#camping store australia

[myfireaustralia]

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[truffaloo]

Finally got my hands on a copy in Australia through the library!! Can't wait to experience Camp Damascus 💕

[vanillablankcanvas]

Father's Day is coming so could you give us more headcanons for Brozone dads (Bruce, Clay, Floyd, Branch) and their kids. What activities their children like to do with their dads? Camping, reading, sports?

Fathers Day is actually on September 1st in Australia.

😅

I do like the idea of some Father's Day themed stuff tho. I just didn't have anything planned for this weekend. 😋

Let's see what I can't think of.

Branch 🌲

Branch is the preferred bedtime storyteller. Poppy gets too animated and keeps the kids awake longer. Branch's voice is more soothing.

Teaching the kids to be self sufficient. Foraging, farming, hunting, storing food, building and mending things. He tries to make a game of it the best he can. He thinks he's boring. The kids think he's fascinating. 😁

He is the closest with Princess Rosiepuff. Whilst he loves all of his kids very much, she just shares more of his interests.

Floyd 🔥

'Baby and Me' exercise classes.

Weekend family road trips. Visiting the different tribes and exposing the kids to the different cultures.

Boom coaches The Sprouts. It's basically a Little League team for Trollings. Angel and Phoenix are both part of it. Floyd doesn't play but is very supportive! ⚾

Clay ⛳

Clay tried to get his brothers into golf. They preferred baseball. Clay found he was actually great at baseball. Clover liked baseball as well. They actually bonded over it. Clover joined the kids team The Sprouts and Clay was part of The Hotshot Hue's.

Teaching Clover to dance by doing the 'standing on my feet' thing.

Birdie is a quieter kid and he shares the love of golf with Clay.

Bruce 💜

Bruce's favorite go-to game to keep the kids occupied is to bury a toy in the sand and tell them to start digging and whoever finds it can keep it. Sometimes he doesn't actually bury anything just so they stay out there longer. 🪣

He encourages their creativity and freedom. He keeps every one of the artworks they make for him.

John Dory 🐟

Grampbro! Uncle John Dory gets a visit from all the kids on Father's Day. ❤️

Telling the kids all stories about their moms and dads.

Showing them how to properly camp, survival skills and critter maintenance.

I have this whole extra story in my head that Boom coaches The Sprouts and is part of another adult team called The Diamond Diva's and he has to verse Clay and there's like a friendly rivalry between them. Boom and Clay are like "Floyd, who do you think will win?" (Undertones of Brother vs. Boyfriend) And Floyd is like 😅 "I just hope everyone has fun."

[hoe4sports]

“The world stops turning”

Caroline Graham Hansen x reader

AN: No trigger warning. This has been re written as of 31st of May.

You were fresh out of University, and for sure done with anything related to lectures, studying and assignments. You grew up in this silly little Norwegian town, Tromsø. You know, a place where you can see the northern lights, reindeers and polar bears! Well, the latter is not entirely true. It is just a dead polar bear stuffed for tourists to see and take pictures of. Regardless, you grew up here with your grandparents. Your father left when you were a baby, and your mother? You went no contact a few years ago as she put you through a lifetime of trauma. That is exactly why you decided that when you was finished with your bachelors degree in sports leadership, you needed to get out of this sad little town. It is always cold, and the town has winter for 9 months a year. Three of them are in complete darkness, no sun or no daylight. It’s just as bad as it sounds. That’s why you decided to apply for jobs pretty much anywhere but here. Places like Oslo, London, Greece, Australia (hello Sam Kerr) and even the us. You however ended up getting a job offer from the women’s department in the club known as Barcelona. It was just what you needed; Sun, beaches and Spanish women.

You decided to go to Barcelona a week early, you figured you had to take advantage of checking out the city and the nightlife! Barcelona had arranged this beautiful apartment for you downtown. It was a decent sized apartment in a new building with spectacular views from your bedroom window in the 23rd floor. You had never seen anything like this as you grew up very poor, and only lived in an apartment with your grandparents. You spent the first week checking out bars, restaurants and beaches. You also found a huge mall with all of your favourite stores! Naturally, you had to purchase new clothes as I was told that there would be an athletic dress code. Lululemon for the win!

You didn’t really meet a lot of hot Spanish women during your first week, but yoy made a few friends in the building. One of your closest neighbours, Ingrid Engen lived two doors away from you. She recognised me from a talent camp for 13 year olds in Norway. You had spent the first week getting to know each other, and when she found out you were going to be working for Barcelona; she was beyond excited. You two clicked naturally, and you went out to all her favourite bars, restaurants and shops. She really gave you the full experience! 

Fast forward to today, Monday morning. The first of August. At 5.30. Let’s just say that you regretted the last bottle of wine from last night. But today was the day! The day were you finally start your first “big girl job” and you bet you were feeling excited. You got your tired body out of bed and opened up the blinds in your apartment. The views were simply breathtaking. It was stunning! A beautiful sunrise with the most beautiful colors that you could possibly imagine. You made myself an iced coffee, and wrapped your fuzzy around yourself so you could sit outside on your private balcony. It felt relaxing. The air was crisp, the sound of the ocean was lingering in your ears and you could smell the salty beach. It was like a dream come true.

