When I say we have the journey planned with military precision, I'm saying it's planned well. Looking at the number of "friendly fire" incidents and other PR disasters in the recent Gulf War you may think the term an oxymoron.)
I was also working on another department, where I was hindered at every step by the guy I was trying to help. He was such an arse, and seemed to think I was there to make his life more difficult. If he'd given me the time and support I needed I could have cut his workload and made his life easier, but as it is I had to leave that to my replacement (whom I advised to go over this guy's head and not to rely on him).
So having finished work, I am now unemployed - hurrah! We have a few days to sort things out, and then we start our trek up the coast to Brisbane, where we'll meet up with my mum.
Today and yesterday I've been sorting out accommodation and coach trips between Sydney and Brisbane - we leave for Newcastle (about three hours north) on Monday, after our flat's been inspected.
After a nice meal in a Spanish restaurant, we went to our final quiz at our local bar last night. Richard came too, so of course we won (we need him for the music and sport questions!) I was touched when the quizmaster gave us a big pack of Tim ams as a leaving gift (if you've read my praise for these Aussie biscuits you'll know why I was so happy). We stayed afterwards and chatted with him and the quiz regulars after. I'll miss the routine of our regular Thursday quiz. In the three months we've been here we've not missed one Thursday, and have won all but two times. Creatures of habit, us.
So now our routines are gone. Travelling is, by its nature, a haphazard and disorganised affair. It's apt then that we have our two week journey to Brisbane planned with military precision, and have accommodation booked for most of our stops. Ahem. One step at a time I say. Maybe by next February I'll have relaxed, and will wander round singing "Hakuna Matata" (sp?) all day. (It means "no worries".)
(When I say we have the journey planned with military precision, I'm saying it's planned well. Looking at the number of "friendly fire" incidents and other PR disasters in the recent Gulf War you may think the term an oxymoron.)
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Ah, extreme odd trial
That's an anagram.
Of The Matrix Reloaded. This is my review. We saw it at the flicks on Saturday afternoon (and brilliantly escaped the rain). I loved the first film. I liked it at the cinema, but I've seen it on DVD a few times since and I think I like it even more now. It's so stylish and original, and Keanu Reeves does really well as a dazed and confused Neo.
So the first of the two sequels (next one out in November!) Was I excited? Probably not as much as I was with the second X Men film, since the first one was really good without blowing me away, and it was clear that the sequel could be just as good. There was nothing that original or different about X Men - it's just a retelling of an old comic book. With The Matirx I thought they'd have to go a long way to equal it, so I wasn't expecting miracles.
So I'd have to say that I wasn't that disappointed since I was expecting to be disappointed. If you follow me.
The film's exciting, and fun, and there are some great bits (the freeway chase, especially). However, there's very much a "seen it before" feeling. Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith seems to have been relegated to comic relief, since seeing so many clones of him is just amusing and you never really feel he's going to duff up Neo good and proper. Equally Neo doesn't seem as kick-ass as he was at the end of the last one. I suppose the fight scenes wouldn't have been as good if he just moved his arms around nonchalantly.
And as I was expecting, whilst Keanu Reeves was perfect for a Neo who didn't quite understand what was going on in the first film, he's less well cast as a saviour and superhero.
The effects are good, but watching CG people running around often feels like you're watching a cartoon. During Neo's fight with multiple Smiths I was in turns amazed and bored by the technology. The scenes of Neo flying were great, and made me wish they'd hurry up and get the new Superman movie into production. Alas it seems that's not going to happen for a while. (They should get Nicolas Cage back on board for that too.)
Back to TMR, there's too much rubbish philosophy in the film, especially in the first half hour. "But what is control? Do we control machines or do they control us? Ahhhhhhh - do you see? Ahhhh." There is some good stuff though, especially with a discussion of Neo's purpose as "The One" near the end, which changes your understanding of the films (I don't think I fully understood it, however).
So not a disaster, but not an equal to the first one. The original was a five star movie, but this one's just a three star one. That's probably a bit unfair on the film, since it's being judged in relation to it's predecessor, but I never claimed to be fair. Perhaps it will seem better once the trilogy's complete.
