Oz XIII - Leaving Sydney

After 6 months I have finally left Sydney and headed up the coast. I popped down to Canberra and then was back in Sydney for Anzac Day. Anzac Day is the day of rememberance for Australian and New Zealand troops who died at Gallipoli in the First World War. I didn't manage to get to any parades or to a dawn service. However, I did see the buildup to the traditional Aussie Rules Anzac Day match between Collingwood & Essendon. I had seen adverts for this all week telling of the importance and tradition of the match and this year was the first year that it was being televised. It turns out that this match has only been going on since 1996! A coincidence more than a tradition. The pre-match buildup was in large part AFL players talking about the meaning of the game in relation to Anzac Day. I then joined in with true Anzac traditions, getting drunk and gambling. All the pubs were packed in Sydney. At each pub they play two-up. This involves throwing 2 pennies into the air and seeing if they both land heads or tails. Before they are thrown you bet with someone across from you in the circle. The police turn a blind eye to it.

Oz XII - Canbore

When you tell an Australian that you are going to Canberra they ask why, and then try and persuade you not to go. I went and everything that I was told about Canberra was true. I was staying in the Civic Centre which is one of the city centres and architecturally it is reminiscent of Basildon. The whole city has a feel of Milton Keynes about it. Although it is surrounded by mountains and is a very green place to walk around, but if you do walk you will be one of the very few people to do so. I preferred Canberra to Adelaide and it is worth a visit if you are on your way from Sydney to Melbourne. The museums and public buildings are excellent and free. I spent two days touring round them and could have spent longer. The War Memorial is informative and has some great displays. The New Parliament is impressive if slightly strange. The architecture isn't necessarily pretty but the symbolism behind it is clever. The Muesum of Australia is great. It is new and the displays are imaginative. The Old Parliament is a great time capsule to walk around. If you have time it is worth popping down to the High Court and the National Gallery. The staff in all were friendly and helpful. If you are looking for city with nightlife then Canberra isn't the place to be. We found one pub that was open in the Civic Centre and that was it. I stayed in the Canberra City YHA, which has modern facilities. I did have 'snorting' man in my room, who snorted and cleared his airways on the hour every hour during the night. I was also constantly surrounded by asian travellers wretching in the bathrooms. I don't know why but it seems to be part of the asian culture that wretching is good for you. I don't know if there is any truth to this but it isn't one of the most pleasant habits people can have.

I was back on the Greyhounds from Sydney to Canberra and while they are easy and comfortable to use, like in a hostel your experience is completely dependent on the people around you. On the way to Canberra I boarded the coach and was sitting opposite a guy who seemed to have done far too many drugs in the past. He laughed constantly and tried to get everyone on the bus to wave out the windows. He then decided that I was some kind of magician and kept saying that I was a tricky girl. On the way back to Sydney the child sitting behind me vomited for 3 hours. Travelling is rock and roll.

Oz XI - Messing about on the River

I got to enjoy the picturesque scenery of the Hawkesbury River the other day. My boss took me out on his boat. The Hawkesbury is only an hour's drive north of Sydney and is stunning. The landscape is dramatic and untouched. The photos do not do it justice. I wasn't sure what to expect boat wise. My sailing knowledge is limited to ferries and a boat on a Centre Parks lake. It was a proper speed boat with two V8 engines and a big seating area at the back, it even had a little boat on the back. The company was pretty good as well, one of the guys on board is a publisher and his next launch event will have the opposition leader as the guest speaker. We went fishing. I have never been fishing before and I caught some fish and a crab. We caught another crab and decided to keep it. It does seem a bit weird to catch the fish pull the hook out and then throw it back. I did enjoy sitting in the sun with a beer, very relaxing. For lunch we had a big platter of seafood and cooked the crab we caught (after killing it by freezing it) and a fish we caught.

I have had some more gigs at the Comedy Store. The first one was a special one-off gig for some A-level drama students from Perth. It was a weird night. The audience was mainly 16-17 year old girls who went mental whenever anyone went on stage. I decided to try a new set of material. I was introduced English, said hello and got a massive cheer. That was the high point. The new stuff didn't really work and while I didn't die it wasn't great. Somewhat peculiarly as soon as the acts were off the stage the audience were crowding round us to have photos taken. The next night I had another gig at the Comedy Store and stormed it. I was certainly the best open spot on. It was nice to do a good gig because the MC had been the MC for the past 3 gigs and he was yet to see me put my a-game out on stage. His introductions for me became more lurid of so-called accomplishments as an Englishman. One of the acts was a 14 year old boy who has won a big new act competition in Sydney. The headliner was Chris Wainhouse who was excellent.

Oz X - Aussie Rules

Aussie Rules is big in Australia. It is a cross between, football, rugby, basketball, and street fighting. I like it. The season has just started. I have managed to see the Sydney Swans play twice. It is quite a spectacle. The first game I saw was at the Telstra Stadium with a crowd of 67,000 to watch the Swans vs the West Coast Eagles. It was a great game with a storming finish, the Swans lost by a solidarity point. The same result as last year's Grand Final. The players run around in wife beaters tops (vests) and are covered in tattoos. A large proportion are drug addicted (according to the papers and drug tests) and have a tendency to violence (according to the law). They run on to the pitch to their respective team songs. The Swans have something out of the 1950s, quite chirpy. The Eagles have a mid-80s rock song. They then run through giant banners. The game is exciting to watch but long enough for you to drift off for a while and not lose your place. They play on a cricket oval so it can be tricky to follow without the calls of the crowd on the opposite of the ground. There is one call of "Ball" which is yelled out alot and I haven't grasped what it means. The crowd are vocal to both sets of players and the referees. The women in the crowd tend to be particularly vocal. Today I was watching the Swans vs the Brisbane Lions. A woman behind me was giving particularly loud instructions to the players at which point her son joined in and she was shocked at his language, I can't think where he gets it from. The Swans ended up dominating the 3rd quarter and winning easily. My favourite player is Barry Hall. This has a great deal to do with his TV adverts, Barry Hall Hall. It means he is a player I recognise. He get into fights and kick goals so is an all-round AFL player.