March 31, 2005

Taveuni Trip #1


This is a collection of pics from my day trip to the Bomea National Park in Taveuni a big garden island north of the mainland of Fiji. We did a coast trek to the waterfalls.
From Top left- Local kids on the beach, amazing night flower (that only opens at night),
rainforest, 'mushroom rocks', funeral procession by local police.

March 23, 2005

What I did last weekend...


Last weekend I joined the Dark Side* and did a 34km changes race in Shoal Bay up in Port Stephens. It was a weekend of my first ever OC race which happened to be the changes race (where you jump in and out of the boat while it is moving) and not the 6km short course (which I initially wanted to do). It was a whole tonne of fun, even if we did come last!

*The Dark Side is the Pacific Dragons, the arch rival dragonboat team in my 8 years of dragonboat paddling. But since I am only doing canoeing with them...it's all good.

PS. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JPEG! XX

March 22, 2005

Kim's Farewell Drinks



My good friend Kim is off to do her UK working holiday stint. I've spent the last month of so preparing for her departure through numerous 'goodbye kim' weekends. (more pics on those events later). She's one of my closest friends, mainly because we spend so much time together training for dragonboat. Kim is pretty influential in my life. she's responsible for alot of things - introducing me to the Fiji mafia, convincing me to try out for national dragonboat team, the horrors of fat calipers, powerbars, good toasted fruit buns and more recently the delightful cocktails at the Peppermint Lounge, which was the venue for her farewell drinks. As you can see - not many pictures of Kim as I was too busy getting drunk...and later that evening I was too busy spewing in the gutter behind Harry's Cafe DeWheels. How Iconic. Bon Voyage Kim. Hope you have a great time and I know I'll see you soon!

March 14, 2005

Savings…what savings?!



No - don't worry. I didnt buy the pink basketball shoes on the right(lucky for all of you - they don't sell them here! Otherwise I would be wearing the Dadas!). On the weekend I bought myself the ones of the left - a pair of And1 shoes and in the words of Clinto they are ‘fully fully’ man! My old Asics Netburner shoes weren’t cutting it anymore (since they are actually netball shoes!), but they’ve served me well over the last 3-4 years, from climbing up the dangerous bits of the Great Wall of china, to trekking through a rainforest in Fiji, to negotiating the slippery oil coated steps of Chinatown’s Superbowl for post game dinner. And yes they are damn ugly too, plus there’s a hole in the front where my little toe is! So I went to ‘D Playground’ a basketball shop in Parramatta – which makes more sense to me than going to the Nike Factory shop. (although the prices don't!) I couldn’t go past the And1 shoes – partly because I got sucked in coz they only make basketball shoes and they looked the least butch out of the bunch. They also happened to be the most expensive but most comfortable there. I will report back to tell you if I play any better in my new ‘hardcore baller’ shoes...BTW those pink ones are meant to be cutting edge technology with 'spinners' on them (NFI!). One day I will wear pink basketball shoes...mark my words!

March 09, 2005

Dare to Dream...with Lisa Curry Kenny



If I was still dragonboating (which I still love but am currently taking a break from) I would be telling you my next races will be in Canberra or Penrith. Instead I am happy to report that my next races for Outrigger Canoe (OC) paddling will be in Port Stephens! Okay, so I’ve only been to one training session this year but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to race. It’s a short course 6km race which I have never done but I’ve heard on good authority that it can be done easily when you are hungover! Ahhh… The lure of OC is in the glamorous race locations darlings!
Today I dared to dream a little bigger and booked my flights to Hamilton Island for the ‘Hamo Cup’ in June which is the biggest regatta in Australia and where Lisa Curry Kenny (she of Olympic medal fame, broad shoulders and breast implants) competes. I don’t think I’ll be good enough to be racing in her category, but if I see her I’ll try and get a photo with her – if only to prove that I don’t have shoulders as big as an Olympic swimmer!!

March 01, 2005

Farewell Summer!



Random Photo: Trees in Centennial Park on Australia Day 2005
Often people from overseas mention how they love that our skies and how vast and high. I've always taken it for granted. When I was younger I used to like lying on the grass looking up into the sky and seeing how the blue faded into itself...I still do it when I get the chance.