Signing off....

I should have done this earlier, but it's been a busy time since returning to Canada on August 20th. I think it's probably best if I don't go into details about my two week vacation with Ashton so that I still have a couple stories to tell if anyone out there wants to chat about the summer.

Some bullet points to get us started when we meet:
- Sydney has a great downtown area
- Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef is about as cool as it gets
- Australia is expensive (probably more expensive than our trip to Italy)
- Steve Irwin's (think Crocodile Hunter) Zoo is awesome
- Virgin Blue is the best domestic airline in Australia
- 'Inception' in IMAX was awesome
- Byron Bay really is as picturesque as everyone says it is
- getting to hang out with old Aussie friends from uni was a lot of fun
- Jet lag was bad bug manageable

For anyone who catches this final post, I hope you enjoyed the blog. If I ever get the chance to do some international work in the future I might do something similar. Even if no one reads it, it's still a nice way for me to record memories for the future. I only chose to do it as a blog because I thought the rest of you might get some entertainment out of the deal.

I'll leave you with a few Scuba photos. Goodnight everybody.

"Hanging out around 15 m down."

"A Green Turtle hanging out in the sand at the bottom."

"We sure did get lost down there..."

And one photo of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge for the road...

 Ok, maybe one more...

Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Kjuta (The Olgas)

My time in Alice Springs was not without excitement. I was given a full tour of our operations in and outside the town (small city really). It was an eye opener to glimpse the unique working environment in Alice. You see there’s a small, but very vocal, environmental community that is dead set against anything that has to do with nuclear power. They think that by mining uranium from the land nearby, Alice will become a post-apocalyptic wasteland ruled by an anti-semitic Mel Gibson in full leather. Solar arrays are present outside the city but they provide very little of the total power used. Of course, they have no qualms about getting their energy from coal. This being the environment equivalent of shaking hands with Nelson Mandela while simultaneously clubbing a seal. But I digress….

After my company tour I disembarked on my own private little road trip. Little might not be the proper terminology. Sizeable….large, or even gargantuan might better encapsulate the sort of distance that was covered in one day. My journey started in Alice springs and would take me across 500km of desert before arriving at the Olgas, giant sandstone domes that jut out from the surrounding flatness. Within these domes is a hiking path that allows you to experience their size and grandeur up close. I couldn’t resist. 7.64km and 2 hours later I had found my way through the “Valley of the Winds” and taken over 100 photos. The views were spectacular and the serenity of the location was unmistakable. I think I managed to go during an off day because the whole time I was in the park I didn’t feel like I was being rushed or crammed in. I also rarely heard an Aussie accent as the park is a larger draw for the international crowd.

"The Olgas rise in the distance. This was about 5 km away when the photo was taken."

"A view from between a couple of the domes. They were huge once you were up beside them and offered some very picturesque lookout points."

"By this point I was most of the way through the Valley of the Winds hike and was still just trying to snap as many photos as I could. It seemed like such a unique landscape that my finger wouldn't leave the shutter button for long."

Next stop was the more famous Ayers Rock, or as it is now known, Uluru. This behemoth is much like the domes of the Olgas except it’s joined into one large hunk of sandstone. One can’t truly appreciate its size until attempting to climb it, which I did. I had to, it compelled me to scale its smooth, weathered face. Unfortunately for my conscience there’s a sign at the base of the climb saying that it should be reserved for the local aboriginals as a rite of passage. I had seen the aboriginals in Alice Springs. Whatever tradition they once held to is gone, replaced by poverty and malice. After personally justifying the climb, I began my ascent. About 15 minutes later I was asking for a third lung and hoping my heart didn’t explode. Ok maybe it wasn’t that bad, but I did try to climb it way too quickly and found myself needing a few breaks along the way to suck in enough oxygen to keep my muscles from burning like too much tiger balm combined with icy hot. Not even Shaq could have withstood that kind of burn.

"The generic photo of Uluru taken from one of the main view points."

"The Olgas from the top of Uluru. You can also notice just how flat it is around these huge chunks of rock."

 "Ridge filled roof of Uluru."

Once I finally made it to the top and surveyed my surroundings it was an impressive view. There’s a reason that hunk of rock sticks out so well, it’s the only thing there. Flat desert was all I could see in every direction. The Olgas loomed in the distance as shadows against the horizon. After giving myself a few minutes to take in the sites and catch my breath, it was time to start the descent. I’m happy to report that down was much easier than up. It did involve tiny baby steps and leaning really far back….but was relatively painless.

"Sunset photo of Uluru. While I was watching the sunset I chatted it up with a Dutch family. Why is that important? I ran into them again in Cairns a few days later. It's a small world."

"I took this during the drive back to Alice Springs. I looked out my window at the sky and realized that it was lit up like a Christmas tree. When you are truly in the middle of nowhere with no ambient light it's amazing how bright the stars are. This image gets a lot fuzzier when you look at the blown up version. That belt of stars that cuts diagonally across the image also cut all the way across the sky. I had to just stop and star gaze for awhile because it was just too amazing to pass up."

