Three Saturdays in June.

 

What a month! The first half of June was all about preparing for my Semester 1 exam for Criminal Law. I felt happy with the way the exam went, in contrast to most of the semester where I felt like I was constantly behind or playing catch up. One of the joys of working full-time and studying, I suppose! Busy all around is an understatement. Here are three images that have been captured on three Saturdays in June, in three different places.

1 // Alice Springs, Northern Territory
I adore winter time in Alice Springs. The afternoons are bathed in glorious golden light and the mornings are clear and chilly. Many people assume that the desert is always hot and are surprised to hear that it becomes very cold during winter, with morning temperatures hovering around zero degrees (or below). Soup, baking, soaking up the daytime sunshine, reading under a blanket, walking in the afternoon all rugged up, riding to work and feeling the sharp air stinging my cheeks and fingers are all things I relish about this time of year.

2 // High country, Victoria
Amidst all the craziness of a busy time at work I managed to sneak a couple of days off and headed down to Victoria to visit my sister and niece. While Alice Springs winter consists of cold mornings, the sun generally makes an appearance during the day. In contrast it was nice to get a taste of cold, drizzly, misty winter in the Victorian high country. The fire was burning constantly and we warmed up during the day by going for long walks or country drives. I was there for winter solstice and we went to a bonfire night at a nearby property. It was the biggest fire I have ever seen. The sky was blanketed in stars, which gradually disappeared when the wintry mist rolled in.

3 // Darwin, Northern Territory
I had a day in Alice Springs before travelling north to Darwin for the week for work. Darwin in the dry season is infinitely more bearable than Darwin in the wet. The mornings are cooler (relatively speaking, around 17-18 degrees; people who live here actually complain about the cold!) and the air is dry and the breeze refreshing. It's still warm, around 30 degrees during the day, but minus the stifling humidity that renders you to a sweaty, lifeless mess during the wet. Yesterday we ate lunch with this view and a lovely breeze and it was rather pleasant. All the changes of climate (and the time spent in air conditioning, I suspect) have left me with yet another head cold but this time around I've managed to retain some energy.

The beauty of bicycling.

There are so many benefits to cycling for transport but sometimes, it is just easier to drive. I am guilty of using the car when I should really ride my bike: yes! I know. Terrible. There are some simple ways to make the transport decision easier; I'm writing this post to remind myself as much as anything!

Keep your bike somewhere that is easily accessible
If your bike is stored in the back of a dusty shed and you have to clamber over the lawnmower, storage boxes and power tools to get to it, you're not going to be doing this at 8.25am when you're supposed to leave for work. You're more likely to grab the car keys - stored within easy reach - and jump in the car that's parked right outside your house. It's important to keep your bike secure but the easier it is to get to, the more likely you'll be to wheel it out and jump on! And if it's waiting at or near the front door, you're going to see it when you're getting ready to leave - what a great reminder!

Adapt your wardrobe to suit the ride
Now, I'm not talking replacing all your smart work clothes with lycra; it's about dressing to suit your commute. (Ka-ching! Cue corny rhyme.) I am lucky that it's a seven-minute ride from my front door to the office, so I generally don't raise a sweat, unless of course it is 45 degrees Celsius (which in summer, it usually is!). For me, now is the perfect time of year to be riding to work and general transport, with sunny, crisp mornings and pleasant daytime temperatures. When I had further to travel on the bike to work, I adapted by wearing cycling gear and getting changed (or showered and changed) once I got to work. It takes a little more preparation and organisation (forgot your undies? only packed one sock? forgot your work shoes? I am nodding yes to all these, and more) but you'll soon get into your own routine. I leave my tailored jacket at work and usually a pair of work shoes under my desk. Given that I've got such a short ride these days, I just wear my work clothes on the bike, usually dresses or skirts with leggings or stockings underneath and a scarf and warm layers when it's icy cold.

The little things count
Accessorise! And by that, I mean make sure your bike is prepared. Does it get dark early where you live? Add some flashing lights to your bike and leave them in place so it's one less thing to think about. Make sure you've got a lock or somewhere safe to store your bike once you get to your destination. Helmets are mandatory when riding on the road in all Australian states and territories, so make sure you've got one that fits correctly and meets Australian standards. Do you need to carry a backpack or does your bike have a basket or panniers to stow your things while you ride? Other small details include reflector bands in case you ride in heavy traffic, a chain guard if you don't want to worry about rolling up your pants, and clear glasses to keep your eyes protected and your vision clear on drizzly days.

