A Taste of Winter

After 5 days of rain and cold, we walked to school this morning in brilliant sunshine and a clear Grecian blue sky. Stunning. The morning temperatures here have hovered close to zero, and this morning there was frost on plants that were still shadowed from the sun. This cold front is a real taste of winter, which is on its way. However, it is autumn, and once the sun is out, the temperatures reach the mid teens, so it's bearable. We had a big fire in our back yard on Saturday, to burn off the deadfall that has been piling up since the fire ban went into effect. Since the 20th of this month, they have been burning off parts of the forest, in order to reduce the fire hazard for the next spring and summer season. We bought sausages (snags) and marshmallows, and managed to roast the weeeeners (emphasis on the "E", which the Aussies find very entertaining, the word wiener, that is!) before it started pouring on Saturday evening. So the marshmallows will wait. There are still more dead bits to burn, and we can roast the marshmallows then. We've also been having fires in the wood stove in our living room -- it keeps that part of the house nice and warm. It's a gorgeous stove that makes us realize we need an upgrade at the lake! The kids now have new (and much warmer) jammies for the nights, and we are wearing "longies" and socks to bed in order to stay warm. I'm not quite ready for a beanie (local term for toque), but we haven't hit the real winter yet!

This morning the cockatoos were mewing quietly, crooning, in the trees above the path on One Tree Hill Road. I heard the same thing yesterday, and couldn't quite figure it out, as they are normally raucous and blaringly loud as they flap overhead. I think they are more than stuffed on all the chestnuts they've been eating. The ground beneath the big chestnut trees is littered with the debris of chestnut casings and bits of tree branches and leaves as they gorge themselves. I could hear the snap of a branch as one bit off a tasty bit, and as I looked up, I must have startled it, as it squawked loudly and took off. At least 8 birds followed. I had ruined their morning tea.

My latest plan is to record the kookaburras as they laugh themselves silly and use it as a ring tone. So I've taken to carrying the mobile with me, hoping to catch them in full cackle. As soon as I have the phone with me though, there isn't a bird to be seen. However, they like to hang out in our back yard as well, so I will stalk them there. I left some lamb chop trimmings on a log 2 days ago, and it's now gone. We've heard you can actually hold some mince (ground beef) in your hand and they'll eat it. They, unlike the cockatoos, rosellas and parrots, eat meat (mice, frogs) ... more like an owl, I guess. I think the possums were hungry last night, as there was a lot of scratching and hissing. They must have been happy it wasn't pouring rain. As I write this, there is another episode of hissing and fighting, unusual for the daylight hours. A turf war?

The kids and Tom all had sore throats and headaches late last week, but have recovered. Must have been the trauma of all that travel in the holidays and then getting right back into the hard work of school. A new phone line was installed in our absence, and I was able to have a pleasant person to person chat with someone in the mega Telstra corporation. There is humanity after all, in the individuals that make up that huge organization.

More Photos

Additional photos have been uploaded to the photo gallery.

Several sets of Ferny Creek photos are there for your viewing pleasure -- much of this shows details of our daily lives -- walking to and from school, walking in the Dandeong National Park which surrounds us, enjoying our home, living our lives.

The surfing pics are just a small memento of our surfing lessons -- most of the time was spent in the water, so we didn't have many action shots.

The beach shots from the shore at Rosebud are poignant -- that beach was our escape on Black Saturday, and in retrospect, a great horror was unleashed on many unsuspecting people while we enjoyed the gentle pleasures of low tide and sandbars.

The Ian Potter Gallery shots depict one of our visits to the National Gallery of Victoria's Ian Potter Centre. This particular visit was for the Rosalie Gascoigne show, which I mentioned earlier. There is also an excellent collection of recent Australian artists' work. I was quite moved by a set of pictures that detailed one female artist's family throughout the 100 years of the 20th century: She depicted each decade with the face of a family member/ancestor, illustrated by the major Aboriginal political, social, or historical moment of that time.

Photos

Finally... several more sets of photos uploaded. Here's the link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/brigittewiebe

Great Ocean Road
The road runs along the south coast of Victoria, between Torquay and Portland, SW of Melbourne. It's a formidable drive in spots... you HAVE to keep your eyes on the road, not the gorgeous coastline, or you could easily careen right off the edge. Off course, there were the usual aggressive drivers who know the road intimately, who just dogged our little Sheila, but we perservered and pulled over whenever possible to let them by. I have to say my legs were shaking at one point... some of the curves appeared to veer off into the ocean, far below.

The 12 Apostles are sandstone rock formations and arches that used to be part of the main lane. Eventually they will all erode. Now you can walk along the top, with only a few access points to the shore. This coastline is littered with shipwrecks, and the lighthouse we visited is one of many lights that lit up the coast for the ships that used to sail without any satellite or radar/sonar navigation. The Cape Otway lighthouse was the big highlight for ships sailing towards Australia from Europe/England, as they then knew they were close to their destination!

Koala Refuge
The koalas on Phillip Island (S of Melbourne) were brought there, and their population is slowly eroding due to human incursion -- buildings, roads, traffic. Koalas are susceptible to several diseases, including chlamydia. They also eat only one or two kinds of eucalyptus leaves, so once that environment disappears, there goes their habitat. They use eucalyptus leaves for both food and water, so when it was very hot, they were quite desperate. The koala spends 80% of its day sleeping -- the animal gets almost no energy from its one food source. The refuge has been created as a way to help save the population that remains on Phillip Island. By the way, several koalas pooed on us when were on our way to Cape Otway, and upon inspection, breaking open the little pellet, the product was a light green in colour!

