Me and Winnie the Pooh
So I made it to Adelaide on saturday, but naturally the post office wasn't open on the weekend, so I found myself with time to spend and no real firm plans. When ever one finds one-self in such a predicament, I find checking the map to be a good first step. Hmmm... Aussie maps are silly things, with even sillier place names: Cocklebiddy, Wodonga, Myponga, Bindi Bindi, Wagga Wagga, and my personal favorite, Nar Nar Goon. Yep, I coulda' been a cartographer here... Why tommorow I'm off to Coober Pedy, the underground opal mining town. Not like underground as in only the coolest hip-cats now about it, but underground like excavated from old mine shafts to escape the blistering heat and desert sand storms.
Anyway, back to the original story: I was examining the map when I noticed Kangaroo Island. Hmm, sounds interesting. Further investigation showed that the island, which has been seperate from the OZ mainland for about 7,000 years, is a refuge for many species threatened or wiped out by feral cats, foxes, rabbitts, etc on the main land. What was more fascinating however is the fact that the island harbors the worlds last remining pure strain of Ligurian honey bees. Now truth be told I don't know a Ligurian honey bee from a hole in the ground (though I might luck out on a multiple choice test), but to sample the last of something, the only remaining place on earth to find that something, particularly if that something is honey flavored ice cream located on a remote pacific island and guarded by hordes of wallabies, well, that is a mission worth going after. Or a windmill worth tilting at, depending on where you stand.
So a bus ride, a ferry ride, a few thumbed rides, and a long walk through the forest found me where I wanted to be: surrounded by flying stinging insects. But more importantly, eating and drinking honey, honey water, honey wine, honey ice cream, and chocolate covered honey comb.
Reverse course, collect my mail, and head north.
Now I am poised at the edge of civilization, on the verge of the Stuart Highway, a narrow strip of pavement about 2000 miles long with not much on either side until you hit the ocean, far far away. Sweeeet!
Anyway, back to the original story: I was examining the map when I noticed Kangaroo Island. Hmm, sounds interesting. Further investigation showed that the island, which has been seperate from the OZ mainland for about 7,000 years, is a refuge for many species threatened or wiped out by feral cats, foxes, rabbitts, etc on the main land. What was more fascinating however is the fact that the island harbors the worlds last remining pure strain of Ligurian honey bees. Now truth be told I don't know a Ligurian honey bee from a hole in the ground (though I might luck out on a multiple choice test), but to sample the last of something, the only remaining place on earth to find that something, particularly if that something is honey flavored ice cream located on a remote pacific island and guarded by hordes of wallabies, well, that is a mission worth going after. Or a windmill worth tilting at, depending on where you stand.
So a bus ride, a ferry ride, a few thumbed rides, and a long walk through the forest found me where I wanted to be: surrounded by flying stinging insects. But more importantly, eating and drinking honey, honey water, honey wine, honey ice cream, and chocolate covered honey comb.
Reverse course, collect my mail, and head north.
Now I am poised at the edge of civilization, on the verge of the Stuart Highway, a narrow strip of pavement about 2000 miles long with not much on either side until you hit the ocean, far far away. Sweeeet!
posted by Jared | 12:49 AM
4 Comments:
"Now I am poised at the edge of civilization" Me thinks you've been "on the of civilization" for some time....
Someone asked the other day if you we're taking a Walk-about..? errr, I guess I'll tell um: yep
Post #2 from previous post....
I left out the word EDGE, as in: "Me thinks you've been on the EDGE of civilization."
Walkabouts have become cliche'. I propose an Australian Iditarod with off-road skateboards pulled by the fiercest kangaroos we can rustle up. Better start training now; I expect heavy competition from the Melbourne Emu Sledders.
Poised implies something about to happen, like in Port Augusta you are abut to leave civilization. I prefer to dip in and out around the margins.
As for skateboarding, apparently a guy not long ago did skateboard around the entire perimeter of Australia, all 10,000 plus kilometers. I guess he had one really huge leg and one rather small one. But no fierce kangaroo's pulling him along.
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