Country Towns, AU

I had to go into Roma (out in central south-west Queensland) today and had the nicest of experiences. Firstly I was in Woolworths picking up some essential supplies and ran short of coins. Before I could blink three people were thrusting 50 cent pieces out to me. The overriding consensus was that money was there to be shared. I felt honoured, and it was only the first of three similar experiences I would have today.

The second came when I went to get a chipped windscreen repaired. Leonna at Roma Windscreens jiggered her workload to fit me in, then drove me back in to town while the work was done and then picked me up to retrieve my ute. When I went to settle the bill it was "Nah darl, that's fine." Lovely!

Then I went to pick up the spare tyre that I was getting replaced at BJs Tyres. The work wasn't done when I got there and the guy explained that he had to order the tyre in, and it would take a week. When I explained that I was uncomfortable driving around the tracks without a spare they found a second hand tyre and fitted it. For free!

How's that for country town hospitality?

RIPajero

Our Mitusbishi Pajero has given up the ghost. A few weeks ago I was driving down the motorway when the engine starting making a more alarming clunk than normal. I just got to my exit and she cut out. I got it recovered and taken to the mechanics - the verdict was not good. We are considering our options: replace the Pajero's engine, find something new to drive or I get the motorbike I've been hankering after.

This morning Oscar asked what had happened to our 4WD and I explained that it’s engine had died, so it had gone to heaven. He laughed and said “No, there’s no such place as car heaven”. Then I told him that TVs and computers go to silicon heaven when they broke down. “No, that’s not real” he said. “But where do all the calculators go?” I asked “Oh” was his reply and he wandered off with a thoughtful look on his face.

The Hobbit Saved

Quick update to my last post - public pressure has forced the license owners of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to back down and are allowing the owners to buy a copyright license to save the name of the pub. The fate of the rest of the pub's Hobbity character (interior artwork and drinks menu) is still in question as the license only covers the establishment. There is more on the story over at the BBC website. Thanks to Dad for sharing the news.

One Pub To Rule Them All

While Rae and I were studying and living in Southampton we often went to a pub in Portswood called The Hobbit. It was a hugely popular venue amongst the university students and our friends - almost an institution you could say. So I was stunned to read today's news that the owners are being legally challenged over the pub's name.

I normally don't advocate Facebook but if any of my 4 readers have Facebook accounts I urge you to join the Save The Hobbit ring.

The Road Goes Ever On...

I really can't think of anything suitable to write about our visit to The Shire today. I could tell you that it's easy to find (near a town near Matamata), it's well worth it (picturesque views), truly informative (guides know their stuff) and authentic (set dressing still there) but I'll just post the photos instead.

Having been reading the book for 32 years you can be sure that I was pretty chuffed to pay a visit to the home of Bilbo, Frodo and Sam. There's another 100 photos that may still get posted up - does that give you a clue how much I enjoyed the 5 acres of Hobbiton that Peter Jackson kindly left behind in a quiet corner of New Zealand?

It's our last full day today - currently holed up in Tirau (the corrugated steel capital of NZ) because of the rain. Tomorrow we will head to the caves in Waitomo before trundling back up to Auckland before flying back to Brisbane.

PS - Oscar totally believes that Hobbits are real, but very shy because they didn't come out to see us. Why else would his Mummy and Daddy take him to a field with a bunch of "houses" in it?

Geronimo

Rae, Oscar and I have nipped over to New Zealand for a week to catch up with Dave, Ang and Paige - friends from Balikpapan - before they head back to Canada. I've been wanting to do a bungee for a number of years (even going so far as putting it on my bucket list) and promised myself that I'd save it for New Zealand.

So today, while we were in Taupo (which is in the centre of the North Island) I - and I apologise for the pun - took the plunge as my 40th birthday is fast approaching. Either I closed my eyes for the first drop or I have mentally blanked it out. I'm glad I did it though.

100th Post: Where's The Blog?

I'll admit I've been slack. Looking back to the last post (August 19th) you'd think that nothing has happened in my life. On the contrary, plenty has happened but not quite enough to prevent me from blogging. Hence the admission of slackness.

So what has happened since we bought the Hyundai? Well, the first thing that happened ( a week later) was it broke down! The central locking system gypped out and we had to get RACQ to tow the car back from the shops, and then get an auto-electrician to cut the after-market central locking out. Bummer. The car is still running OK though.

We've had a batch of visitors come to stay - the first was Rae's parents, John and Megan, who paid us a month long visit in September. They spent a few weeks enjoying time with Oscar and the city, and we all went to stay on Moreton Island to bask in the sun and splash in the sea for a week. Jason, university friend/best man/Oscar's god father came for an evening but unfortunately I was away on a rig for a week. Ang and Paige, friends from Indonesia and now living in New Zealand, came for a week and the little ones had a blast catching up.

In other car news I am now the proud owner of a Mitsubishi Pajero GLS NH. We bought our second Aussie motor just before Christmas, and after getting the fuel gauge repaired and the tyres replaced it's fine for fun, and I plan on spending the occasional weekend on the beach with the gang.

There's probably more to type about, but leaping ahead to last week: We had a lovely Christmas with a family that Rae and Oscar had made friends with. We went to South Bank for a picnic/BBQ next to the water play area, and Oscar wore himself out. We left early in the afternoon as the sun was climbing, and spent the rest of the day lazing at home. Plenty of Skype calls between aunts, uncles, nannas and grandads were made that day! Oscar's birthday, with an equal amount of Skyping, followed Christmas Day with a garden pirate-themed party for the kids and a BBQ for the grown ups.

In coming news, we will be swapping Hamilton (I'm fed up with the birds waking me up at stupid o'clock, and Rae and Oscar are sick of the trains at the bottom of the garden) for Nudgee during the Australia Day long weekend towards the end of January.