So here we go, another year and another fresh start.
I deliberately didn’t make any New year’s resolutions or New Year wishes this year as I figure what will be will be and any feeble promises to the gods or pleas for golden harvests haven’t been heard for the last 4 years so why would they start to be answered now.
I could go on about how rough of a time I’ve had over the last few years or how hard done by I am at the moment as I once again found myself unemployed only last Friday. But the truth of the matter is that I have nothing to complain about in the bigger picture of things.
You see, Queensland Australia has decided to face the new decade with the biggest floods the state has seen in over 50 years and experienced the wettest December in 150 years.
Much of Queensland has been severely flood effected with thousands of homes and businesses completely submersed with complete destruction.
Most of the state’s crops and grazing stocks have been lost or severely damaged, the state’s infrastructure just simply washed away.
Yes everything can be rebuilt but this will take many years to repair and of course personal possessions and lives can never be replaced.
At this stage I will not write much more but rather share some photographs to show you the total devastation these floods are causing.
There is a Flood Appeal being run by the State Government to help those effected and if you find yourself in the position to donate please do so.
This monsoonal season doesn’t finish until towards the end of March with heavy monsoonal rain and Cyclones ( Hurricanes ) forcast right through to the end of the monsoonal season.
This weeks Hump Day Laugh dedicated to the Mighty Australian
Socceroos
in the Sth African Soccer World Cup
Aussie Aussie Aussie
Oi Oi Oi
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Advance Australia Fair
Australians all let us rejoice, For we are young and free; We've golden soil and wealth for toil, Our home is girt by sea; Our land abounds in Nature's gifts Of beauty rich and rare; In history's page, let every stage Advance Australia fair! In joyful strains then let us sing, "Advance Australia fair!"
When gallant Cook from Albion sail'd, To trace wide oceans o'er, True British courage bore him on, Till he landed on our shore. Then here he raised Old England's flag, The standard of the brave; With all her faults we love her still, "Brittannia rules the wave!" In joyful strains then let us sing "Advance Australia fair!"
Beneath our radiant southern Cross, We'll toil with hearts and hands; To make this Commonwealth of ours Renowned of all the lands; For those who've come across the seas We've boundless plains to share; With courage let us all combine To advance Australia fair. In joyful strains then let us sing "Advance Australia fair!"
While other nations of the globe Behold us from afar, We'll rise to high renown and shine Like our glorious southern star; From England, Scotia, Erin's Isle, Who come our lot to share, Let all combine with heart and hand To advance Australia fair! In joyful strains then let us sing "Advance Australia fair!"
Shou'd foreign foe e'er sight our coast, Or dare a foot to land, We'll rouse to arms like sires of yore To guard our native strand; Brittannia then shall surely know, Beyond wide ocean's roll, Her sons in fair Australia's land Still keep a British soul. In joyful strains the let us sing "Advance Australia fair!"
I recently read an amazing blog about how much a lady loved this country of mine “ Australia ”, it was written with so much love and admiration that as I finished reading her blog I had a tear in the eye and as a very proud and patriotic Aussie I wanted the world to know and feel Australia as Kristen did.
Besides the passionate, fluent, captivating and poetic way this blog “On Longing and a Sense of Home ” was written, what made it so amazing was the fact that Kristen is a born and breed citizen of the United States Of America. That’s right, Australia isn’t even her birth country and yet there is more love and respect in her blog for Australia than you hear from most Australians here in Australia.
I would highly recommend you take the time to read Kristen’s blog ( linked above ) and also to take the time to read through her site “ Wanderlust ” as her writing skills and views are never anything but entertaining and enlightening.
With Kristen’s blog about her longing love for Australia, Kristen got me thinking about what it is that I love about Australia, what was it exactly that made me want to stand up in a crowd and yell to the world that “ I love my country ”. It also go me thinking about what dangers are currently facing my country and my fears for her long term.
Before I do that though I’d like to tell you about my Australia, from the view point of a country born and breed Queenslander. I was born in a large mining town called Mt Isa in central northern Queensland. Now Mt Isa is anything but a mountain, it is flat, dry, hot and red soil. While the city of Mt Isa is fully self sufficient it does revolve around the Mt Isa Mines. Life in Mt Isa is pretty simple as most mining towns are, work hard play hard. As for me, well there must be a lot to the old saying that “ You can take the boy out of the country but not the country out of the boy ” because we moved away from Mt Isa when I was 5 and I have live nearly all my life in Brisbane, the capital city of the state of Queensland. Even now at 42 years of age I am never more at home then when I am up in the gulf country or west of the Great Divide Mountain Range where at times you are lucky to find a living soul within 100km. There is something magical and demanding of the solitude and honesty of remote living.
Having said all of that I’ve decided to write a list of things that make me both want to jump up in a crowd and yell to the world that “ I love my country ” and at other times step up with blood boiling to defend Australia and our Australian way.
