Central Australia Trip

Teegs and I spent 2 weeks over the new year travelling around Central Australia.

We had a wonderful time, despite the heat. Most days involved getting up at dawn, going for a great walk. Then afternoons were spent lounging by rockholes reading a book, when we got too hot lounging, we would dive into the rockhole and then repeat all afternoon. Lovely!

Map of our journey:

We first went to the East Macs and Trephina Gorge. Then we drove down to Uluru and Katajuta, up to Kings Canyon, then tackled the Mereenie Loop to the West Macs.

Us and our trusty vehicle:

Teegs swimming in Trephina Gorge:

Teegs at Uluru:

Teegs and I at the Sounds of Silence dinner - watch the sunset over Uluru then dinner under the stars:

Kings Canyon - we swum at an amazing waterhole behind the tree in the middle of the shot:

Teegs at the top of Kings Canyon:

The Mereenie Loop:

Decoration along the Mereenie Loop:

The amazing meteorite site at Gosse Bluff (140 million years old and 5km wide!):

Redbank Gorge - we followed the freezing water up 6 rock pools crammed in between the gorge walls:

The beautiful Mt Sonder which we walked to the top of - one of the best walk I have ever been on:

Ormiston Gorge:

Teegs diving into Ormiston Gorge (we had seen locals do this before we tried it):

Me diving into the aptly named Ellery Creek Bighole:

Teegs at Ellery Creek Bighole:

Standley Chasm at midday:

House Hunting

Tegan and I have started looking for a house to Buy!!

We are looking in the Northcote area, which is closer to Tegan's work.

Last weekend, while I was away in Taiwan, Tegan went to an auction to bid on this Villa unit:

Thankfully my brother Campbell could go with her, as well as some of her friends, so she wasn't all alone.

Unfortunately it went for a bit more than we had, so we had to let it go.

But the search continues!!!

School Reunion

Last Saturday night was my 10 Year High School Reunion! I have kept in close contact with a handful of school mates, otherwise the closest contact is bumping into them on the streets are accepting their friend requests on Facebook. I found that everybody looked different, but when I stooped to my Year 12 height they didn’t actually look that different. I had probably changed as much as anyone, having grown taller and wider and sporting a faux beard. Some other people had changed significantly and some hadn’t changed at all. It was great to catch up with some people who I hadn’t had contact with for a while, like Jayne, Bex, Amanda, Illy (or Alexander now) Gav, Cory, James, Katharina, and Blair. It was also great watching the old video footage they had going and to see all the old school pictures. I really liked school and there were lots of chances to reminisce during the night about “the good old days”. It was a good night but I don’t think I will mind waiting 10 years for the next one.

Lara’s Visit

A few weeks back my little sister Lara came down from Queensland for a visit. It was great having here down and being able to show her around Melbourne. She also got to come over for the weekly family meal at Daisy St where it was really nice seeing her with the rest of my family.




Saturday we went into the city and Lara and Tegan got to do some cool stop animation at ACMI. Then Lara was really excited because we got to sit in Fed Square and watch the AFL Grand Final which she loved! (in Borat voice)…NOT.



Sunday we caught up with James and his family to go to the Show where the highlight was clearly the pig racing. We then all headed over to Northcote to go bowling with Campbell’s family as well.



Hopefully Lara and mum will be coming down in December for another visit. Plus I just heard that Lara has won yet another academic award at school – it is so great to see that despite all the instability and insanity at her home she is still managing to succeed. I am really proud of her!

Citizenship Test

So I saw that a new Citizenship Test was introduced and I figured I would read through the guide they provide to help people study for the test. I was so alarmed at what I read that I wrote a letter to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship:

I am an Indigenous Australian and I thought I would read the booklet "Becoming an Australian citizen" to see what information it was providing about Indigenous people.

I find the following passage disconcerting:

"On some mission stations and reserves, settled communities began to emerge. This worried the governments for a growing proportion of the people on the reserves were mixed blood. Though full-blood Aboriginal people were disappearing fast, it looked as if there would be an ongoing separate group of Aboriginal people."

I do not understand what this passage is trying to say and neither did my colleagues. It seems to imply that "mixed blood" people are separate from other Aboriginal people and that this group is a group that causes worry. I am concerned that if myself and other Indigenous colleagues don't understand this passage, what chance do potential new citizens have and what message does it leave them about Indigenous people with a mixed cultural background?

As yet I haven't had a reply, but I will post whatever they reply when it comes.

Phillip Island

As Tegan went to TAFE this week she got to have the weekend off - so we went on holiday to Phillip Island!

It was really nice to get away together for the weekend.



We went Sea Kayaking on Saturday - it was quite rough out in the open seas and I had the miss-fortune of being sea-sick. Not the most pleasant of experiences, but the scenery was spectacular and we got to see a seal up on the rocks ( a "loose seal" for those Arrested Development fans out there).