Your daydreaming soon became interrupted as you knocked myself intro reality. First day of your first job, right. You quickly made it to the bathroom and had a steaming shower. The smells of the floral soap felt like a full on aroma therapy session. You quickly got out of the shower and patted your body dry. Your blonde long hair dried and put in a half up half down bun and you did light makeup as your skin was tanned from the week in the sun. You always used some mascara, it really made your icy blue eyes pop. You got dressed up in what you had been requested to wear; Black athletic shorts, a black athletic top, your trusty black hokas and a hot pink lululemon jacket. It felt wrong, but your new boss had insured you that any athletic wear was good.  You grabbed my bag and you took a deep breath. One look in the mirror, some lip balm and you were out the door. This was going to be the first day of the rest of your life. 

*fast forward to being with your boss*

“Ah, and this office is where you will be working from! Feel free to decorate however you like.” The Spanish woman said. You nodded and listened as active as you could. “Here is your work phone, your laptop and your camera. If there is anything you need, you let me know.” she said as she handed over what looked like a tower of apple and canon products. You felt stunned. “Wow, this is amazing, thank you so much! I’m so excited to get to know the team, and I’m eager to get to work.” You replied as you sat down your new gear and followed the tall woman as she talked enthusiastically about Barcelona and their work culture. 

*Caroline POV*

Jonathan was going on, and on and on and on about what this season was gonna look like. I was tying up my white Nike cleats, they were brand new as the team wanted us to start fresh. I however, hated fresh and new and change. I liked stability, routine and same old. Why change something that isn’t broken?

The door to the hallway suddenly swung open. There was the head of staff, Maria. She was always so bright and shiny and talkative. Not really my way of life. “Ah, Maria, just in time!” Jonathan called out. “Come, come!” He urged and a blonde petite woman popped up from behind Maria. “This, ladies, this is Y/F/N. She is one of the new assistant coaches, and she will be primarily working with the wingers. With her, we will be unstoppable!” Jonathan said enthusiastically. The girl blushed, and smiled. “Hi squad, Im looking forward to kicking your asses on a daily basis”  she said with a cheeky grin. I was staring at her as I couldn’t remember why she seemed so familiar. “Caro, stop staring!” Mapi hissed at me. I rolled my eyes. “I wasn’t staring” I hushed, but with no luck as the team was already making their way onto the pitch.

[killeray]

I really wish the camping and school trip to Australia were in the game instead of the manga. Imagine how pretty the illustrations in Chino's art style and how fun the story could have been. In my opinion it's way more interesting than going to the pet store or an Art Day... It's like they drained their ideas on the manga instead of the game.

[cloudycaffeinatedcryptid]

Let’s have Nick bullying hours! (Or just talk about him without bullying, but how could we possibly??) How do you think he ended up in this job, cooking at a camp in New York, all the way from Australia? What’s the weirdest shit he did over the summer? If we switched someone else out for him as the wolf bait, who should it be and what would he do in their place?

gods please, i love bullying this weirdo

so i do think a lot about how he got here & i have a minor hc that his parents have a pretty demanding job with cushy salaries & he moved in maybe middle school/early high school (bc he has NO clue how to talk to Humans, or maybe he was homeschooled). if Jacob misses the qte to catch his phone, Nick is immediately like "i'll pay for that, im so sorry". obviously he SHOULD, he broke it, why does he do this, but idk it just sticks with me. i would never risk someone else's property, ESP bc i could never afford to replace it if i fucked up. idk. Nick is fucking weird. anyway so i think his parents moved to New York for their job & he's breaking out of his shell, going to camp with other young adults his age

over camp, he's a fucking nightmare. at least ten kids are in on a bet that he's an alien. two others are convinced he's possessed. sometimes he just stands over whatever he's preparing for dinner, completely still, staring at the food without blinking. it doesn't even look like he's breathing. five minutes later, he's totally fine. he sings different words to the camp song every time & it's never the right ones. sometimes he eats raw onion when he's chopping it up. he's never tasted sweet potato. he also stores jars of marinara in the freezer. one counselors swears to god they saw him snap a twig in half between his teeth during a nature walk & another one says he ate a whole acorn

if we could wolf-swap someone, i do think it would be interesting to actually see infected!Abi. the conflict between her, Nick & Emma would've meant a lil more maybe if instead of getting pissy, whiny, aggressive Nick, we could get choices & steadily see Abi get more forceful about if he rlly likes her, asking Kaitlyn why she made that dare when she KNEW what would happen, starting to speak up for herself before it gets too far & she turns (& decapitates nick <3). maybe that's basic but both of those characters felt kind of wasted so :( swapies :) also i feel like Abi should've gotten an opportunity to grow more than just "nervous & unsure & hiding" beyond choosing to either shoot or die

in her place, Nick for sure wouldn't shoot, he's a bitch. (just kidding. kinda.) but honestly i don't even know what he would do. Abi doesn't get to do much but hiding the storm shelter doesn't seem like his thing either. if Emma's in the van, all four of them prolly go to the scrapyard together, which kind of changes the whole thing

