I'm back...

We returned home this afternoon after just over two weeks away in the eastern Outback. It was a great trip - great company, fantastic weather almost the whole way, and amazing landscape - but I'm a bit too tired tonight to try and write anything intelligent about it!

Keep an eye on the photoblog - I'll put some pictures up over the next few days.

Kookaburras and old gum trees.

There you go. I've obviously hit the big time of some strange cult following, since 18% of the last 100 searches that brought people to my blog are for some variant of 'kookaburra sits in the old gum tree.' I've been noticing this for a while, actually - ever since I made a post with that title. People from all over the world - the US, UK, Europe, Japan, are searching for kookaburras and old gum trees and finding their way to the post on my blog.

Don't get me wrong - I love having people visit my blog. Anyone (other than spammers and psychotics) is welcome here. I'm just fascinated as to why so many people are searching for the song. School projects? Camp songs? Or has it attained some cult status and meaning that I'm innocently unaware of?

We used to sing it in rounds, when we were kids. It passed some of the time when going on long car trips in the days before car radios, and I much preferred to 'Three Blind Mice'.

Anyway, here are the words, for those searching for them:
Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Merry, merry king of the bush is he,
Laugh, kookaburra, laugh, kookaburra,
Gay your life must be.

Hmmm... they've probably changed the words in recent decades, since 'gay' has changed it's meaning. But that's what we used to sing. So, all you Kookaburra seeking blog visitors, please feel free to comment about what you're looking for.

Catching up (yet again)

Okay, so it's been quiet here lately. What have I been up to these past few weeks? Apart from the normal work/life stuff, I've been:

• dealing with a bad shoulder, which meant limiting my computer work
• spending limited computer time writing
• planning our Outback trip
• making lists for our trip
  
• shopping for our trip (food, emergency supplies, first aid gear, equipment etc)
• trying to work out how to organise and pack all the stuff into the truck

We'll be off in a bit over a week, for 16 days travelling with another couple up to Roma in Queensland, across to Birdsville, down the Birdsville Track to Marree in South Australia, across to Arkaroola in the Flinders Ranges, then to Rawnsley Park near the spectacular Wilpena Pound, then to Broken Hill, Nyngan and home. I think all up it's about 4,500 kilometres. And yes, I'm getting quite excited. I visited Wilpena Pound and Marree on a trip in 1988, but everything else will be new to me. It's amazing country - and great inspiration for novels!