Of The Matrix Reloaded. This is my review. We saw it at the flicks on Saturday afternoon (and brilliantly escaped the rain). I loved the first film. I liked it at the cinema, but I've seen it on DVD a few times since and I think I like it even more now. It's so stylish and original, and Keanu Reeves does really well as a dazed and confused Neo.
So the first of the two sequels (next one out in November!) Was I excited? Probably not as much as I was with the second X Men film, since the first one was really good without blowing me away, and it was clear that the sequel could be just as good. There was nothing that original or different about X Men - it's just a retelling of an old comic book. With The Matirx I thought they'd have to go a long way to equal it, so I wasn't expecting miracles.
So I'd have to say that I wasn't that disappointed since I was expecting to be disappointed. If you follow me.
The film's exciting, and fun, and there are some great bits (the freeway chase, especially). However, there's very much a "seen it before" feeling. Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith seems to have been relegated to comic relief, since seeing so many clones of him is just amusing and you never really feel he's going to duff up Neo good and proper. Equally Neo doesn't seem as kick-ass as he was at the end of the last one. I suppose the fight scenes wouldn't have been as good if he just moved his arms around nonchalantly.
And as I was expecting, whilst Keanu Reeves was perfect for a Neo who didn't quite understand what was going on in the first film, he's less well cast as a saviour and superhero.
The effects are good, but watching CG people running around often feels like you're watching a cartoon. During Neo's fight with multiple Smiths I was in turns amazed and bored by the technology. The scenes of Neo flying were great, and made me wish they'd hurry up and get the new Superman movie into production. Alas it seems that's not going to happen for a while. (They should get Nicolas Cage back on board for that too.)
Back to TMR, there's too much rubbish philosophy in the film, especially in the first half hour. "But what is control? Do we control machines or do they control us? Ahhhhhhh - do you see? Ahhhh." There is some good stuff though, especially with a discussion of Neo's purpose as "The One" near the end, which changes your understanding of the films (I don't think I fully understood it, however).
So not a disaster, but not an equal to the first one. The original was a five star movie, but this one's just a three star one. That's probably a bit unfair on the film, since it's being judged in relation to it's predecessor, but I never claimed to be fair. Perhaps it will seem better once the trilogy's complete.
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
A bit of rambling about our plans
We'll be leaving Sydney next Monday and starting Stage Three of the Big Adventure - travelling anticlockwise around Australia from Sydney. (Stage One was Tokyo, Stage Two: living and working in Sydney - keep up at the back!) We'll be giving up what little security we have with our jobs, our cosy little studio flat and the people we know in Sydney. We are quite (as in completely) excited. I've no idea how we'll fill our days.
Once we've left Sydney I won't be in internet cafes so much (indeed, can't afford to be - they're more expensive outside the big cities). This blog will probably change from a place for my rambling thoughts with diary also to a travel diary proper. This will please a number of you.
Australian youth hostels tend to be pretty good, so there's no need to pity us too much. Unless we have to, we won't be staying in dorms - we're in our late twenties, so of course we're above the straight-from-uni travellers who come to Oz for the sole purpose of destroying their livers and we don't fancy sharing a room with them.
I'm a little worried that will mean we're less sociable than other travellers (he says, having just snobbishly put down a majority of the travellers here). There's less motivation to chat to strangers when traveling in a couple. When you're travelling alone you have to talk to others to keep from going mad. It may be that we find that we too have to talk to others if we drive each other mad, of course.
We won't have a TV any more, so less of The Simpsons for us (and fewer movies too - sob). Some youth hostels have a wazzark lantern in the common room, but you have to put up with what other people are watching. (What am I saying? It's more than likely to be The Simpsons - that show is always on, and is internationally loved.)
For the moment though, it's time to start getting things in order here. My job finished today (huzzah!) and Anne's ends on Friday. My mum's coming to Oz to travel around a bit so we're timing it so we meet her in Brisbane. With our recent weekend hikes I may even be able to keep up with her - she usually wears me out when we go walking with her.
