BurbleChaz

Very little of interest happened today, so I thought I'd try and give a summary of our first two weeks, before the strange becomes the mundane.

Trees

The trees here are different from European ones. No shit, Sherlock, I hear you say. But it's an almost constant reminder that we've come a long way. The plants smell different, too. You can find youself strolling along a street, and suddenly you get hit by a huge waft of Jasmine. It can be intense in a way you have to experience.

Birds and Wildlife.

Pigeons: Check. Sparrows: Check. Beyond that, the birds here are different. The local gulls are (I think) Silver Gulls. They're small, wingspan less than a metre. A pair of proper Bristol Garbage Gulls would eat the lot in a morning. There's a breed of pigeon-sized black and white birds that are almost as annoying as EuroPigeons.

Sometimes you look up, and see something weird, like a Galah (very common) or an ibis perched on a tree. It's odd.

There are so many tragic stories of ecological catastrophe caused by alien species being introduced here. I won't depress you with a list of well-known victims. I'm not aware of a single non-Austral species being exterminated by an Austral one. If the Australian Magpies ever decide on a long-haul holiday, Europe is doomed. That article says 'medium-sized'. Yeah, for a truck, perhaps. Those beasts have beaks that can smash concrete, a wingspan of a metre, and an insatiable appetite for chips. Be afraid. H5N1 may be your only protection.

On a sadder note, during our epic hike around Phillip Island (there's nothing there - don't go), the Observant One pointed out a very, very dead animal by the road. "I know it's dead, but What's that?" she asked. It was an ex-kangaroo. Sad, but weird.

Weather

It's cold, damp and wet. In August. Today was 10 degrees. It's not fair. On the plus side, we'll be calling you on Christmas day to recommend brands of sunblock.

Tomorrow, we are planning to view six apartments. The logistics are astonishing. Guess who planned that?