For the Benefit of Mr Kite

Whilst we were on holidays, Tom took me to the driving range in Bundaberg and showed me the basics of hitting the ball. Despite my misgivings, I persisted and by the end of the session I was managing to hit the ball not only about 50-75 metres but straight as well. Thanks to my success, I'm now determined to hit the ball further (say at least 125 metres) so I've decided that Monday night is Golf Night.

Last night, being a Monday night, we went to the driving range. I have to say that I'm improving. I haven't reached the 125m mark yet but I'm getting closer. My swing is also improving - slowly. There are a lot of things to do in a golf swing and I'm finding it hard to coordinate all of my body parts to do them. For example, on the back swing you must:

• keep you head down and look at the ball
• drop your left shoulder
• move your waist after you've droped the shoulder
• keep your left arm straight
• bend your right arm
• bend your left leg
  
• straighten your right leg

And that's just going back to hit the ball. So much to learn!

The highlight of the night was hitting the golf cart that drives around and collects the balls of the driving range. I hit it right in the middle of the cage that protects the driver. Without the cage, I would have hit the driver in the head. (c: Beware of Amanda on the golf course!

Two posts in one day. Shock! Horror!

Anyway, I had to photocopy a reading for uni today. Firstly, the reading was on closed reserve so I had to ask the librarian for it. Secondly, the reading was about 30 pages long. Photocopying is 9c a page so I wasn't going to spend roughly $1.80 on photocopying - no way! So I though that I'll do 4-up double sided copying thus saving me plenty as this only costs 7c and I only have to do 1/8 of the copying. Pressing the right buttons on the photocopier was easy (well designed interface) and the copying was also easy but the problem arose when I realised that although the thing was copying for me, I had no idea where to finished product was coming out of the beast! Really, no idea.

Not wanting to seem stupid, I didn't ask. I just kept photocopying and since I was presumably having such success with the first reading, I thought I'd copy some more. I still had no idea where the paper was coming out. Besides, there were other people in the room and I didn't want to seem incompitent.

Next I thought maybe the problem was with my fancy 4-up double sided copying so I copied a single page. Alas, still no idea where the paper comes out.

It was possible that there was something wrong with the photocopier (good old ego kicking it - of course there was nothing wrong with the operator) but no lights were flashing indicating that it required some sort of human intervention.

Finally just as I'm formulating what I'm going to say to the librarian. Um, I'm not sure that I'm doing the right thing with the photocopier can you show me how to do double-sided copying please? or This is going to sound stupid but, where does the paper come out? I give the machine a final inspection. Lo and behold, I found my paper! Apparently, just like every other photocopier I've ever used at uni this one spits the paper out onto a tray under the copying surface. Amazing!

At least I'm not likely repeat this moment. I will always look under the copying surface for my paper from now on.

I like to consider myself as a normally calm and composed person but there are situations when this just isn't the case. For example, buses, escalators and footpaths. Allow me to elaborate:

1. Buses

I don't drive - yet fingers crossed for the test so I catch a lot of buses. I am also very aware of what is appropriate behaviour on a bus - bus etiquette - however, I am often reduced to fumes when people blatently flaunt the bus rules. Here are some examples:

• When on a full bus, you getting on and standing at the front, making everyone who gets on after to you have to push past you. I normally do this quite rudly as it's annoying and generally there's not a lot of space to manevour in.
  
• Running after the bus once it has already left. Accept it - you've missed the bus. Sometimes this makes me laugh, sometimes this makes me angry especially if the bus driver stops for them.
  True Story 1: woman chases bus down Adelaide St, bus driver stops, woman gets on and begins to berate the bus driver for leaving too soon. Firstly, the bus stopped for you so therefore you should be grateful. Secondly, bus drivers leave when their clock on the bus says its time to go. They're not going to wait around because the clock on City Hall doesn't say 5:45 yet. Thirdly, the next bus leaves in 15 minutes so its not like you'll be stranded.
  True Story 2: woman chases the bus down Adelaide St and then pays the driver with a $20 note and we all know how much bus drivers hate those.
  