Once we've left Sydney I won't be in internet cafes so much (indeed, can't afford to be - they're more expensive outside the big cities). This blog will probably change from a place for my rambling thoughts with diary also to a travel diary proper. This will please a number of you.
Australian youth hostels tend to be pretty good, so there's no need to pity us too much. Unless we have to, we won't be staying in dorms - we're in our late twenties, so of course we're above the straight-from-uni travellers who come to Oz for the sole purpose of destroying their livers and we don't fancy sharing a room with them.
I'm a little worried that will mean we're less sociable than other travellers (he says, having just snobbishly put down a majority of the travellers here). There's less motivation to chat to strangers when traveling in a couple. When you're travelling alone you have to talk to others to keep from going mad. It may be that we find that we too have to talk to others if we drive each other mad, of course.
We won't have a TV any more, so less of The Simpsons for us (and fewer movies too - sob). Some youth hostels have a wazzark lantern in the common room, but you have to put up with what other people are watching. (What am I saying? It's more than likely to be The Simpsons - that show is always on, and is internationally loved.)
For the moment though, it's time to start getting things in order here. My job finished today (huzzah!) and Anne's ends on Friday. My mum's coming to Oz to travel around a bit so we're timing it so we meet her in Brisbane. With our recent weekend hikes I may even be able to keep up with her - she usually wears me out when we go walking with her.
Monday, May 19, 2003
A visit from the police
On Sunday night, at about 10.30, the mad couple next door started another big row. We couldn't hear the bloke but the girl was screaming like crazy and there was a lot of banging. We were tired of it by now and concerned about the violence. When I threatened to call the police last time the girl said she didn't want that. I didn't threaten this time, I just called them, and they came about 20 minutes later.
Between the time I called the police and the time they arrived, the couple on the other side of the mad couple complained about the noise. I went out to have a nose and lend my support and the guy was outside saying that he wasn't hitting her and his girlfriend was hitting him. I really don't know what to believe, but was getting sick of it. He was very desperate for us not to call the police (I didn't tell him they were on their way) but when he went back in the rowing didn't stop.
When four policemen arrived (we buzzed them in when we saw them on the security camera channel on our telly!) Anne and I stood by our door listening in, and it was one of the weirdest conversations we'd heard. Certainly not the sort of thing you hear on The Bill (which The Aussies adore!) Two talked to the guy inside the flat, and two brought the girl out into the hall and talked to her. They were both drunk, though she was speaking clearly. She moaned about her man for a while, and said that he goes out wearing one shirt and comes back in another. She said he's seeing another woman in the building - a "55 year old big Italian Mama" (they're both in their early thirties, maybe late twenties). When the police asked if she worked she said she didn't as there was no point, then went into a tirade about wages in coffee shops.
We then heard a foul-mouthed outburst when another resident came out of the lift. She screamed at him, calling him a "troublemaker" for calling the police and suggested he was homosexual. This was all while the police were there! Those poor coppers had the patience of saints.
The policeman said they'd have to keep the noise down, else they'll be back. He said, "if we go are you going to keep on rowing?" Our jaws dropped when she said she may murder him. The policeman paused before saying, "don't say that. You're not serious are you?" and she went into a long speech about how she'd thought about it, but then everyone wants to murder someone at times. We expected her to be carted off at this point, but amazingly she wasn't.
The policeman suggested she seek help, and try to find somewhere else to live, but she refused, saying that she'd end up in "the projects" (state funded housing) and the people who lived there were absolute scum. I couldn't believe she was saying this and would pity anyone who had to live next door to her.
I say the girl was speaking clearly, but at times she was talking absolute rubbish. She started telling the police about the angels in heaven at one point (not connecting it at all with her situation) and at one point said that she was so angry that she was shivering her timbers. I think I nearly revealed my location at this point by laughing out loud.
It was a nasty experience, and though some of it was very funny, we felt very sorry for the situation these people were in and sad that they seemed to have accepted it and had no intention of doing anything about it. Sad sods.
Mind you, we were the ones cowering behind our door in turns giggling and being horrified at what we were hearing. Who are the sad sods?