[ashesforart]

Do you have a favorite book or book series? Or maybe a top 5? What are they? ✨

Hi friend!! Thank you so much for the question <3

I have a lot of books that I really love-- in particular I'm a really big fan of travel writing and in general can get on board with almost anything that has good humor to it. Bill Bryson is my favorite author. I collect his books, actually (only second hand copies because that makes finding them in used book stores a lot more exciting)! I find it really difficult to rank my favorite books like a tier list because they're all so lovely, so I'm just going name a bunch (+ commentary) that I adore.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (a hilarious retelling of the author's decision to hike the Appalachian Trail having basically never camped outside a day in his life. 11/10 amazing)

How to Read Houses: A Crash Course in Domestic Architecture by Will Jones (this prob sounds boring but I thought it was really cool. imo a great introduction to recognizing and appreciating architecture-- but more focused on American + European architectural history)

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green (A series of short essays about the human-centered planet--this is such a comfort book for me!)

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien (A classic, ofc! I'm actually a bigger fan of this than LOTR)

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (I believe this book is called Down Under if you're in the UK. Fascinating journey about the author's travels in Australia!)

Right now I'm reading the Once and Future King by T.H. White and really enjoying it-- although tbh I've been reading that one for a while now because my uni semester means I don't get much time to read recreationally :(

ALSO if anyone ever wants any book recs on physics/astronomy hmu because I can definitely recommend some cool ones!

[military1st]

Highlander Wee Banshee Micro Air Pump

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It includes a dual-layer valve for easy inflation and deflation, a USB A to USB C cable for charging, and a stuff sack for convenient packing.

Find out more at Military 1st online store.

Enjoy free UK delivery and returns! Swift delivery to Ireland, the US, Australia, and across Europe.

[laresearchette]

Friday, March 08, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: THE RELUCTANT TRAVELER WITH EUGENE LEVY (Apple TV+) THE GOOD MOTHER (Paramount+ Canada) FIRST TIME FEMALE DIRECTOR (The Roku Channel) BOARDERS (Tubi)

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? GOLD RUSH: WHITE WATER (Premiering on March 12 on Discovery Canada at 9:00pm) THE TRAITORS (UK) (Premiering on March 15 on Crave at 11:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA AMERICAN FICTION ANATOMY OF A FALL DIFFERENT STROKES (EXCLUSIVE CONTENT) FLAWS

CBC GEM CBC MUSIC LIVE AT MASSEY HALL COCO CHANEL: UNBUTTONED GANGNAM PROJET THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW (Season 14) JUICE THE NEXT STEP (Season 7) 20TH CENTURY WOMEN WORKIN’ MOMS YOUNGER (Seasons 6 and 7, plus a one-hour special)

CRAVE TV BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE THE DEPARTED DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN HOLMES FAMILY RESCUE HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN PARADISE HIGHWAY PUSH SICK GIRL SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS WONKA

NETFLIX CANADA BLOWN AWAY (Season 4) (CA) DAMSEL

HOCKEY CENTRAL TRADE DEADLINE (SN) 10:00am

MLB SPRING TRAINING (SN1) 1:00pm: Yankees vs. Jays

TENNIS (TSN2) 2:00pm; Indian Wells - Early Round Coverage Day #3 (TSN2/TSN4) 6:00pm: Indian Wells - Early Round Coverage Day #3

CURLING (TSN3) 2:00pm: Montana's Brier: Page 1/2 Qualifier (TSN/TSN3) 8:00pm: Montana's Brier: Page 3/4 Qualifier

PWHL HOCKEY (SN) 7:00pm: Montreal vs. Toronto

NHL HOCKEY (SNEast/SNOntario) 7:00pm: Sabres vs. Blue Jackets (SN) 10:00pm: Stars vs. Ducks (TSN3) 10:00pm: Jets vs. Kraken

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 7:30pm: Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers (SN Now) 8:00pm: Heat vs. Thunder (SN1) 10:30pm: Bucks vs. Lakers

MARKETPLACE (CBC) 8:00pm

MILLION DOLLAR ISLAND (Discovery Canada) 8:00pm: Finals Week begins, and starvation continues taking a toll on the Log camp as the hunger games reach a dramatic climax.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF CHESHIRE (Slice) 8:00pm: Big ‘V’ Energy

BOLLYWED (documentary) 8:00pm: When Kuki invites the public to the second store Grand Opening on live radio, it gives the family less than 48 hours to be ready… for way more guests than they were anticipating.

ABOUT THAT (CBC) 8:30pm

THE FIFTH ESTATE (CBC) 9:00pm: Rotten Promises: A pitch to turn the Maritimes into an apple-growing capital, with influential supporters, was an easy sell to investors and would-be foreign workers; those who bought in say it was a scam.

