Back to reality

The house guest has left (no thanks to Qantas), the spare mattress that she was sleeping on aired and put away, my own suitcase finally unpacked, all the gifts distributed, holiday laundry done and folded, and my work bag is ready for tomorrow.

It is as if the past three weeks didn't happen.

Thank goodness for pictures of sandy beaches and cute lifeguards. :)

Oh the irony

Locking out your staff and grounding your entire aircraft fleet but not pulling out your Visit Australia With Qantas ads.

Occupy Qantas Lounges, I say!

and other Australiana

I thought the Opera House looked a bit "veiny", something that you never see in postcards and photos. Turned out that it's because the roofing is covered in what's pretty much bathroom tiles. And the grouting needed cleaning, at that.



The Blue Mountains ...





Meet the natives ...






The dingo looked just like anybody's yellow dog ...

Life's a beach

and Manly...






(pix of me taken by Catswhiskers, with thanks)

You wacky Aussies

... and all the other things for which I didn't have the camera handy ...

... Jai Ho on the airport muzak.

... Wallabies rugby shirts go on 50% discount after Australia gets kicked out of the running for the Rugby World Cup.

... A brown dog standing on the passenger seat of a dusty Holden ute, head stuck out of the wound-down window, ears flapping in the wind.

... street name sign for "Dreamhouse Road", just outside Manly. Ah, happy the residents.

... Kids in school uniforms hitting the beach after they've been let out from school. Why hang out at a mall when there's a beach?

... Stuffed toy kangaroo tied to the rear bumper of a ute going down Campbell Parade, Bondi.

... Wedding photographer yells out to wedding party on church steps to "take off your sunnies" before clicking the shutter.

Not regal enough

Not quite sure what's so queenly about this Tshirt collection. It's neither Freddie Mercury nor Priscilla of the Desert.