Getting there is half "the battle"

Unlike a cruise, flying across the International Date Line can be intimidating. That is, if you have done it before and know what to expect. As you cross west to east you lose a whole day, or that is what it looks like on the calendar. We left Los Angeles and hour late, on September 22 and arrived 14 hours later on September 4. When the next generation of aircraft takes over it is beyond me how that will work.


Then we hung out at the Sydney airport for too long and that plane was late for leaving for Adelaide and our family there had no way of knowing they didn't have to rush down as they were driving from Broken Hill.

All in all, as the clock is measured, we were travelling for over 35 hours. No stops, no rest areas, we were in transit either flying or waiting to fly. As I had woken about 4:30 A M before leaving, that was a very long time to stay awake and attempt some semblance of alertness. I did get to doze on the 14 hour flight but only lightly and not for long. That's another story.

Some would look at the preceding narrative and think it to be a horror story. It is just one of those things one has to do if one wants to travel and get places. Critics are correct, we could have gone to Wichita, Kansas several times and even been rested when we got there in the same time it took us to get to Adelaide, Australia. That is correct but there is a major flaw in that. We would have been in Kansas if we had done that but instead, we were in Adelaide, Australia and the next day we were on the beach watching the surf boom. Yes, oh yes, I picked up shells and rocks. Try that on the prairie of Kansas.

Almost everyone I spoke to before leaving the states said they wanted to go to Australia. It isn’t all that difficult if you can stand the air flight over and back. Many people are put off by that and say they “could never make it.” Actually, they are either admitting they are too prissy to do a 14 hour flight or they are too spoiled to put up with a little inconvenience. Personally, I think both – in many cases.

It is easy to tell when you have entered a new place as you get out of the Sydney airport. There are clues all around you but you may not notice them at first. No, you will not see kangaroos hopping by and koalas hanging from the shrubbery as you exit. You have to get out of town to see that.

If you drive anywhere out of a city after dark you may see one more kangaroo than you wanted to see. Many, many autos here have very thick bars fixed across the front of their cars, appropriately called “roo bars.” Kangaroos seem to have a suicidal desire to jump in front of moving vehicles. Many roos are big, like six feet tall big and heavy to match. The roo bars help you survive the close encounter with a large roo but doesn’t do much for his longevity.

Even little roos and wallabies try to destroy themselves and you so cation is advised. There is, as you have guessed, a difference between hitting a coyote or possum and hitting a large red roo.

Another difference is the light. Light is hard to describe with a few adjectives but this light seems softer while the landscape in western New South Wales is harsher than in Oklahoma. Oklahoma light is bright and hard but in eastern New South Wales the light seems subdued. Or maybe my eyes can’t see as well back there.

In a day or so we will drive nine hours up to a small place in north-central New South Wales. The whole of the highway is very empty. There are a few villages, and a town or two, but you can drive for a very long time without seeing any dwellings or buildings. It is not a good place to meet a kangaroo at 65 miles per hour.

I am looking forward to seeing the place at Coona again as this time there has been much rain. As this is coming spring in Australia, there should be many flowers in bloom. They have some of the most exotic flowers in the world and I love them.

OK, also I will be thinking of where I can set up a new been hive.