OWN SPOTLIGHT: OPRAH & ANGELA BASSETT (OWN Canada) 9:00pm: Oprah hosts an intimate conversation with actress Angela Bassett in celebration of her recent honorary Academy Award; Angela shares her journey to success, her commitment to excellence and the dreams she has for her family.

HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE (Crave) 9:00pm: With the climate crisis at a point of no return, a group of environmental activists come up with a daring plan to make their voices heard and disrupt an oil pipeline.

THE SUMMIT AUSTRALIA (Discovery Canada) 9:30pm (FINALE): After 14 days, 200 kilometres of brutal terrain and death defying obstacles along the way, The Summit is finally in sight.

CRIME BEAT (Global) 10:00pm: Surrey Six: The Gang Hit

[polijakefim]

Meet Travis the Aussie who's big Down Under BRIEFS ENCOUNTER THAT CHANGED 'CROC DUNDEE' KID'S LIFE As he scanned the Los Angeles horizon with just $60 in his pocket and beaten-up old shoes on his feet, newly-arrived Travis Fimmel had little idea of what fate held in store for him.

Just a year or so earlier, this latter-day Crocodile Dundee was running barefoot around his family's dairy farm in Australia and tearing about the bush on a motorbike.

Now Travis, 21, was on the verge of fame and fortune - but old habits die hard. As he walked into the offices of LA Models, he realised that he had instinctively slung his tatty trainers over his shoulder.

He needn't have worried. Model booker Paul Nelson cast a professional eye over the muscular torso topped with an angelic, boyish face - and signed him on the spot.

"He had a beautiful face, a very funny personality - it all clicked," says Nelson. "We helped him out with money and a place to stay. We believed in him from the beginning."

That was last April. The young man who used to milk cows to earn pocket money was months away from one of the biggest deals with Calvin Klein since Kate Moss made her name at the fashion house.

THE extremely well-endowed Aussie, now 22, is on a six-figure deal to front the underwear campaign that has sent ripples of desire and envy throughout the population.

Gazing down from a giant billboard in downtown New York, Travis is an Adonis clad in skimpy white briefs. His image is plastered on billboards and in magazines worldwide. A week ago, he was in London's Selfridges autographing underwear for fans.

But when he opens his mouth to speak, the words that come tumbling out are not in sync with his sex-symbol status. In his Aussie drawl, he says frankly of the huge poster: "I don't look at it, man." He is also quick to laugh off the idea of being an object of desire for many women - and some men, too.

"Can't take it seriously, mate. Embarrassing. Funny." Then with a cheeky smile, he relents saying: "It's good, it makes a lot of people happy."

There is no holding back the Aussie bluntness. He says of new boss Klein: "You'd think he'd be stuck-up but he's just so down-to-earth. He's rich as f***, though."

After appearing in a Jennifer Lopez video, he described the diva thus: "She's got a fat a*** but she's very nice." As for his instant success and the underwear shoots: "I felt like a p***k. I was very self-conscious I have to say, mate." Still, at least he did them. He once declared: "No way, mate, I'm not wearing jocks."

These days Travis has more "jocks" than he can use. Along with the year-long contract comes a supply of Calvin Klein pants: "I've got 500 pairs of them at home. I only have to wash about once every two months."

Travis grew up on his parents' remote farm 26 miles outside Echuca in Victoria. The youngest of three brothers, he worked on the farm and rode around on motorcycles and hunted foxes.

Proud mother Jenny says: "He would disappear and camp out for the night. Even now, he jumps on a motorbike and heads out to see what's been happening on the farm." She offers some insight into why her son is dismissive about his good looks: "He was small, the little guy, so it doesn't suit his character to make a big deal about his looks."

At 17, Travis moved to Melbourne to play football and study sport management at university. But hopes of a sporting career were dashed when he broke his leg.

It was while working out in a Melbourne gym that he was spotted by a talent scout from Peter Chadwick Model Agency.

Booker Matthew Anderson recalls: "He never saw himself as a star and I don't think he does now. He is either genuinely not aware of his appearance, or he's just playing it cool. It might be a mixture of both." Part-time modelling jobs took Travis from Melbourne to London. At 19, he dated then All Saint Nicole Appleton. But after a short affair, Travis dipped out of the limelight, dumping Nicole because she was "boring".

It was only a matter of time before he decided to try his luck in America. "Just to see the country," he says. "I keep saying: 'I am not a model, mate. It's just a job to make money to travel'."

After being plucked from obscurity by LA Models, the young Aussie found himself in close proximity to a number of leading ladies.

But his talent for speaking his mind appears to be almost as big as his talent for filling Calvin Klein's new Body Underwear line. He even describes playing the love interest in a Janet Jackson video as "cheesy". Today he lives in LA and is more likely to be found surfing the waves than trapped inside a gym: "I'm the most unhealthy person in the world."