My Australia
I love my ancient sunburnt country with her rugged tropical mountain ranges of the north to her southern snow capped peaks of Victoria and Tasmania.
I wonder at the beauty of her coastlines as the sun rises over the Great Barrier Reef of Tropical North Queensland past the shear weather worn cliffs of the Victorian Great Ocean Road and across the Mighty Nullarbor Plains before setting like a glowing gem over the Magical Western Australian coast.
I love her freedom, her ethics of equality for all, I admire that she opens her arms to all who are in genuine need and I respect the way that she stands her ground proud and brave when the needs arise.
I respect the fact that our beautiful country allows us to believe in a God of our own choosing, voice our opinions freely and openly, protest march in the streets for our beliefs and rights and vote for who WE want to govern our country all without persecution or threat to life.
I marvel at her wealth, both in natural resources and in cultivated resources. I stand proud of her industrial achievements, her scientific discoveries and solid strong work ethic.
I smile at our Multi-Cultural society and defend the rights of all to their beliefs. I encourage them to share their culture with me and my country ( please do not hide it away ).
But please do not try to change this beautiful country to that from which you came, there must have been a reason that you left YOUR country of birth, isn’t that reason argument enough for us to stay the same.
I believe we are now independent without forgetting from where we came, respecting both our English and our Dutch ancestry. We stand proud of our short but rich history and acknowledge our mistakes of the past without fear of moving forward as a united country to stand strong on the international stage as a young teenager steps out to discover a clear and proud voice.
And with each new generation we grow stronger in respect for our First Ones as old stale ways turn to dust with age and blow away on the free breeze.
We stand equal with the worlds nations in an age of uncertainty and fear both ready to shoulder our share of the burden as well as to lead the way with hope.
In short, we are a country of Freedom, Equality & Justice, a country that is Generous and Open, and we are Proud of both who we are and this beautiful ancient land.
To borrow a line from a very famous song in Australia, " We are one, But we are many and from all the land on earth we come, we share a dreams but sing with one voice, I am - You are - We are Australians."
The plan was to be as the trees, to just enjoy existing. The place was a small café restaurant called “ The Polish Place ” located on the top of Tamborine Mountain just west of the Gold Coast.
It was a perfect Autumn day and the cool breeze tickled across your body as the sun reached down between the clouds to remind you that summer was not quite ready to surrender it’s hold on the land.
The birdlife swooped and danced amongst the gum trees as little children play when the cares of the world didn’t exist. A lonely crow calls for acknowledgment from a distant resting place.
Far below the mountain, distant cattle bellow, their deep cries for attention hitch hiking a ride across the plans on the carefree breeze.
I drew in a deep breath and savoured the distinct Australian fragrance of eucalyptus, lantana and bottle brush trees. Each deep breath seemed to stretch the lungs and invigorate the body with saturated Australian bush mountain air.
Our platter of fine Polish small goods and cheese arrived, delivered with pride by the young smiling staff dressed in traditional national Polish attire.
Today was indeed a fine day, fine foods, fine company, fine location and fine beverages. Today was indeed a fine day to be alive.
The rainbow lorikeets eyed off our platter and any cream or sugar to be seen within fifty feet, ever creeping closer and closer in an attempt to steal any sweet morsal that was unattended.
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I eagerly survey the outdoor dinning area eager to spot the local goanna which frequents the Polish Place. Never a more dominant yet peaceful figure have I seen as this 6 ft native friend. Unfortunately I did not have the pleasure of introducing my friend today, oh well yet another good reason to return.
I look out across the plains to the distant mountains and am instantly reminded of both the vastness of this beautiful country and of her spirit and individuality. Ancient lands forged in isolation by volcanos and millions of years of living, humbling all that look upon her.
The Great Dividing Range stretches her back from distant horizon to distant horizon. Formed at the birth of our great nation she now stands tall as a symbol of the strong backs that gave Australia it’s modern birth.
Yet to look over the vast plans and mountains is to feel the spirit of the land that our first ones so intimately understood and acknowledged. They understood that no one owns her, no one can contain her spirit. But if you are respectful and treat her well she will wrap her arms around you and lift you to a place higher than any mountain and provide you with everything us mere mortals could ever need.
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Before I knew it I had been soaking up the energies of this place for 3 hours and it was time to vacate my throne so high. I had come enjoyed my existence, I both recharged and reflected. I listened, I felt and I tasted, allowing my body to exist.
As I slowly walked back to the car I took one last longing look and smiled as this place of magic is only about 30 minutes from my home and I will be back.
Before I knew it I had been soaking up the energies of this place for 3 hours and it was time to vacate my throne so high. I had come enjoyed my existence, I both recharged and reflected. I listened, I felt and I tasted, allowing my body to exist.