Tasmania

We got up Wednesday morning with plans to drive to Melbourne. There were three main vinyl companies that we wanted to visit. Since daddy works with a vinyl fencing company in US we had ideas to possibly set up an export/import deal. To get a visa into Australia, you need to prove that you will be an asset to economic growth. And that's quite difficult if you don't have an education or don't have money. If you can establish a business or become an agent of a company importing goods into Australia, establishing permanent residency will be a breeze. So with those motives in the back of our heads, we decided it was worth a try. The vinyl industry is slowly catching on, especially in horse fencing.


But before we had the chance to leave we found ourselves deep into a discussion with Rhonda Daly about spirituality. For those that don't know me, it's one of my favourites. The conversation went from Jesus to Buddha to community and commitment, to the inspiration of Scripture. We talked about good and evil, re-incarnation, and institutionalized religion. We soon found that the clock was moving as fast as our mouths. Finally, after a few hours, realizing more and more how much we actually disagreed, and yet finding each other extremely entertaining we managed to move ourselves out to the car.



We drove clear into Melbourne that afternoon. It was frightening to be the one in the passenger seat on busy streets. The carpet was worn through by the time we were done with the car because I kept stamping on the brake pedal that wasn't there. After all, I WAS the backseat driver. We stopped at a motel for the night, ate at the local bistro and went to bed. We slept in to nine the next morning and by ten o'clock we set out to find the vinyl companies with the help of the lady inside the GPS thingy. It was quite stupid of us to not call the offices before we started driving because the first one we stopped was closed. We found out there was an equine show where that company had set up an exhibit. We found out by calling the others, that they were at the same show. By the time we had driven around to all the places we had wanted to visit it was time to get a motel again, so we got one close to the equine show grounds. The one owner of the vinyl company that we had contacted was that excited about us that he told us he'd pick us up at our hotel and use his exhibitors pass to convince the showground staff that we were helping him with his exhibit so we could get in early.


Friday morning at eight he picked us up and smuggled us into the showground facilities. To make a long story short, we found we could very possibly begin to export to Australia some unique products. But that was all boring to me. After that was taken care of, we stayed at the horse show of course, which was now open to the public. I was almost bored out of my skin so I didn't take any pictures of all the events. There is a website you can take a look at if you're desperate. That night we sat in an indoor/outdoor coffee shop and did what we often do... sit and stare at people.


Friday night we went home feeling very good about the things that were accomplished and decided to fly down to Tasmania on Saturday instead of waiting till Sunday. Now Tasmania is one beautiful place, but I don't feel like talking about it. But again, if your desperate to know about Australian geography and culture just grab an encyclopedia. I'll skip Saturday's events except for the meal we had at the inn we're stayed at. See, Australians shun spoons. You eat with an upside-down fork in your left (which suited me, since I'm left handed) and you hold a knife in your right. After locating the food on your plate, you cut it in small pieces and I mean very small. The money you give in exchange for the food is not primarily for the FOOD but for the beauty of it and the time it takes to wait for it. So you must enjoy the sights and smells and sounds and the delicateness of it to eat a meal. It's not exactly how you want to eat if you are ravenous. Nevertheless, we left the table satisfied because eye fillet steak with potatoes is very good eating.


Sunday we ate a continental breakfast. While daddy hung around town, I rented a bike to tour the country. It was a nice road bike. But the seat was a mile high. That particular difficulty was solved by riding at intervals. Slide off the seat and pedal for all your worth, then coast and enjoy the wind and the slight upward grade as they stop you almost immediately. Hop off and pedal. Climb up and coast. Hop off and pedal. Climb up and coast. That was wonderful to be like a kid again trying to ride dad's bike. However, the joy of that was soon threatened by the rubbing of the clip-in shoes against the back of my heal. At the same time my helmet got very uncomfortable. I was afraid that blisters would develop so I stopped to take the shoes off, and snap a few pictures. Now with my shoes off I couldn't pedal too hard for fear my feet would slip and stub themselves. I can only imagine how it looked. Barefoot with a backpack and a string around one pant leg. Hop off, pedal. Climb up, coast. Hop off, pedal. Climb up, coast. Once I stopped to take a look at some cows. Before I could say anything, they all started bawling like a full blown bag pipe orchestra. So I did get my praise and worship session in. It was Sunday afterall. I ended up biking around the block which turned out to be over twenty miles.