Travis has also been spotted out with Hollywood beauty Meg Ryan, 40. The pair recently dined at Manhattan's Nobu sushi restaurant owned by Robert De Niro. They shared plates of raw fish and giggled like schoolkids.

But we'll have to wait to see whether a more mature woman can tame this wandering Aussie spirit. "Modelling is so boring," he confides. "It's meant to be glamorous but you sit there for ages.

"I don't have a clue what I'm doing. I might go home straight after this. I might go travelling again. My plan is to make a plan."Interview by Emma Hibbs

[chickensarentcheap]

@tragiclyhip​

There's an ongoing debate between Tyler and Esme who felt what and when, as he doesn't like to talk about 'the feels'.  But I think I'll give this one to Esme.  She was pretty smitten right from the start. Even before she went looking for him in that hotel bar ;).  She denies that's what she was doing mind you lol

Tyler fought as valiantly as he could LOL.  Even turning down a sexual offer that same night at the hotel as mentioned above.  Saying "I'm sorry. I can't do this to you."  Two reasons, I think. One was that he already saw her 'more than that' and didn't want to add her to his list one night stands, and two,  he was trying to save her because he knew what a mess he was.

Both have admitted that they never believed in soulmates. Not until it happened to them. So they would have just laughed it off. Tyler would have called it 'f*cking crazy talk'

Esme would have stayed single I think.  She had a lot of distrust in men and it's even a shock she got that close to Tyler. Honestly, Tyler would be dead.

Now this is a shocking one I think. Tyler did.  In Dhaka, after things started happening between them, he suggested that when it was over, they travel together to see if it was just the timing or if it was real.  He said she could visit him, then they'd go to Colorado and he'd stay there for a bit, and then would just travel the world and stop in random places.

IF we go with the original series, Tyler and Esme have never dated.  Outside of being a married couple. In Lost and Found, they've gone to dinner, stuff like that.  But they're already living together at that point.

Their first kiss was insanely hot and consisted of him with his hand around her throat and his body weight pining her against a wall.

I think maybe each other's first true, real love. If that makes sense at their ages.

Esme.  When he was in coma after Dhaka.

They like to go camping, hiking,  they enjoy travelling together, swimming, walks on the beach, he tries to teach her to surf, they paddle board together

It's kind of even I think.  Tyler is exceptionally good at reading Esme's moods and he's able to 'shelve his shit' in order to take care of her.  Esme is an excellent nurturer and she reads him very well as well.  She knows when he needs comfort or contact. He'd never ask for it, but he drops subtle signs and she responds to them

This is a tough one. They're both protective in their own right. But I think this one has to go to Tyler.

The usual stuff. Babe, baby, honey.  But more personal, he calls her 'Me' and she calls him 'Tae' and 'big. bad, mercenary man'.  lol Sometimes 'husband' or 'the Aussie' or 'the old fella'

Tyler.   He stores everything away.  She can mention something once and he remembers it and goes and gets whatever it is to surprise her.  She once was surprised about something he did and she was like "I can't believe you remembered that." And he said "Of course I remembered. I'm in love with you."

Esme. She's definitely more strict than him.

Esme.  she's a worrier. big time.

Tyler.  He'll even chase her out of the house with a huntsman

Esme is huge into the holidays. Especially Christmas.  They're homebodies. Whether it's in Australia or at their place in New York City.  So it's usually just them and the kids.  

[myfireaustralia]

Our fire pit is a lightweight compact fire pit, and smokeless fire pit. We have outdoor caring fire pits in australia.

[frostyreturns]

I think propaganda becomes more obvious when viewed with a broader lense. Like its weird seeing democrats being blamed for something happening around the world. Is Joe Biden responsible for covid camps in Australia? Did Nancy Pelosi make masks mandatory in Canada? Is Obama behind 15 minute cities in the UK? Did Bernie Sanders put up plexi glass in stores in Germany? 

Your enemy is the government as a whole and they are all the same, they are all working together. Voting republican will not save you.

[charlesandmartine]

Friday 24th February 2023

The open road beckons again today setting off from Toowoomba on our quest for Roma about 359km on the A2 in total. This section of the journey takes us further inland and north. Everything is topsy turvy down under. IE southerly winds welcome at home, here they come from the Antarctic. Travelling north at home means colder, travelling north here means it's getting hotter! Anecdotal I'm sure. Nonetheless the temperature has started to climb and there's that beautiful warm all over temperature when you step out of the car and even the breeze does nothing to chill.