Goodbye to King River Camp

The sun rose for the last time on my tent at King River Camp this morning. Temperatures have finally been dropping over night and most found themselves begging for the sun to rise quicker. I did not count myself among them, it was +18C at 6am.

It's been a great two months and while I'll likely never see this place again, it's provided enough memories to last. This camp more than any other place has felt more like a home since coming across the pond. The crew is filled with good blokes who work hard during the day and chillax at night. They've educated me into the idiosyncrasies of Australian lore. They also taught me how to properly kick a footy (I will be bringing back a proper ball so I can spread the game to Canadians) and all the wonders that come from a sport that looks as chaotic as lineups in Walmart at Christmas time. Someday I'll be back and I'll check out a live game at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground).

What strikes home the most for me is the fact that I will never see the outback like this again (unless I work for Cameco Australia again, chances are pretty slim for another opportunity). Like any explorer at heart, I always like it when I feel like I get to tread on ground that barely anyone ever gets to see. For instance, seeing Tor Rock. A handful of people in Darwin can probably claim to have seen it and they're the closest city by far. Every time we go mapping there's always one moment where you think to yourself, "I bet no one has ever seen this place before". Or how about the chopper rides over Kakadu National Park? People pay hundreds of dollars for those same rides and their chopper doesn't even set down on the landscape.

I've also learned a lot about how things are done in the Australian geological world. Considering that was my main purpose for coming here it's a good thing it worked out. Industry here is a totally different animal from Canada and certainly takes some getting used to.

My Cameco Australia tour of duty finishes in Alice Springs. Those will be touring days though so really my vacation starts this afternoon when I hop on the bus at Cahill's Crossing (still hoping to see some salties there today).

Less than fives days from now Ashton will take her first steps on Aussie soil (or pavement or as they say 'bitumen', whichever you prefer). A fact not lost on me. It's going to be a great way to round out my time here and it should go a long way to keeping me out of the doghouse for abandoning her for most of the summer month. I kid....but seriously, it should help. I haven't seen her since May 30th. It'll be August 8th when she lands here.

Some randoms for a King River sendoff.....

 "We ran into a group of 5 wild pigs when we were out in the rhino yesterday. Luckily that rhino is intimidating enough to scare them off without any worries. You wouldn't want to run into a group of them like that on foot. Here's a photo of a lower jaw that was found by camp."

 "The local didgeridoo band. Rhythm (mine), lead (Patty Lee) and bass (Leigh Davies) didg."

"Brumbies eating in the bush off the main track. The white one on the right wouldn't turn to face the shot. I've seen it right by the road at night and it's about 5ft at the shoulder. Not massive, just lean and strong."

Rockin the Didg

A guitar might be an axe, but a didgeridoo is an axe handle....or a beating stick.....ok so maybe it's a log that makes cool noises. One this is for certain, I suck at it, but at least I have one now.

One of our fieldies, Jules Inaarmidir Gulamuwu, is an aboriginal from Arnhem Land. He lives in Oenpelli and when he was a young lad he was raised in the old ways by his grandfather. He was taught how to paint, how to make a didg, how to play the didg and most of all, how to survive in the bush. During some down time he's shown me a bunch of cool stuff. He showed me how to find water and several plants that I could eat if I had to. There's a sugar grass where you can chew on the root and it will energize you and quench your thirst. He also found some bush potatoes. Only the size of a pea, but if you're hungry enough you'd need 'em.

"The bush potato is sitting at the bottom of the hole I dug. When it's buried you can tell it's there by its stem (the thing that looks like a death mace and is just as pokey) to the left."

I asked him what sort of trees were around us and he started rattling off aboriginal names for them. Once I told him I couldn't pick up any of what he was laying down he told me some english names. A particularly hard one is the Iron Tree. They get used for spears and apparently also for defence, "If you're being chased by a buffalo, hide behind an iron tree, it will not break. You see that tree? (points to one beside it) That one will break very easy and then you in big trouble." - Jules

Toward the end of our little bush discussion I mentioned that I really wanted to pick up a didgeridoo before I head home. To which he simply said, "I'll make you one brother." The people of Arnhem Land were the first to use didgeridoos and they spread the knowledge to other tribes throughout Australia. So while they are found in souvenir shops everywhere in this country, they only truly belong to his people. I hope to sweet mother Mary of Christ that I can get it safely back to Canada. I consider it an honour to be given a traditional didg from the birthplace of their use. Of course, like everything in life it comes at a price. A 30 pack of Carlton Mid (tough to come by out here and useful for bargaining back in Oenpelli) and the deal was struck.

"Within 48hrs we'd cut down a proper sized branch and he'd shaved and sanded it. This is the before photo. I have some more photos of the tree that it came from."