Surfing
We had the opportunity to try some basic surfing on the beach at Invergulf. We all tried it, with Gabe and Kai having the most success. But the rest of us had a lot of fun, and learned about rip tides, where to "catch the wave", and how to (try to) stand up!

We're Back...

Hi! We're back in Ferny Creek, and yes, the phone line is finally installed. This happened 2 days after I finally broke down and purchased a mobile (aka cell phone), so now I have a higher level of communication! We can search maps, etc., on the phone, which I discovered thanks to a friendly Aussie in the YHA in Collaroy Beach.

More to come re: our travels, and the pics, as promised several times, will appear next week when things settle down and Tom and kids are back at school.

I have been following the flood stories from Manitoba, and note that they are saying it's the 4th highest flood level since 1800. Nothing but extremes, again!

Getting Lost in Australia

I have Nicole to thank for this idea -- she suggested we could write a song or poem about getting lost in Australia. We drove out to Box Hill (a suburb to the west of us) for a birthday party, and once again, proceeded to get lost and flounder around trying to find the exact place we needed to be ... of course our arrival was late, but all were gracious, and the kids still had a bit of time to take part in the party.

This is happening less often than in the first few weeks, as we are finding our way around, but I can still get disconcertingly lost. We're finding our way around the physical environment, have adapted a bit to the heat and sudden weather changes, and have started to comprehend that Australia is an extreme place (just like Canada!).

We are gaining some familiarity with the community (remembering names at the school, on my part) and our emotional responses to the newness of the place are not as fresh or raw. Nicole, Gabriel and Kai are settling into school (the first term is ending today), and are finding their way into friendships, musical and sports experiences. They are who they are, and it's intriguing to watch them uncover new things about themselves. It hasn't been smooth all the way, don't get me wrong. My dealings with the bureaucracy that is the communications (a misnomer if I've ever heard one) company called Telstra are totally frustrating, even for someone experienced with the ways of bureaucracies. Just when I think I've got the skills for the position... I digress. Just like we've had to feel our way around the roads and maps, the kids have had to feel their way around the new school setting and figure out where they fit and who they can trust. Tom pointed out that this is a precursor of adolescence, a new awareness of themselves, and how they can function in an entirely new setting. It's a door opening into a new maturity.

As a parent who is not employed in a "job" outside the home, I am learning as well. Without the worry about my work, my brain has more time for creative thoughts and ideas. I find I can engage with the kids on a different level... we have more interest in each other's new experiences. Much as our adult jobs and careers are important roles for us, it's refreshing for me to take a break from it and see myself in this new setting. I love the quiet time, without phones (especially since the phone still isn't connected), I love just letting my brain go. It's a bit like dreaming, just streams of consciousness sometimes. At times I note it, at times I let it go. Slips of thoughts that gather momentum, pushing me to memories long lost. It's the freedom to have a mental earthquake or two.

Tom is finding his way around as well, although he hasn't been able to make any of his own work yet. He immediately began teaching at least 8 classes, double his normal load, with technology that wasn't required or available in his Canadian position. He has found that he can function in that environment, that his students, nine weeks in, are producing some amazing work. He's planting the seeds of the artistic output for the rest of the academic year. The year 6 students are finished, while the 7 to 10s continue for at least the next term, and the year 11s continue for all four terms. The year 11 students are learning about different artists and their works, and are also settling into the production of their own artistic work.

Last Sunday we went back to the Ian Potter Centre in Melbourne to view the finalists of the 2008 VSE student competion (year 12). This exhibition brings together the best work of the students who completed Art and Studio Arts studies in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), across Victorian school sectors. Check it out.

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/toparts/

The work is professional, beautiful, disturbing and gorgeous. To be that talented at that age; to be able to describe the influences and steps that lead to the final product is a gift. I am jealous! We were asked to vote for our favourite pieces, and I again noticed the uniqueness of each of our children in their approach to art -- each was definitive about the choices they had made, and did not need our help in making their personal selections!

As an aside, I think the Winnipeg Art Gallery, which already does an admirable job of presenting the art work of the kids in their own in-house programs, could strike up a similar collaboration with Manitoba public and private schools and the Department of Education, Citizenship and Youth, and start a competition for Manitoba grade 12 students. The University of Manitoba's Fine Arts program hasn't always supported Manitoba artists, and this could jump start a way for young artists to get the recognition they deserve before they hit the postsecondary world.

What I'm realizing is that there are signposts marking this journey to the southern hemisphere. We aren't hanging upside down, although while in Winnipeg I tried to persuade our 3 that this would be the case! The differences we are experiencing are part of this journey, and getting lost in new places doesn't matter. They are not extreme experiences, but they are unique. Some form of disconnection happened as soon as we left, but we are now solidly living in this place, while life goes on in the other place we called home. The season is the opposite of what we expect at this time. Our words and thoughts are generated by this new place. We "oldies" (I love this Aussie term for "parents") are learning what is important for each of us. The younger ones are starting to see snippets into their own growing up. We know there will be more losing and finding of our ways as we continue.

We are heading off on a driving trip towards Brisbane, starting tomorrow morning, planning to take in the sights of the Murray River, southern NSW, Canberra and the Australian parliament, the tourist spots of Sydney, and up towards Brisbane, depending on weather, floods, etc. I expect there will be U-turns (my favourite for getting back to where we started), confusion and we'll get weary. We are taking a computer with us, hoping to get some wireless connections on this trip, so I'm hoping to provide updates. Maybe Telstra will be able to "provision" a new land line for our home, so we'll be accessible in Ferny Creek when we return.