• When catching the bus to uni (Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus) do not get on the 134, 135, or 155. These are the ONLY buses that go the Nathan Campus. There are plenty of other buses that stop at Mt Gravatt (130, 133, 140, 150, 160, 111 ). By getting on the Nathan campus bus you're just making it more crowded and anyone who's caught that bus knows that it doesn't need anymore people on it!

These are just a few there are many more that frustrate me.




2. Footpath/Escaltors/Stairs

   What ever happened to keep left?! Surely I'm not the only person left in the world who remembers this simple maxim of politeness but there are times when it appears that way.

So, beware if you ever see me on the bus, or the footpath. I may not be kind to you (c:

Well, the holiday has officially ended. Not only have we been back in Brisbane for one week but we've also been back at uni for a week.

So as promised here are some pictures from our holiday:


This is a car dealership in Maryborough that we couldn't resist taking a picture of. How cool is it?

We stopped in Maryborough on the way up to Bundaberg to hae lunch but as Tom later described: "It was closed". It was just before 12 and nothing was open. Finally we found a place near the wharf that was open and had a decent lunch. We were the only customers there when we arrived and whilst we were dining only one other party turned up. I guess eating out isn't big in Maryborough. The other people at the restaurant were some ladies signing up for a dating service.


Tomas is probably quite embarrassed about this but I convinced him that whilst in Bundaberg we should visit Mystery Craters. These geological formations are probably quite mysterious just not that impressive.

Also, we missed the turn on our way there and had to drive half-way to Gin Gin before we could turn around.

Apparently, a couple of the craters look like footprints like the one in foreground without water in it so based on this very scientific data - the craters must have been formed by giants.


Another picture of the craters. These two pictures were taken from the viewing platform that allows you to look out over the craters and ponder their mystery.



Close up of a small crater. The dots in the water are mosquito larvae, cane toadlets or something equally nasty.



Yes, how come??




For some very mysterious reason there is a fiberglass dinosaur at Mystery Craters.



And a collection of lawnmowers. Tom took this picture, why I don't really know.




And so concluded our visit to Mystery Craters. I would have liked to have seen more information regarding the geology behind these craters and the efforts that have been undertaken to determine their origin.


As far as I'm concerned, no trip to Bundaberg is complete without a trip to Baldwin Swamp. As unimpressive as the name sounds, it's actually a very beautiful spot. It's also a short walk from Tom's parent's place. Unfortunately, this time we visited the swamp was being swamped by a weed. The green stuff in the picutre above is the weed resting on top of the water.



More weed.


Pretty picture with a duck in it.



Pretty picture again.

Due to the weed, there wasn't as much wildlife in the swamp but I did see ducks, water fowl and some herons. I think that the council should build a bird hide at the swamp so you can spy on the birds.

We did other stuff in Bundaberg as well. We went to the beach, and saw the baby turtles. I even touched one. Tomas in true form wasn't that impressed. It might have had something to do with the sleeping he'd been doing on my lap while we waited close to three hours to see the hatchlings.


On our way back from Bundaberg we stopped for the night in Woodgate, which is a coastal village south of Bundaberg but before Hervery Bay. It was amazing. These pictures are taken at a spot called Theodolite Creek. It was a really amazing place - the water was so clear and the sand was soft plus you could stand in the water and watch fishes swim around. Also, there wasn't really anyone else there. If you look closely at the picture above you can see another person just to the left of Tom's back.









This is the main street at Woodgate. The beach is on the right just past the trees. The beach at Woodgate is like being on a tropical island. Wonderfully clear and calm. When we were there it wasn't too busy so we could swim by ourselves.

The only downside to our stay in Woodgate was the food. At dinner, the hotel messed up my order and brought me out carbonara instead of calamari. So after a good 20minute wait and after Tom was almost finished his meal, mine finally arrived. Then at breakfast, we waited for what seemed like ages for my pancakes to arrive (there were delicious though) but we waited even longer for Tom's bacon and eggs to get there. I was pretty much finished my meal when they arrived. Hmmmm - not on!

After Woodgate we headed home and stopped at Gympie - in park with a lake and lots of water birds and geese. There was even a black swan but he/she didn't have a mate so I suppose that he/she was quite lonely. Also there were turtles in the lake.

Well I've broken the record for longest post now so I'll stop and fill you in with more details later.