Category: general

Categories
climbing general trip reports

the tasmanian story

I’ve been in Tasmania, where everything is scenic, the rock is plentiful and the climbers scarce. I saw a haybale version of stonehenge, I got a flat tyre in a national park (while camping at the end of 3km of 4WD track, and broke my nut wrench trying to get the wheel off), was offered copious amounts of delicious wines by a biker couple from Canberra who were touring around Tasmania visiting wineries, watched the sunrise most mornings, visited a cheese factory, and a chocolate factory, and even climbed some rocks.


 

The light of the setting sun over Ben Lomond
 

Early morning light at Bluestone Bay, Freycinet National Park
 

The view of the rising sun from Whitewater Wall campground, Freycinet National Park
 

High seas at the Tasman Peninsula

Categories
general

not alone in the birdcage anymore

It looks like they’re getting a second PhD student in at work – she’ll be sitting on the desk next to me. Being the only female in a section full of male engineers who all have a good 15 years on me… well, I feel a bit like I’m the pet bird they got on a whim. And they’ve since realised it’s a bit lonely, so they’ve decided to get a second bird to keep it company. I hope they don’t take away my toys and my mirror.

Categories
bikes general

it rained

There aren’t many good photos from the weekend – it was raining on Saturday, and I didn’t think carrying my camera around while mountainbiking was a good idea, given the high likelihood of crashing. But here’s a photo from the Beechworth Course – where it actually looks as if I’m sort of high in the air.

(Oh yes, after looking at the weather forecast, I went mountain-biking instead of climbing this weekend. It was fun. I crashed, and have a sore shoulder and a graze on my face. We went through Yackandandah. And ate at the Beechworth Bakery – overrated? And wandered around the Beechworth Sweet Store, like kids in a thingy.)

Categories
general

wonders of the culinary world

Vegas! You evil man, I lived in your country for 9 months, you come from HawaiÊ»i, and yet you neglected to tell me about … spam musubi. It has its own page on wikipedia here. I am continually shocked, astonished, and generally taken-aback at the madcap things people do with spam.

Categories
general

it’s my birthday and i’ll convert my van if i want to

After much thinking and planning over the last week or so, I spent my birthday – well, the whole weekend – going to Bunnings a lot, and continuing the conversion of the dirty unkempt smoker-stench-filled ex-Trady van I bought, into a clean and excitingly decorated Van, perfect for camping trips.

With the help of the Heidelberg crew – thanks guys :) we converted this:

to this:

The piece in the middle lifts out, changing it from a bed into two storage bins with hinged lids.

The story is unfolding in the gallery here, much more work to be done still.