The police came to our flat afterwards (giving the game away quite spectacularly - our neighbours will now know for sure who called them!) and told us to call if there was any more trouble and that the couple were well known to them. To be fair, whilst we hear them a fair bit it only explodes like that about once a fortnight. We didn't hear much more from next door for the rest of the night, and will be out of there in a week. Yay!
Between the time I called the police and the time they arrived, the couple on the other side of the mad couple complained about the noise. I went out to have a nose and lend my support and the guy was outside saying that he wasn't hitting her and his girlfriend was hitting him. I really don't know what to believe, but was getting sick of it. He was very desperate for us not to call the police (I didn't tell him they were on their way) but when he went back in the rowing didn't stop.
When four policemen arrived (we buzzed them in when we saw them on the security camera channel on our telly!) Anne and I stood by our door listening in, and it was one of the weirdest conversations we'd heard. Certainly not the sort of thing you hear on The Bill (which The Aussies adore!) Two talked to the guy inside the flat, and two brought the girl out into the hall and talked to her. They were both drunk, though she was speaking clearly. She moaned about her man for a while, and said that he goes out wearing one shirt and comes back in another. She said he's seeing another woman in the building - a "55 year old big Italian Mama" (they're both in their early thirties, maybe late twenties). When the police asked if she worked she said she didn't as there was no point, then went into a tirade about wages in coffee shops.
We then heard a foul-mouthed outburst when another resident came out of the lift. She screamed at him, calling him a "troublemaker" for calling the police and suggested he was homosexual. This was all while the police were there! Those poor coppers had the patience of saints.
The policeman said they'd have to keep the noise down, else they'll be back. He said, "if we go are you going to keep on rowing?" Our jaws dropped when she said she may murder him. The policeman paused before saying, "don't say that. You're not serious are you?" and she went into a long speech about how she'd thought about it, but then everyone wants to murder someone at times. We expected her to be carted off at this point, but amazingly she wasn't.
The policeman suggested she seek help, and try to find somewhere else to live, but she refused, saying that she'd end up in "the projects" (state funded housing) and the people who lived there were absolute scum. I couldn't believe she was saying this and would pity anyone who had to live next door to her.
I say the girl was speaking clearly, but at times she was talking absolute rubbish. She started telling the police about the angels in heaven at one point (not connecting it at all with her situation) and at one point said that she was so angry that she was shivering her timbers. I think I nearly revealed my location at this point by laughing out loud.
It was a nasty experience, and though some of it was very funny, we felt very sorry for the situation these people were in and sad that they seemed to have accepted it and had no intention of doing anything about it. Sad sods.
Mind you, we were the ones cowering behind our door in turns giggling and being horrified at what we were hearing. Who are the sad sods?
The police came to our flat afterwards (giving the game away quite spectacularly - our neighbours will now know for sure who called them!) and told us to call if there was any more trouble and that the couple were well known to them. To be fair, whilst we hear them a fair bit it only explodes like that about once a fortnight. We didn't hear much more from next door for the rest of the night, and will be out of there in a week. Yay!
Tuesday movie review
As Anne said yesterday, I won't review The Matrix Reloaded until it's released in the UK because I'm nice.
Which means only one review today: Man On The Moon the biopic of Andy Kaufmann. This is a reasonable movie, and pretty amusing in places. I'd rarely seen Taxi and wasn't very familiar with Kaufmann's comedy. The film seems to ask, was he a madman or a genius? I'd say neither. He seems to be a pretty mediocre comedian, though he obviously caught the US's attention at some point so maybe he had something.
I liked that they got a lot of the cast of Taxi back to play themselves when they we younger (though without enough screen time to make it look ridiculous). Great REM soundtrack too. Three stars.
Which means only one review today: Man On The Moon the biopic of Andy Kaufmann. This is a reasonable movie, and pretty amusing in places. I'd rarely seen Taxi and wasn't very familiar with Kaufmann's comedy. The film seems to ask, was he a madman or a genius? I'd say neither. He seems to be a pretty mediocre comedian, though he obviously caught the US's attention at some point so maybe he had something.
I liked that they got a lot of the cast of Taxi back to play themselves when they we younger (though without enough screen time to make it look ridiculous). Great REM soundtrack too. Three stars.
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