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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Kununurra, Western Australia

When one hears the word 'twitching', typically one thinks about Tourette's Syndrome; but to wildlife enthusiasts, it's extreme-challenge birding. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birdwatching#Twitching I personally think 'tweeting' would have been more appropriate.
So, I went on a limb (as birds do, you see!) and ventured for a weekend of fowl fun with an avid birdwatching friend to Kununurra, Western Australia in the Kimberly region. We (more precisely, he) sighted 100 different birds (evidenced here). Although I can't guarantee that I will ever become a professional birdwatcher, I have a new appreciation for ponds in the middle of arid land, interesting bird noises, jerky movements in trees, dry stream beds and telephone lines. The slamming on the brakes to identify a bird of prey circling ahead, 30 minutes of squatting next to a pond in a dried up river and waking up way too early while on vacation is not most holiday-goers' cup of tea, but it was different and interesting to me nonetheless. There weren't any roses to stop and smell, but the pacifistic activity of lounging by the lake at sunset/sunrise to sight the comings and goings of birds, not racing around to catch a Ranger tour, admiring the uniqueness of the boab trees, following random tracks in a 4WD, and most comforting of all, being a follower instead of a leader made life taste even sweeter, smell rosier and feel more refreshing. Maybe it was because I had absolutely no knowledge and no expectation of the area that my breath was so taken away by the magesty of the Cockburn Range as when I went to the Valley of the Gods.
Does this mean my structured planned out backpacking trips are over? Nah. Who would get us lost? Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livealittle/sets/72157607562644528/

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Kakadu National Park

In all honesty, I was dreading yet another vacation in Darwin. It's a small town and this was going to be our second vacation here. But with our Sydney guests, we had a blast of a time at Kakadu National Park. It had been a while since I'd done any real hiking so it was invigorating to do the 2.5hr Twin Falls hike. Kakadu felt a bit like a very small scale Yellowstone. There are interesting sites every where and better yet, there were ranger talks! 'Roughing it' in our decked out Land Cruiser made things even easier (we were given chairs, tables, pots, pans, stoves, a fridge, cabinets for food and stuffs, air mattresses and a huge tent that was pretty much 100% mesh which fit all of us, gave us no privacy, but fresh air throughout the night.)
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livealittle/sets/72157606954678726/

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Katherine Gorge

I've kayaked before but never did I imagine how difficult kayaking 5 gorges in Katherine would be! The rented kayaks were sturdy as they survived the hauling over rocks we did, but they were also damn heavy! Luckily poor Brian was on his workout kick and did most of the hard work. A big thank you to Choi, Young and Lydia as well for all the effort. As you can tell from the photos, I spent alot of time as paparazzi instead of manual labour. Not sure if Choi and Young were expecting such pain from a vacation, but least it wasn't cold! This will surely be an experience for the memory books under the heading of Kick-Ass Arduous! A definite to-do for adrenaline junkies who find their way to Katherine. BTW, there are 13 gorges.
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livealittle/sets/72157606956963207/

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Hookie Day

I remember how much I enjoyed being needed in my first job. It felt great to know that I was the only one who knew the system well enough and it gave me confidence and a sense of competence. Job security was guaranteed and mom was happy I had money accumulating in the bank. Over time, I aptly grew sick of the interruptions in my daily life and the constant worry that the next call on my pager/cell/blackberry would force me to rush to work in the middle of a performance.
So, boy, is it a momentous event that I called into work sick for no other reason than because I didn't want to work. It was wonderful to not feel guilty that work would back up, that I may miss an important meeting/call or that email would accumulate. I was left free to do whatever I pleased for the day and I spent a part of it relaxing at the beautiful Botanical Gardens (pictured). I love being replaceable. I love being dispensable. I love being a nurse! ...Now what shall I do with my remaining 3 sick days due????

Monday, August 04, 2008

Darwin Gala Ball


Boy, did July come and go! I didn't even spend most of my time at work! I was busy taking classes to sharpen my nursing powers of good! :) Well, I have holidays coming up in August. So surely, pictures will follow...

But, first let's talk about crazy weekends! For a backpacker gal who has only 2 dresses and hates wearing heels, I donned 2 dresses this weekend (one was borrowed coz I want to save my last dress for a nice event) and clocked a whopping 18 hours of heels time (ok ok minus some barefeet time whenever there were no-glass situations). The Darwin Gala Ball is surely an event not to be missed (It's the largest ball in the southern hemisphere with a 3400+ attendance!). The price tag was huge ($290), but it was all worthwhile. We were being finely wined and dined as if it was a celebrity wedding. 1am quickly came and went at which point we migrated to Throb (as usual).
Sunday was a day of recovery and I saw James Morrison (the trumpeteer) in concert again out in the Turf Club lawn.
Monday was the big Darwin Cup day. I bet twice on horses based on educated tips but failed to win. A friend did randomly win a trifeca and came away with $220 from a $10 investment. What does that say about knowing anything of horses?
All and all it was an incredible weekend. Who said there was no excitement in Darwin??? We haven't been bored yet!!!
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livealittle/sets/72157606512346848/

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