Other ideas for making the decision to cycle a no-brainer include planning your route and timing it, so you know how long to factor in; incorporate as many cycleways, shared bike paths and bike lanes where you can, so you don't have to worry about traffic; find a buddy to ride with, if you need extra motivation; and start small by taking small trips on your bike on the weekend until you get used to cycling around!

One of my favourite things about cycling to work is the ride home again. It's the best feeling to leave the office, jump on my shiny red bike and pedal away the day. Once I get home I'm ready to relax* and refreshed for the next day.

What about you? Got any tips to share?



*Err, by relax, I really mean walking the dogs, making dinner and then hitting the textbooks for a couple of hours uni work...but you get the drift, yeah?

Territory traversed.

Isn't this place glorious? I'm still pinching myself that this idyllic lush, green carpeted dell is in the heart of Central Australia. We've covered some ground this Easter long weekend.

On Friday, we brunched lazily at the Roma Bar in Darwin before jumping in the car to begin the 1,500 km drive south towards Alice Springs. We didn't leave early, figuring that every man and his dog would be hitting the road. As it turned out, we needn't have worried; the roads were almost deserted and we had a clear run out of town. We didn't rush. The landscape transitioned from thick, tropical vegetation, thinning out gradually to termite country, with big skies and long, gold-coloured grasses, punctuated by trees.

We stopped in at the Hi-way Inn near Daly Waters for fuel and a loo break. A poster on the door advertised that the North Sydney Girls school orchestra would be playing a free concert there that night. The swimming pool in the caravan park tacked onto the side of the roadhouse was brimming with squealing first violinists and cellists and violists, clearly making the most of their free time before the show began. There wasn't any sign of an audience, so far; we didn't stick around to see the performance.

The sun began to set over the grassy plains and it was becoming so lovely that we pulled over to take photos. We decided to drive on to Tennant Creek, where we could stay overnight in a motel and rest our eyes. We woke before the sun came up, jumped straight in the car and were back on the road well before dawn. The sun inched above the horizon, casting red and pink and gold across the country, which was now the familiar red dirt rocky landscape of the arid centre.

Along the way, just out of Ti Tree, we approached a van on the side of the road and a couple of women, greying hair and bright, mismatched patterned skirts, waved us down. We pulled up and wound down the windows.

"Morning," they called out cheerfully. "You got any matches?"

We didn't, not even a lighter. "Sorry, we don't have any," we said.

"Ah. That's okay," said one of the women. "We want to make a cuppa tea," the other explained. "We got a flat battery."

We looked over our shoulders to the van and at the back, curled up on a canvas was an old fella, one of their husbands, presumably. We didn't have any jumper leads, either. They didn't seem bothered - someone would come along who could help - first, with the tea. Then, the van.

"It's okay, thanks for stopping," they said cheerily, waving us on our way.

And after a while, the MacDonnell Ranges drew near, carpeted by a sea of green after our recent rains in Central Australia. Then, the Alice Springs sign welcomed us home.

On Sunday, we loaded the dogs, the tucker box and swag into the car to head out for a night under the stars. We took the Ross River Highway east out of town, turning off onto a four-wheel-drive track. The photos above are where we spent a lazy evening, wandering along the riverbed, reading, relaxing and cooking over the coals. The golden sunlight through the trees was just magical. We had the grassy spot to ourselves and the silence - oh, the silence! We lay awake for ages just gazing at the stars in the inky sky, pointing out satellites and the odd shooting star.

The sun rose through a dip in the rocky outcrop surrounding our camp and we set about our morning camp chores lazily. A hot chocolate, a bacon and egg sandwich and we were on our way, the dogs tuckered out on the backseat.

A delightful long weekend spanning the length of the Northern Territory - perfect.

I hope your weekend was as wonderful as ours!

On being 33 and learning to skateboard (again).

That's right, I'm almost in my mid-30s (mid-mid-30s, if you will) and I have gone and got myself a skateboard. A longboard, to be precise. It's an idea I have had in the back of my head since I was in my mid- to late-20s and living on the city fringe in Adelaide. But, for some reason or another it didn't come about back then, so I'm making up for it now.

Learning to skateboard was one of the first things I did when I finished school. There were two big ticket items on this list: learn to skate and learn to surf. Living - back then - in a place with close access to fantastic beaches meant learning to surf was both easy and convenient. Skating followed on. My sister was already into it, and it was something lots of people in our group of friends were doing, so it was a great learning environment. I was never quite the star on the skatey as my sister - she seemed fearless at the skate park and used to skate (and win) in competitions. I skated in one comp, held at a skate park in Canberra, and placed third. My sister, of course, won. I was happy to have won a set of trucks, a hat and a t-shirt for my efforts - which consisted of dropping in to a shallow bowl, a few swooshy turns, going over stuff, up and down a few ramps, but not many tricks.

