Preparing for Travel

Despite the conveniences of living in the modern information age, I do reminisce about earlier decades when preparing for a holiday comprised finding appropriate clothes and luggage, buying a ticket and flying off, with a guidebook and map and a camera.  By comparison, this is how I've been getting ready for a round-the-world trip, starting in a few days.

1. Loading appropriate apps onto the iPhone and iPad. For example, interactive maps of the New York subway, timetables for Italian trains, Italian lessons,

2. Planning optimal driving routes through New England, avoiding congested areas at rush hour, understanding tollways and payment methods, weather conditions in the mountains, where to find the prettiest autumn foliage.

3. Travel adaptors and double adaptors are tracked down, so that appliances can be recharged in different counties.

4. Memory cards for cameras are cleared. Appropriate USB cables for each camera are found.

5. Electronic banking accounts and passwords are oganised such that I can access them from overseas and bills can be paid.

6. Ebooks are selected and loaded up onto the various devices.

7. Podcasts are collated and loaded onto the iPhone to listen to while driving.

And that's only half of it. If it all works, it's fabulous, but it takes weeks and weeks of work. Aaaagghh.

More from the Underworld

This is Aslan's wife, Aslana.

Stony Canine

A marvellous exhibition at the Perth Museum on the Egyptian afterlife included mummies and various funereal artefacts. But I did enjoy the sculptures most of all. This is a kelpie called Bluey.

Glowing Winthrop Hall

Winthrop Hall isn't often lit up, but it was glowing inside last week for a graduation ceremony. Here is the scene at sunset as graduands and their families try to find the entrance without stepping in duck poo.

Chittering Teeth

Visiting the Chittering Valley a fortnight ago was a wet affair, with the rain not stopping for even a minute. So I was forced to take refuge in a cosy winery restaurant, right in front of their log fire, with a glass of raspberry cordial.

Flowery Car

Spotted in King's Park last week, this happens when you park too long in the same spot. The air is so dense with wildflower seeds that they'll even germinate in your hair if you stand around.

Leaky Sky

I don't recall ever seeing a 24 hour period filled with so much rain across the country. Yesterday the capital cities received:

Sydney (airport): 57 mm
Melbourne (airport): 31 mm
Brisbane (airport): 24 mm
Adelaide (Mt Lofty): 22 mm
Perth: 12 mm (Bickley: 34 mm)
Canberra: 58 mm

Only Hobart missed out. And these falls are dwarfed by those in other locations in each state. Whoops, yes, Darwin also stayed dry.

Calytrix

Meet Calytrix.

Micro-Torrents

When I popped out of my car for a quick inspection of wildflowers, the ground was dry. A minute or two later, torrents were flowing. Another minute later and I had to jump across a fast flowing stream to reach my car.

Chittering Valley Wildflower Festival

In Saturday's unrelenting downpour, the only wildflowers visible were in glass jars in a Bindoon hall.

Rialto

This is the modest interior of the Rialto Intercontinental Hotel Melbourne. I went on a brief tour of the place a few weeks ago. I wonder how bad their heating bill is in winter.

Confusing Light Installation

This is modern art, from the National Gallery of Victoria. The unknown bloke in front is dazzled by the lights and has momentarily been frozen still.

Hamer Hall Foyer

Those are genuine gold bars suspended from the ceiling.

Inside St Patrick's

In Melbourne.

South African Proteas

Having no knowledge of South African flora, I call everything from that country a protea. At least some of the time, I must be correct.

Triffid

Seen in the South African part of the King's Park Botanic Gardens. Later its tendrils grabbed a small child and absorbed him into itself.

St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne

Note the eerie orange glow in the rear tower as the windows are backlit by the sun.

Gothic Anomaly

Amongst the shiny skyscrapers, this old gothic construction sits alone in central Melbourne. It's St Michael's, on Collins Street.

Where's Wally Part II

Spot the twit, in Carlton Gardens, Melbourne.