| Early convicts |
 Sunday. Another glorious day.
On a whim, Dan and I decided to drive down to Culburra Beach to visit one of his best friends from his railroad days. We hadn't seen B. and C. for a while, and the perfect autumn weather was inspiration for a drive. Even if B. and C. weren't home, we were still going to get out in the car, create some exhaust fumes, and enjoy the bright, crisp air.
There's nothing like autumn light. It's sharp and bright and everything looks so amazingly clear. I brought my camera with me and took a few shots. The scenery was spectacular.
Australia has an odd sense of history to it. On one side, it's older than the Himalayas - on the other, it's still a "young" country in the Western sense. If a building dates to the 1780's, it's considered "old" here. Regardless, it has one of the best climates of any place on earth, gets lots of sun, and  has an interesting culture that's a mix of European, Mediterranean, Asian, Middle Eastern and Aboriginal - all fused together like a colourful All Day Sucker. In fact, if you discount the poisonous snakes and spiders (which any person with common sense will keep away from instinctively), and keep out of the ocean during box jelly fish season, it's $%@!*& Paradise!
I can't get over Australia's convict history. They used to deport common pickpockets and prostitutes to Australia, thinking it was a punishment! Convicts became wealthy citizens here and it didn't remain a penal colony for long, once word got out.
Looking out across these rocky shores, I try to imagine what those first convicts must have thought as their ship pulled into the harbour. I'm thinking, if they were leaving an English winter, they were thinking: "Hallelujah!" |
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Name: Melanie O.
Home: Durham, North Carolina, United States
About Me: Female, American health and beauty-conscious professional who has rekindled a childhood love of dolls.
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posted by Melanie O. at 