Voila, I have my very own genuine didg (pronounced 'dij'). Evidently this one's name is Mago (Mah-go) and if I call it that I will have no bad dreams and the ancestors will respect my use of it. It took me a while to figure out how to make the proper sounds. I still don't really have the sort of range that an aboriginal can hit...and never will. Another cool thing about it is he made it the size that's normally played by his people. So when they'd have gatherings, funerals or dance, my size of didg is the one that's used. And now for the main event....

Heat Records and Rhinos

Consider it a result of my enigmatic luck, but Darwin (and Arnhem Land as well) is about to have its' hottest July...ever. People told me I'd have trouble adjusting to the heat when I came over here. It's been hard but I've done ok so far. July has been doing its best to knock me right back to the frozen north though. The daily highs hover around 33C with 50% humidity. But that's not what is going to set new records. It's the daily lows that are going to shatter the record books. We've been averaging 22C as an overnight low.... Think about that for a second. Sask has been lucky to see 22 as a high this summer. Last night it didn't get any lower than 24C. It's hard to comprehend unless you're actually here, but suffice to say that most days it feels hotter than Hades eating a dried chili pepper with a side of szechuan in a sauna fueled by the fires of hell. Ok, maybe that's an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

"My ride....sort of."

Now for those of you unlucky enough to have never ridden a Rhino. I have to tell you, it's pretty fantastic. They can get you into all sorts of places and out here in the bush they can help you cover a lot of ground. Unless you get stuck, but that's a story for another day.

Gateway Festival/Reunion

This weekend marks the 6th Annual Gateway Festival aka 'The greatest shindig this side of the Arctic Circle". It's a huge feat really to have a large event like this in the tiny town of Bengough (my home town). While it's not nearly as large as Craven, it's also no where near any large cities.....or large buildings for that matter. Good times are had by all and the guest list is incredibly varied. Corb Lund? Had 'em. Emerson Drive? Had 'em. Fred Penner? Hells yeah we had him! The weather has really come through for the organizers and it should be another wicked weekend in 'the goff'.

What else is going on this weekend? Well my high school class is holding it's 10 year reunion at the festival for obvious synergenic (not a word, but it works) reasons. Our class was huge by Bengough standards, 24 students. In kindergarten we had 30 kids! We lost several to moves, a couple to failed grades (Grade 2 was the weeding out year, sound like 2nd year of uni to anyone?) and gained some insta-students from new families. 10 years....wow. You know you're old when? I don't feel old, I don't think I look old (though I probably do) and I don't want to be old. Thusly, I am not old. My logic is sound. Would have liked to see everyone again but the outback's call was too strong.

I look forward to creeping on Facebook for many drunken photos from this weekend back home.

Pitch Black

No, not the movie starring a a certain Diesel (that word just keeps popping up around here) with a gravelly voice. I'm talking about the Pitch Black war games that are held every second year at Darwin. Think of it as Top Gun, but down under.... and with less sweaty beach volleyball.....so much less....
***Editor's note: even with the homo-eroticism running rampant throughout Top Gun, I still love that movie***
***Editor's note to Hollywood: please make a new and better fighter pilot movie. No, 'Stealth' doesn't count. You weren't even trying when you made that one.***

I kind of wish I was in the city right about now to take some of it in.

"What do you mean we don't get to go watch!?!"

The homepage from a government website described it as follows:

"Exercise Pitch Black 10 (PB10) is a three week multi-national air combat exercise, to be conducted in Northern Australia over the period 16 Jul – 6 Aug 10.
PB10 will be the largest RAAF Field Training Exercise for 2010 and will involve a combination of day and night flying from RAAF bases at Darwin (DAR) and Tindal (TDL).
The exercise will involve participants from the Australian Army and elements of the Singapore, New Zealand and Thailand air forces that will participate in the tasking, planning and execution of Offensive Counter Air (OCA) and Offensive Air Support (OAS) operations in a coalition environment."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_Pitch_Black
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/07/17/164701_ntnews.html
http://www.defence.gov.au/opex/exercises/pitchblack10/gallery/20100716a/index.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/06/2267319.htm

Basically it involves 10 countries, over 60 jets/planes, 1500 people and a s&%$load of bad wingman jokes. Of course all of the action takes place away from the civilian population. BUT, and it is a big but, there are several good lookout points within and nearby Darwin to observe. One of the fieldies just came in and said there's a great spot at one of the pub's where the jets actually end up flying right over top of you. Noisy? Absolutely. Awesome? Definitely. Apparently the American pilots are known for their hotdoggery. You can always spot a US jet taking off by its use of afterburner. The other countries are either too humble for the display of raw power..... or they just plain can't afford the extra fuel. Either way, I'd still like to see it. The views at night time are particularly enchanting. While the paint schemes keep the jets relatively out of sight during the daytime, at night the flames pumping out of the turbines can be tracked for miles away and you can watch the fighters do their dance above the desert.

"A credible source links this photo to Tom taking in the sights at the Pitch Black event near Darwin, Australia. Goose was not present at the time of this photo. His whereabouts are unknown, but he was believed to be waiting for Tom at the local beach volleyball court....or possibly the shower."