Wednesday 2 April 2008

Goodbye Canberra and Australia.







We set off on Friday. Tomorrow is packing and cleaning day. In fact I'll start on the fridge today.



Here is a picture of the house we've been staying in; most of the others in the suburb are variations of this with different elements added or subtracted. This does seem to be one of the more spacious judging from 3 windows for the living room. We've been very happy and comfortable here. Satellite TV was a bonus as if back I would settle down Campari and soda in hand to watch Simply Quilts followed by Knitty Gritty, very droll.



Many of the local streets are named after holders of the Victoria Cross and it is very moving to see their names recorded on every signpost of their street. Pte. Partridge was a shy boy from the bush who was decorated in WW2 and went on to read Encyclopaedia Britannica in the quiet evenings on the farm and to achieve more fame as a quiz show contestant.



I also include an image of a canoe tree from near Broulee, the bark carved by aborigines long ago to make a canoe and now a cacred site.



These images reflect how much is familiar to me in Australia, shared history, kith and kin and what is other, strange and wonderful.

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