First stop, Dalby where there's a choice of route! So the very cheery tourist information ladies helped us decide. That and the flat white and raspberry muffin delivered from a well recommended café. Once confirmed that the A2 is the route then the die is cast and there can be no deviation. The route comes close to the second longest man made structure, the Dingo fence that's 5600km in length crossing Australia from the Darling Downs to the Nullarbor Plains. Dalby is smack in the middle of cotton picking country although the crop is now in and so the only signs of this industry at this time of year are the small green plants with the promise of a crop for next season. Cotton soon gives way to vast flat open fields of wheat, also harvested by now, stored away in the massive grain silos, serviced by long road trains plying up and down between farms. A favourite crop here would appear to be Sorghum, a rather important ingredient for the manufacture of Aussie Weetabix. We pass Chinchilla then onto Miles. Named after one William Miles who on 19th January 1855 brought a whole ship load of immigrants to Queensland. To celebrate this grand event we had lunch at Chinaman's Creek, so called because part Chinese, part Mongolian Sam Ah Lee set up camp here. He was a market gardener which sounds innocent enough but the judge thought supplying opium to the Aborigines was outside his remit. So he was banned from the place. However, the Creek is now better known for the Tropical Waterlilies Numphea Gigatea var. Neorosea growing here, which are extinct in their own native country. They are thankfully abundant here in this creek providing someone keeps an eye on the water level. The Creek itself might by some be described as a large pond but it is absolutely stacked with these beautiful vibrant Waterlilies in both pink and blue hues. A truly delightful scene within a rather dusty environment.

Sandwich taken care of and adequate admiration of the Waterlilies duly given, we plodded on in the direction of Roma.

Big event. Soon after leaving Miles in the rear view mirror, we passed a huge sign saying 'Welcome to the Outback'. It's official we are now in the outback and likely as not no-one will ever see us again. Soon after the sign, we saw another enticing us to Judd's Lagoon. Well how could you resist, we had to find out what Judd had by way of a lagoon, so despite the protestations of the lady in Google headquarters we went off to explore. Shackles were rising I guess in Mr Avis's department, but most of the road was sealed so it ought to be okay. After 4km we found Judd and his lagoon and very pleasing it was too. A couple of camper vans had found it before us but otherwise it was totally peaceful. We were then able to rejoin our route. Miss Google maps then totally mistrusting our intention to follow her advice ever again announced "turn right in 55kms". Clearly making a point, we heard nothing from her for 45 mins. The roads are long, very straight and practically empty and before long we were pulling into the Explorer Motel for the next couple of nights. Too tired to cook we found cod and chips down the road at the Blue Shed Fish and Chip Shop a highly agreeable alternative washed down with Aussie beer from the bottle shop.

Temperatures reached 34 degrees today, warm enough for Martine to slip gracefully into the motel pool. We are hoping for more days like this.

[hislopchino]

Paul Merton: ‘I stayed in one of the world’s worst hotels in China’

The comedian recalls terrible hotels in China, mishaps with malaria tablets and why he’s happiest holidaying in the UK

Interview by Nick McGrath

From The Sunday Times, 22nd February 2023

Paul Merton, 65, first performed at the Comedy Store in 1982 and since 1990 has been a fixture on the BBC’s Have I Got News for You, which returns this spring for its 65th series. He lives in London with his third wife, Suki Webster, his co-star on Channel 5’s Motorhoming with Merton & Webster

My first holiday of any substance was to a holiday camp in Hemsby, on the edge of the Norfolk Broads. I was eight years old and I loved it. I loved the space to run around and the people drinking beer and watching the shows in the ballroom. It felt idyllic.

I visited Ireland a couple of years later and got a lot of attention from my mum’s relatives, which was great for my performer’s ego. We saw the Ring of Kerry and I was charmed by the locals’ love of words and storytelling.

I spent most of the Eighties living in a bedsit earning very little money, so the first time I travelled further afield was in 1987, when I went all the way to Australia, with a heavy cold, to visit my girlfriend at the time.

The cheapest route was London to Sydney, via Athens and Singapore. In Athens, the complimentary coach from the hotel to the airport was full of boy scouts from Liechtenstein, who were on their way to Sydney for an international scouting jamboree. Being stared at by three-dozen hostile Liechtensteiner boy scouts is an experience I won’t forget.

After a two-day delay in Singapore, I eventually got to Sydney on Christmas Day with horrible jet lag and an even heavier cold, sat down to Christmas lunch in 35C heat, then fell asleep for 16 hours. It felt like I’d been kicked in the head by a horse.

I’d only been earning £30 a gig, sometimes £10 even, so holidays were rare. But as my career took off, I travelled more — including to Kenya in 1990, where I had a terrible experience with anti-malarial drugs. Back then you had to take a weekly and daily pill and I had a severe reaction to the weekly pill, but it took a while to work out what the problem was.

Each Friday, first in Kenya and then back home in London, I’d take this pill then start to hallucinate. I got these paranoid thoughts, where I believed I was being followed by the Freemasons and could predict the next song on the radio. Which I couldn’t.

I then went to places like St Lucia, but felt uncomfortable driving around in a rented Land Rover that probably represented what some people there might earn in half a lifetime. I felt the same visiting Cape Town.

I was lucky enough to film a couple of travel documentary series in India and China — and had totally contrasting experiences. The poverty was dramatic in India, but the people were polite and proud and when I returned to film in Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta, they found our earnestly awful attempts at Bollywood improv hilarious and gave us multiple standing ovations.

I wouldn’t return on holiday to China, as the state interference leaves a bit of a nasty taste, as does the spitting. You literally pull up at some traffic lights and a woman in a very nice car will open her window and spit on the road. Everybody does it. Maybe a popular Chinese film star was a passionate spitter. Or perhaps Chairman Mao decreed it a healthy habit. Filming while surrounded on all sides by armed soldiers wasn’t massively relaxing either.

I also stayed in one of the world’s worst hotels in China. The foyer had a tarpaulin covered in some unusually dark stains and the room had bits of wall missing and stank of urine. I moved to a nearby hotel which was equally basic but clean, at least, although the TV was puzzling. It had a single channel showing a military man laden with medals berating a group of people for hours on end while they looked shamefaced.

I’d love to visit New Zealand as everyone raves about it. Another place I definitely won’t go back to is Tahiti, which everyone imagines is a South Sea paradise, but for me, it wasn’t. The hotel I stayed in was completely overrun by cats.

These days I prefer British holidays, as airports in the 21st century leave you with a low level of anxiety. My wife and I now love travelling round Britain in our motorhome, which is basically a hotel room on wheels. If we all could drop the idea that we have to go on holiday somewhere that has guaranteed sun, holidaying in this country has a lot going for it.

Paul and Suki will be speaking at the Caravan, Camping & Motorhome Show at the NEC Birmingham, which runs from February 21 to 26 (ccmshow.co.uk)

[mazelikedays]

2024 Year Ender

Currently Listening to: America - Only in Your Heart Location: Sydney, Australia Mood: Anxiously Melancholic Welcome to the 18th iteration of my Year Ender post. I have written most of this post on a plane on route to Sydney,Australia. As of posting, I’ll be in Sydney to celebrate the New Year near Sydney Opera.. Anyhow, let’s do the 2024 edition of my year ender report!  

1. The biggest highlight of this year is the approval of my Australian Visa and my big move from Dubai, UAE to Canberra, Australia. I was quite surprised that I was expecting my visa to be approved by March this year, but it was approved even earlier around February. Everything went quite quick then. I had a vacation in the Philippines in April, resigned at my job in Dubai in May, moved to Australia in June and finally settled in Canberra by the end of July. Two years of efforts and expeses paid off, and I was quite pleased that I got it. 

2. Travel wise, I definitely went to a lot of places! I went first to Oman in January, has a vacation in the Philippines in April, went to Georgia and Armenia in May, took a 2 week stopover in Singapore before finally flying first to Melbourne at the end of June. I stayed at my cousin’s place for a month to soak in the Australian life before finally moving on my own to Canberra by end of July. I also travelled to Sydney and visited Melbourne again a few more times. I am hoping that by next year, I can finally buy a good e-bike and start of camping around the Canberra area. I also hope to travel to more places, though it’s a bit hard with how far Australia is with everything else. Let’s see what’s in store this coming year! 3. I wouldn’t say that my move to Australia was all rainbows and sunshine. I felt that this year I’m beset by feelings of loneliness and anxiety. I think the biggest challenge for me coming to Australia would be getting used to the cost of living. I found it quite steep to my liking that sometimes at the back of my mind I wonder if relocating to Australia was actually a good idea. I’m also having some challenges with looking for friends. Australians are generally cool people, but sometimes I’m not sure how to interact with them. I am able to communicate and get along with them for the most part, but I’m wondering if I can befriend them to the point of being close to them. I guess only time will tell if I can have really close friends. I was also burned out with a lot of unexpected expenses, like dental and medical expenses which I’ll explain in a bit. I’m quite concerned that there are times where my expenses ate into my savings which I really didn’t like. I was nervous that it was taking me a while to get a job as my savings were getting depleted quite fast. Thankfully after a bit more than a month, I was able to find a job.

4. I guess I must be seen as complaining a bit too much, as while the cost of living is high in Australia, there’s a lot of good things going for it. First of all, the environment is really pristine and peaceful, especially in Canberra. It took me a bit of getting used to, since I was used to cities like Singapore and Dubai where it’s so busy and crowded, but now I got used to the quiet and spacious atmosphere of Canberra. I am also very glad that I was able to get a job as a Content Producer for YWCA Canberra. I feel the job is quite fulfilling, as my role serves a higher purpose of doing advocacy work and righteoous causes, a stark contrast to my previous jobs which is all about selling products. It also helps that the work culture is so chill and not stressful compared to my previous jobs. My colleagues seem to have a positive opinion of me as well, which makes me like my job a lot. I do need a bit of adjustment with other things, but I believe I’ll stay with this orginasation for quite a while!

5. TCG wise, it was pretty much the same deal as last year where it started great but ended quite bad. I had a good start with our team getting top 8 in Springfest in Manila. I also started playing in Australia, and I had a really good experience with a big tournament called Saltfest, where I got 4th place, probably my best record in a singles tournament format so far. Unfortunately my Melbourne BCS run ended short and my Singapore BCS run was even a disaster. I was quite envious of my friend Eman who got top 4 not once, but twice. Hopefully though, there’s one to two chances of still qualifying for Worlds this coming February, so I hope to learn from my mistakes and finally get an invite.

