h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not going to have a rant about G8, Bush/Blair or the Olympics. Nor
am I going to say anything about the London bombs, except that it
looks horrendous and although everybody has been expecting something
of the sort, nothing really prepares you for the reality. I am
thankful that both of my London-based cousins are okay.

It is the end of a six day week for me and I'm pooped. I have a glass
of beer (Kilkenny, which is the only half decent ale I can buy) and a
bowl of nibbles by my side here at J's fixed computer (hurray!).

Not having access to the internet for a few days brought home to me
how important it is that I am able to send and receive emails. It's my
main method of communication with all my family and close friends and I missed it

When I eventually come to a halt, I think I'll be buying a computer before a telly, like OojiGosho

Some of you know that I had found a couple of possible real jobs last
week. One in Tasmania, which turned out to be a land agent-type post,
which I'm not qualified for. The other, in Victoria was dealing with
climate change policy issues, which might have been interesting had it
not been based in Melbourne (big city – ) and a small salary. I
will compromise big city, small salary if the job is wizzbang, but it
wasn't. The hunt continues.

In the meantime, I still have the avocadoes! We have worked six very
full and busy days because the harvest is so good this year. Every day
has been eight hours or more and I'm glad that I've had five weeks to
get my shoulder and back muscles into shape before being hit with
intense packing. I feel surprisingly chipper, although probably not
ready for a 10 mile walk up a mountain just at the moment.

The caravan continues to be a joy to live in. I can close the door and
shut myself off from the world. I have got a small radio and one of
the delights (the only one actually ) of getting up at 5:30am is that
ABC Radio National broadcasts vintage BBC comedy shows at that time.
All from the 60s – Just A Minute, My Word, My Music, I'm Sorry I'll
Read That Again, ISIHAC. What a fabulous way to start the day! Mind
you, I can't listen to Kenneth Williams with the enjoyment I used to,
having read his poison-pen diaries. I hope that if anybody reads my
diaries after I die, they won't think badly of me. I'd better start
writing nice things

One more musing before I sign off for the week….

Wherever you are in the UK, you are somewhere. Every tract of land has
a name and recorded history; visible land management and other human
intervention; even myths and legends attached to it. In Australia you
really can be nowhere: no obvious land ownership; no obvious human
influence on the land; no name on the map, if indeed you can locate
yourself on the map at all; and often no landscape features from which
to get your bearings.

In the parts of Australia that I have visited, nowhere is mostly
unremarkable scrubby bush land. Presumably the red centre contains
more nowhere amongst the sand, rock and vast flats. Even on the road
to Bundaberg, which is only 50kms, I pass through nowhere; long miles
of bush between some place and the next.

The closest UK analogy would be to drive the long haul of the M6
between Carlisle and Birmingham. In the dark. On Christmas Day. Next
to nobody else on the road, nothing to look at and no reason to stop
except to snooze or have a cuppa.

You arrive at your destination having done next to nothing except
steer the car. The odd wildlife sighting is an event, as is a good
cloud formation or a rain shower along the way. Nothing much happens
in nowhere. And what is more thought provoking, usually nobody knows
you're there. Standing in nowhere I am the tiniest speck on the
surface of the world. It daunts me. So much so that I eventually run
for somewhere; to be somebody again.

As a result of nowhere I am more comfortable on the east coast of
Australia, where landscapes are intimate and homely. The maps show
road networks, land division and other indicators of human habitation.
I don't mind visiting nowhere, but I can't imagine living there.

On that note… have a good week wherever you are.



Six Fb

Glad you are good and all is well with the avocados

One thing I love about Oz, is, the nothingness, you can go somewhere and feel like you are the only ones in the world

What I didn't say in there is that I'm all throaty and coughy and J has a cattarh... I'm hoping it's a different bug, cos she's been crook for four days and I can't afford to have any time off work. I bought malt whisky and oranges today, to stave off the worst effects

Been to Hervey Bay all day Too many people, but great weather and when I sat on the beach with my back to humanity, it was heavenly

Any joy getting shed work Hel2? What a come-down

Got 3 days work in the factory, I do most of the weighing for pouched stuff now, I am fast and accurate, oh what a skill to have and got work on monday, although there will be ergplant being roasted, but hope to stay in the prep room with the red cappy, but will have to venture out to weigh up the pouches, not looking forward to it, I will be all day with the smell.

Gray has had some sort of 'flu thing, I have been sleeping in the other room, and seem to have escaped it so far,. It seems to be going around.

Not looked at sheds....yet. Will see how much work we get next week. With the experience I have, I can walk into most sheds and get a job, it's just that I dont want to

Hervey Bay is nice, but ,yes, there are too many people, and too many electric scooter type things

Oh dear Fb,i hope you manage to staive off the bug,cold,or whatever germ is lurking.
I have a friend who lives in australia,and she told me they never see any people ,or new faces around,or even more than one car most days....
I would hate that,i have to have people around me,and they have to order their water....!
Take care,of yourself,hope the job search proves fruitful before too long

"And what is more thought provoking, usually nobody knows
you're there. Standing in nowhere I am the tiniest speck on the
surface of the world. It daunts me. So much so that I eventually run
for somewhere; to be somebody again."

Sounds like the Total Perspective Vortex to me

Sounds like home to me.

Then again, my idea of an Earthly Paradise is Kangaroo Island. 150km long or thereabouts, only three or four towns, and the largest has about 1400 people. The western third of the island is wilderness. The island was uninhabited before 1836. No history to speak of, no people, and no mobile phone reception for the most part. Perfect.

Thank you smurfles You obviously know what I mean... I love solitude, but I like it to be short-lived in nowhere, or uninterupted in somewhere

Oo: TPV

Ivan: There's a WWOOF host on Kangaroo Island I think... looked quite interesting if I remember rightly. I'll have a look at the book later. Fraser Island looked quite tempting yesterday, but my little ol' car wouldn't cope on those tracks at all

The cold bug has set in properly and I'm having a very easy day, with regular infusions of water, honey, malt whisky Doesn't look very hopeful that I'll be at work tomorrow though The silver lining to that is that I'll be able to take the car to get the starter motor, or solenoid or whatever's gone wrong, fixed



Fb

Yoohoo *waves*

Fb,

NIce to hear from you. I missed your posts. I hope you are feeling a bit better now. The feeling of being no-one in nowhere is wonderful and scary at the same time.

In my heart I am a country girl, but in my head I need the trappings of "civilisation". You can feel just as lonely in a big city as in "nowhere" but it is a totally different kind of loneliness. I imagine many in London are feeling peculiarly so at present.

Hope your "day off" if you get it, means you get the car fixed, especially if you have any plans to go via "Nowhere" again.

Good luck with the job hunting.

Take care,
Websailor

*waves back* to Ooj

Websailor... I thought I liked living in the back of beyond, but I find that I don't But that is not to mean that I'm a city girl Far from it. Something inbetween is fine by me. And so I shall aim to find a place which gives me some space, good views, neighbours within loud hollering distance and a town/village within walking distance (half an hour or so. That doesn't seem too much to ask.

Day 2 of being off with the lurg Must go sleep. Car being fixed as I type

What you need is a good course of leeches (my most recent foray into PR has just been picked on the subject) They won't cure you, but think of the fun understanding what they are doing

Hope you feel better soon

Pimms (I was Pimms Avocado as a result of your occupation and the translation of an anagram of a former nickname , but given the relative heat wave being experienced I though ice cubes would be cooler )

Leeches are I've not had much to do with them though

My uncle had maggots put into a wound in his leg in WW2 though

Hope the ice is working Pimms.