So here I am, thirty three years old, and owner of a funky longboard. It's different to a regular board but I'm getting the feel for it. I'd like to maybe skate to work sometimes, or at least into town.

If you see me around, please don't laugh! I might be cruising, or I might just be walking for a little bit with it under my arm.



Habitat longboard // purchased from Valor art / sk8 / life, Alice Springs

The holiday feeling, it lingers.

Linking to the lovely collection of weekly Stills by Em at The Beetle Shack.

Getting around: Jeepneys, tricycles and other contraptions.

The Jeepney

Janette the jeepney waits for a full load of passengers in Sabang. Once the driver is happy with the number of people on board, they will set off.

Behold, the wonder of the bedazzled, rattling, swerving, blinged up, squashed in, sputtering and jolting mode of transport known as the jeepney. According to the internets, the jeepney is 'the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their crowded seating and kitsch decorations, which have become a ubiquitous symbol of Philippine culture and art'. I can attest to all these things being true. I couldn't keep my eyes off them. Each jeepney is unique (cliche but oh so true!) and they are even named. I took a keen obsessive interest in noting down all the different names and I'll even share my list at the end of this post. Our friends had arrived in Manila a couple of days before us, and already had some experience in the way of the jeepney.

How to catch it: 

First passengers on board this jeepney.

Stand on a street. Any part of any street will do. Wait a couple of minutes, maybe 15 at most, and a jeepney will hurtle along. Stick your arm (or any other limb) out and witness the incredible stopping power. You'll think it's continuing past you until the last moment when you realise it's actually stationary - just. Clamber in via the back door, which may or may not have an actual door. There may be room on either of the two long bench seats that run along the sides, or you may have to nestle in beside a granny or a local cock fighting master (with rooster in tow) or between giggling children who will spend the entire trip staring at you. Whatever you do, don't look out of the window, particularly if you're facing the side where the narrow (is it really two lanes?) road drops away and plummets into the sea. And don't look out of the other side where you see how close the oncoming jeepneys and occasional vans fly past. And don't look out of the front window, where you see tricycles, motorbikes, pedestrians, puppies and chickens jump out of the way at the last moment, or stop in front of you. And, don't look out of the back door, because there may not be an actual back door and there's likely to be quite a few people hanging off the rear and/or jumping on/off. Which brings me to the next point:

How to make it stop: (and get off unscathed)

Trip in progress. It's blurry for a reason, folks.

If you look decidedly un-Philippino and get this right first go, you are likely to be met with a round of cheering and/or applause. In the same way that you can get on a jeepney by flagging it down anywhere, you can get off anywhere you like. Anywhere! Yes, even the inside lane of a blind hairpin corner. Which happened to be our stop. All you need to do is look out of the window at the right moment, recognise your landmark, and hit the roof of the jeepney with your hand: *bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang*. You can also call out 'stop!' at the same time, or another method is to get a coin between your fingers and tap it on the railing. Clamber over everyone and everything you clambered across to get in, and out you go.

How much will it cost:

El Shaddai is super shiny and very bling.

All the jeepneys we caught were 20 pesos per person per journey. It didn't matter if you were travelling the full distance between the two towns, or partway (we stayed approximately 2/3 of the way between Puerto Galera and Sabang - at the PG end). Send the 20 pesos up to the driver before you get out, or sometimes there is a guy at the back who collects the cash. 20 pesos is about 50 cents (AUD).

The Tricycle

A tricycle, more or less. This one was usually parked at the corner where we waited for a ride.

In between waiting for a jeepney, about a zillion tricycles will whizz past, each slowing down slightly to call out 'Tricycle maaaam? Tricycle sirrrrr?' to which you must shake your head, or even explain that you're waiting for the jeepney, as often they will stop completely in front of you in case you will accept the ride.

How to catch it:

On board the tricycle; you'll note that they ride very low to the ground.

In the case that you do want a tricycle, just do the same thing you do for a jeepney, perhaps less exaggerated as they are likely to stop anyway if they don't already have passengers. A tricycle is just that: a modified motorbike with a side-car welded to it, and a cover over the driver/passenger. You can fit anywhere between one and five? six? people on a tricycle. We usually travelled with two: one passenger behind the driver, and one in the side-car. One trip I think there was someone sitting on the roof above my head. It's more fun to look out of the side of a tricycle, as you're generally going a little slower than a jeepney. The breeze is lovely as you buzz along the bumpy road. Sometimes the driver will turn off the motor going down a hill. One tricycle I caught had a sticker saying 'May God Bless Our Trip' stuck to the inside of the side-car.

Hot tip:
If you are tall, say - above 160 cm (oh look! That includes me, I'm 164 cm!) - then you'll probably bump your head on the roof of the side-car. Best to sit side-saddle behind the driver and hold on for dear life.

How to make it stop:

A peaceful stretch of road and afternoon sunshine.

Tell the driver roughly where you are going first, then tap them on the shoulder or on the leg (if you're in the side-car) when you've reached your destination. It may not come completely to a stop before you disembark.

How much will it cost:
This seemed to depend on a wide range of variables, including: whether it was day or night (day = cheaper, night = more expensive), whether it was a private or registered tricycle, whether or not the driver was on their way somewhere else, whether they had arranged for their brother or cousin or boss to turn around and pick you up, etc. Usually between 50 and 100 pesos (75 cents / $2.50 AUD).

The Wooden Boats

A wooden boat moored at Moulle Pier, Puerto Galera. This was a taxi-style boat. There were often a group of young boys climbing along the bamboo arms and asking passengers for snacks, pesos or lollies, and if nothing was forthcoming, jumping off into the water before clambering back on to try their luck again.

These were a lovely, dreamy and floaty (funny, that!) way to get about. We took a boat to get to the villa, a pleasant and mostly flat hour journey across Batangas Bay, and back again when it was time to leave. We were also picked up from our (!) beach by a smaller wooden boat to go to White Beach for an afternoon trip. Coming home was a little more hair-raising, given that there was only a small light (a flashlight being held up by one of the crew) and it was becoming dark rather quickly. We kept our eyes peeled for landmarks and got a fright when a black boat came out of nowhere and across our path - thinking for a moment they may have been pirates (ha!). The boats have distinctive bamboo arms that stretch out each side, curving gracefully onto the water rather like wings.

How to catch one:

The moment of revelation where we started to make a line for our accommodation - Chansey points out the beach with the sun lounges all lined up.

Our boat trips were pre-arranged so we just climbed down the 137 stairs from the villa to the beach and jumped aboard.

How to get off:

Peter ascends the ladder after making the obstacle course from our boat, at the rear, to the wharf. And here comes some of our luggage too.

On our final boat ride back across from the villa to Batangas City, getting off involved climbing from our boat across a narrow plank to another boat that it had tied up to, then through this boat - which had its flooring pulled up for maintenance, so mind those big gaps and don't fall through! - down a gangplank, through the water and up a slippery bamboo ladder onto the wharf. Do this whilst carrying one or two items of luggage, then watch the crew lug the rest of the luggage across and hope it doesn't fall into the harbour.

And now, for the jeepney names
El Shaddai // Renie // Cassandra // Clarissa // Jeniffer // Leo the King // Nhemiel // Johnny Bhegood // Glory be to God // Birchen // Janette // Margarita // Superstar // Franz @ Irish // Monsoom // Blossom // Aaron // Nicole // Annaliza // Kenz // Mindeo // Christian // Eviota // Lucky Bunso // Jonabel // Super Angel // In God We Trust // Idol // 3Kings // Keemriel // Eunice // Jessica May // Jester // Caris // Angelica // Baby Ness // Good for God // Queto // Jenzelle // Jayme // Phomela // Sonny // Aldwyn // My Sweet Lord // My Pray // Lucky Guy // Mared // Bernadeta // Tito-Lina // Odette // Lover Lovely // John & Jed // Iverson // Berania // Charmaine // Justine // Darsyll // Socialite // God // St Joseph // Forever // The Holy Land // Allyssa // Ishikawa // God Bless Us // Lady // Lourdes // Dreams Come True // Country Jealous Guy // Five Sisters // Gina Maree // Marina // Cyprus // Jeanny // Alexander // Vienna // Jesus // Mariel // John Paolo // St Vincent // Adrian Lennon // Nikka // Jiggy // Andy // Marvin // Ivan Jerome // Celebrity // Sailor // St Bartolomue // Jesus Christ My Lord // Pamela Anne // Joey // Prinze // Veronica // God is the Great // Mary's Blood // Joyce // Richard Marie // John Paul Raymond // Barbie // Sundance // Mary Queen // Kaylyn // New Jerusalem // Pete Andre // Venus Glory // Jesus Lord // Scorpio // Sydney // Nazareno