By the way, I also started a new TCG named Grand Archive. Enri kinda duped me into playng the game, and my FoW teammate Zhimon also got into it, so I am playing it now. I also got a good placement on the trial deck tournament which gave me a reason to play the game. I have to admit though, the game is quite expensive, and I spent a lot. Let’s see how it goes! Thankfully, the Australian TCG scene is quite active and there are small communities of Weiss Schwarz and Grand Archive in Canberra where I can at least play the card games I prefer. I do want to qualify for WS Worlds soon as I feel the game is kinda in decline and I want to be able to get to my goal before it fully declines.

5. Health wise, I definitely am not healthy. I believe a big part of this stems from my anxieties, which caused me not to do exercise and proper diet. I did try to do jogging and order a food subscription service to improve my diet, but I have not been consistent. It didn’t help that the farewell party in Dubai has now caused me to get frequent indigestion as it clashed with my diet. Then when I arrived in Australia, I was beset with a toothache that I cannot ignore that I decided to have a root canal. I was in shock with how expensive dental procedures in Australia are. I think the cost hurt me as bad as the toothache as well. I also had cubital tunnel syndrome, where I had issues moving my left ring and pinky finger. It’s better now, though I still fill a very slight numbness on my left hand. I aim that this coming year, I’ll be able to buy a bike to become active and get a cheaper food subscription service where I can order and cook healthier food.   6. My sister was finally able to get out of detention, but a lot of things happened. She can’t go back to work, and worse her fiancee died. Thankfully she was able to recover, and she’s taking care of my niece as much as she could. She hopes to be able to travel so she can work again soon. It’s quite hard since during this period I had to take my share of providing for both my mom and my dad, which doesn’t help with my anxiety. I hope things will be better for her soon enough.

7. Anime, Manga and Pop Culture stuff.

Anime and Manga wise, it’s kinda the same as last year. There were some good gems this year though, and there also some manga series that ended this year. I’m trying to clear some backlogs and I actually just finished an anime in the plane on route to Sydney.

As for sumo, I really don’t watch it as fervently as a few years ago, though I’m still updated with the tournaments every now and then. I think a big reason was that the JSA went overkill with punishing Miyagino Oyakata (Hakuho) for the Hokuseiho debacle, as I felt it reeks of politics. I believe that affected Hakuoho’s performance badly which left me disappointed. New young blood definitely have risen this year though, especially Onosato who is now an Ozeki. There’s also a good chance that this coming year Kotozakura (formerly Kotonowaka) will finally become Yokozuna. We shall see, but I already had a feeling he had a potential to become one. Kinda disappointed though that Kirishima fell down a lot.

Currently Watching:

Spice and Wolf (2024) – Just finished

Planning to Watch: 

Danmachi S5, Apothecary Diaries S2, not sure what else…

Finished This Year:

Kubo-San Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Isekai Nonbiri Nouka, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Aria the Origination, Flying Witch, Apothecary Diaries S1, Ganbare Douki Chan, Konosuba S3, Dangers in my Heart S2, My Tiny Senpai, Yuru Camp S3, Dungeon Meshi, Makeine, Oshi no Ko S2, Roshidere Rewatched This Year: 

Attack on Titan Series   Unfinished Anime:  

Finished OVA/Movies:

Gundam Seed Freedom, Spy x Family Code White, Seven Days War, Lonely Castle in the Mirror, Kaguya Sama Movie, Belle, Look Back, Overlord: The Sacred Kingdom

New Manga Read:

I barely read manga this year actually…

Finished Manga: Oshi no Ko Other Stuff Watched:

Movies: Interstellar, Sisu, Seven Samurai, In the Mood for Love, Dune Part 2, Oppenheimer

Series: Castlevania Nocturne

New Games Played: Pretty much the same with just the addition of Pokemon Pocket

8. Fulfilled (or not) Wishes a. Get the Australia Visa Grant – Highlight of the year. We got there. b. Improved Health – Not the best, with bouts of anxiety and insomnia. Not being active either. c. WS Worlds Invite – Still in process. There’s still a chance for 1 or 2 events. d. Better situation for my Sis – I believe for the most part these got settled. e. Some new goal to look forward to – I still am not able to find a new goal, I guess the goal now is to become stable in Australia and do the steps to become a PR and eventually a citizen.

New Wishes: 1. Better health – I wish to improve my activity and diet, as well as treat my anxiety and insomnia 2. WS Worlds Invite – I will still try, with two more events

3. Start camping – a big reason why I chose Canberra is that I can do outdoor activities. I hope I can do it this coming year. 4. Settle well in Australia – Hope to find close friends, as well as to get used to the Australian life

5. Travel to new places – I did some nice places this 2024, and I hope I can expand this 2025! I guess this is it from now. I just finished writing this inside a plane going to Sydney. I’ll post this once I’m settled in my Airbnb then walk off to see the fireworks! Hoping for a good 2025 for me!