Saturday afternoon we went and saw the Penguins which was really nice - but you can't take pictures there so I have none! It was really funny watching the penguins get bowled over when a wave came through and knocked them all over :-)

Sunday we had a lazy breakfast and then went for a few nice walks:

The Nobbies - blowhole in foreground


Us - some might say blowhole in foreground on the left

We found these really cool caves in the rocks on the beach further along the island:

Tegan looking at the freezing water we had to walk through to get there


Relaxing in the cave


Getting back out from the cave



The Pinnacles at Cape Woolamai


Cape Woolamai

All in all 100% successful trip

(- but sir, we lost Mr.Rimmer
- All in all 100% successful trip)

Collingwood College Spring Fair

I got to go to my Nieces Spring Fair last weekend which was really nice.

One of the nice things about living in Melbourne now is that I get to go to all these little but important things with this side of my family.


J and Ailsa on the pony


Meg on the Pony




Tegan and Matthew

Chris Johnson Retires

Last night saw the end of an era. Chris Johnson, the last Fitzroy player in the AFL, retired.

Chris retired having achieved an enourmous amount in his career:

3 Premierships with Brisbane Lions 2001, 2002, 2003
Fitzroy Leading Goal Kicker 1995
All-Australian 2002 , 2004
International Rules rep 2002, 2003 (vice-captain), 2005 (co-captain)
Co-captain Brisbane Lions 2007
Member of the Indigenous Team of the Century

(Card signed by members so the Indigenous Team of the Century)

I saw Chris start his career as a forward for Fitzroy, back when Fitzroy rarely won a game. I remeber going to watch him play at Whitten Oval with my brother James. He was one of the main reasons I kept going to see them play, his big marks were always awesome.

When Fitzroy 'merged' with Brisbane I was glad he got picked up and when I moved to Brisbane the next year my support for him continued. He took a while to find his feet at Brisbane, but eventually Lethal made the decision to move him to the backline where he flourished.

I remeber watching his big run from the backline in the 2001 Grand Final and the agony of watching his shot for goal clip the post.

I was always rather on edge watching him play because you knew at any moment he could do something amazing or something really stupid!

I was lucky enough to bump into Chris at U2's Popmart tour in Brisbane in 1998.

(Derrick Kickett, Chris Johnson, My Dad and Darryl White at the announcement of the Indigenous Team of the Century)

I have always strongly supported Chris and looked up to him, his dad and my dad used to play footy together and I have always considered him a 'lation.

It was a sad day to see him leave the ground for the last time, but he left behind many great memories for me.

I wish him all the best for his future.

New Work Rotation

So in August I started a new rotation as part of my grad programme.

Now I am working in the Indigenous Employment Unit. The Unit manages the Indigneous Employment Programmes offered by the Department.

It is a really interesting area to work in and is also very rewarding.

The work involves going out and promoting the programmes to different businessess as well as managing the contracts once the projects are in place.

In the contract management side I am actually getting to use some of the skills I learnt in my Architecture degree!!!

1 Wedding and a Graduation

So I spent the last 4 weeks in Canberra, Brisbane, Canberra, Brisbane, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Sydney, Canberra and finally home to Melbourne.

The highlight of my time working in Canberra was my staring role in the Workplace Authority adds! Look very closely and you might just see me!

In Brisbane I got to catch up with Mum, Alex and Lara:


Lara near Mooloolaba


Lara and I about to go snorkeling


Playing golf with Mum and Alex

I got to watch Tegan walk across the stage to graduate and become Dr Don!!!


aL, Tegan and I

I also got to go to Admm and Andrea's wedding:




I also got a chance to catch up with Admm and Andrea, Dave and Tash, and Danny







And of course we got to squeeze in a jam session



I also played lots of frisbee, but that is all covered in my frisbee blog

Wow, how descriptive that all is.

Hopefully these pictures speak at least a few words in lieu of my own.

Docklands Sculptures

Tegan and I went for a Bike Ride and had a play at Docklands yesterday.

There are some really cool sculptures there!









It was a nice way to spend our last day together before I go to Canberra for 3 weeks for work and then Brisbane for 1 week to visit Mum, Alex and Lara.

Long Weekend Away

Tegan and I went away for some of the Long Weekend (she had to work Saturday and Sunday morning).

We went back home to Framlingham. It was the first time I had been back since the fire. It was quite sad it first to see it look so different, but I guess that is just they way things go - strikes and gutters as the dude would say.

The Hopkins River still looks beautiful though:

Dropped in to say Hi to my Aunty Brenda and then headed off to Port Fairy. Weather there was cold, grey and raining - just as you'd expect.

On Monday we drove up to Mt Eccles and discovered the aptly named Lake Suprise: