Clearing out my photo's as my hard drive has filled to the point where the programs can no longer run properly, I came across this old album of my trip to Thailand in 2006.  The original photographs on a CD were lost, but these few I had emailed home.

My stay in Thailand was very short, only two weeks, but I was ill at the time and grateful to have them.  I pampered myself at the Four Seasons Hotel and Spa in Chang Mai for 3 nights (all I could afford in this wonderful sanctuary) and then made up for that extravagance by sleeping in a few low grade street rooms near Burma, before I came upon Tam Wua Monastery where I stayed for 9 nights.

Tam Wua monks were of the few Thai monasteries where I felt that women welcome.  I lived with the nuns and the cooks and the monks did their best to teach me meditation.  They were lovely, but I was a hopeless student.  GALLERY

Tomorrow I am on the road again ... hitching up past Barraba, Bingara, to Warialda.  There are no trains or busses going in that direction on Friday.  From there I head west to Moree where I am staying the night with Hope and Rod Rix, Ex-Rhodesians.  Together we will travel to Mungindi on Saturday 4th July for the Op Skop.  The dress is formal.  Now what am I going to wear ...?

Remember how I said Australia has this incredible 'connectedness' thing going .... How what you wish for comes true ... Your every need met .... I 'needed' a dress to wear to a formal dance in Mungindi tomorrow evening.  I am a paraglider pilot hitch hiking across Australia for Heavens sake!  A formal dress is not something I catered for!!

But as I was packing my kit, ready to move on to the next town, Rachel, a friend I met at Oakhampton Farm in Upper Manilla, gave me this surprise gift.  A little black dress which fits perfectly!

I should be used to the way the Universe works by now, so incredibly efficient and with such consideration and almost always in the final hour ... but it still amazes me.  Synchronicity has become a way of Life. Over the years I have periodically tapped into it, but the intensity would overwhelm me and I shut down.  The people of Australia make the difference.  Through accepting my vulnerablity, financially and emotionally, I have come to learn that 'There are no Ordinary Moments'.  Each encounter has value.  Sometimes I just acknowledge  the moment and ten years later I remember and understand. All it requires of me is to stay open. I feel honoured ... protected ... guided ... in touch.

On PG Forum, someone asked : Why do we fly?  I replied ..... to be connected. I could say the same about Life.  Being connected makes me Whole.  Shutting down, retracting, blocking out the world, life becomes an exercise in survival. But when I am open, allowing the rhythm of the Universe to flow through me ...... I am connected ... to you, to the man in the street, the woman giving birth and to the wind and the sky.... I, we, are not alone.  To connect ... breathe into your heart .... deeply and with love.

Attended the Op Skop in Mungindi and made new friends. Bit of a culture shock for me after 5 months in Australia! Everyone spoke Afrikaans, looked Afrikaans and danced Afrikaans 'Lang Arm'.  Boerekos was great and plenty of and the decor was fantastic.  Met a nice Australian lady by the name of Kate who works on the family farm in Mungindi.  I hope to stop by one day in the future and learn how to work some farm machinery.  The one that operates by GPS sounds like fun!  Also met Australians Jo and Garry.  Jo will be in Northern Territiories around the same time.  Wouldn't it be funny if we came upon one another there!

Christo and Marika were going to give me a lift to St George the next day, as I wanted to stop in at Dalby and chat with Don Cramer about the September gyro trip in Northern Territories.  A phone call to let him know I was coming through resulted in me speaking to him in Germany!  So we made arrangements by phone to link up in Burketown in the 4th week of September  That whole North West Australia trip is coming along just beautifully. I am hooked on gyro flying!

With no reason to go to Dalby I decided to go direct to Tawoomba instead. Celia, another expat SA, overheard me speaking about Tawoomba and offered me accommodation overnight in Moree and a lift through to Tawoomba Monday morning where she was going with her Mum.

After my unsettling hitch hiking incident in Manilla, I prefer getting lifts with people I have some connection to rather than being exposed on the roadside.  I still hitch and had a magnificent fast trip from Manilla to Moree involving 5 vehicles and all very nice people, but where possible, I am being more careful.  It seems only prudent considering the scare warning.

Made contact with a Tawoomba pilot by the name of Matthew.  Hopefully conditions will be good for flying :-)  It will be my first time at that site.

Face Book

I have enjoyed interacting on this site, but today I received a horribly abusive message from a South African by the name of Don Handler.  I politely declined his request for Friendship as I did not know him.  It turns out that Don Handler does not take rejection from a woman well. Be careful who you accept as friends.  Friendship is a choice. I reported him to Face Book administrators.

Arrived Toowoomba, Queensland this morning.  Sitting at the local Macca's 'MacDonalds) where there is free WiFi whilst Matthew Fox comes into town to fetch me.  Great hospitality - he has organised a place for me to stay for two days - with Ed Barber who I met in Manilla.  We are going flying already :-)

Thank you to Rod and Hope Rix, for putting me up for a night, yet again :-)  It was lovely meeting more of your family!

Thank you to Celia and Lorraine Swannepoel for giving me a lift from Mungindi and Moree and accommodation last night!!

A few Images of the Op Skop

It was an unusual experience meeting someone so much like me ... right down to an inability to eat pork without feeling sick!  Celia, live the life you dare to dream of .... It gets easier once you find and choose the path that is right for you. Honour your life ... It is a gift that is gone all too soon.  One day .... should you get that gyro-copter license ... perhaps we shall embark on an adventure together ... two girls exploring Australia .... by gyro-copter!

Flew Stringy Mountain in Toowoomba with Ed Barber yesterday.  We enjoyed scratching in light lift and practicing top landings. 

Today the weather has turned for the worse.  I am using the opportunity to fix my airbag with www.aeraustral.com.au Situated in Tawoomba Jean Bou is the man to do it.  Very cheap and experienced.

One of the negatives of an integrated harness-airbag-backpack is that the airbag it is exposed to wear and tear, especially when on a long trip of several months.  Looks a little bit like a patchwork quilt, but, like my old Aerodyne Shaolin, we will keep on, keep on, keep on going for a while longer :-)

Sponsors  ... please feel free to come on board my journey across Australia!

Mike wants me to buy a Go Pro Helmet camera like his for our paragliding adventure up north west Australia.  It would be a great opportunity to give a sponsor coverage - an Australian TV station has expressed interest in editing our trip and splicing in an interview with us. However ,after reading a review in the June issue of Cross Country magazine, I am just not sure if the quality will be good enough?  It seems perfect for YouTube and computer stuff .... but....good enough for TV?

This is a link on further information on the GoPro http://www.sportscamera.com.au/helmet-hero-wide-p-217.html 

What would be more suitable?

We both want to fly with a helmet camera in order to give ourselves the best chance of capturing footage from all angles.  I feel though, that we need to make the right choice in video camera ......,

Ed Barber dropped me off at Brisbane Airport International this morning so I could change my return ticket to South Africa, once again.  I simply cannot leave this incredible country.  There is so much to see and do and experience and I have just touched the tip of the iceberg.

Qantas were wonderful as usual and took care of everything, going the extra mile ... something that I have become accustomed to, but  never take for granted.  They are definitely my preferred airline by far.

I am returning to South Africa 22 October and I think that this time, I am pretty settled on that date.  In October I will be ready to go back to Cape Town to see my family, neaten up loose ends, fly the November and December paragliding competitions, start my training ..... and plan for 2010.

Me plan anything?  You will be surprised!  I am excited about all that can be in 2010 and the journey however it unfolds.... It is always about The Journey for me these days, but the illusion of planning amuses me as I roll with the changes, knowing that they will be infinitely better for me, supportive of my chosen path :-)

Only a few hours in Brisbane and there is magic in the air. 

 My first day in Brisbane...

'A person has 30 seconds to impress', Phil Morgenstern informed me, 'after that... the window of opportunity closes'.

What opportunity, you may ask....?

Choices, choices.... 

There are people who believe that my website promotes a jetset lifestyle. A life enjoyed only by the wealthy .....

Why do I feel a little mortified.....?

I am a hitch hiker.

My wealth is in the people I meet....

An Eco Home:   

When I was near Toowoomba I stayed in an eco energy house. Here are a few images I took of the Australian Eco Home to remind me  should I ever stop in one place long enough to build a home of my own.

The house is powered by solar panels.  Below the solar panels which face north, is a small room lined with batteries.  There is a generator for back up power but the present owners have never had to use it. Energy efficient bulbs are through out the house as well as outside.  I would prefer LED spots for mood lighting inside myself.  There is a converter for 220V and back up.  The house has normal house hold appliances, but the clothes dryer is used sparingly.  They prefer to use the outside windy dryer to save energy.  Everything else is pretty much a normal way of life.

The water is heated by solar collectors.  A gas switch to regulate the water temperature would be a nice feature as in the mornings I found the water a little cooler than I would prefer. Water is collected from the roof and stored in rain water tanks. There is no municipal or river water connection. Used water is recycled through septic tanks for the garden.

High ceilings, opening windows near the roof, plenty of sliding doors and a generous overhang roof around the house regulate the house temperature in the summer.  A combustion heater with a long metal chimney radiates heat efficiently keeping the house warm in winter.

I loved the shower!  Everything about it, including the heater spots in the ceiling.  Just need to add a bath :-)

The stove runs on gas.  The slim line drawers hold the cups, plates etc.  No wasted space.

Soap and bleach is to be used at a minimum as it negatively effects the bacteria in the septic tanks.

A negative about the house was the fact that it echoed the slightest sound through out the house.  Furnishings would damper that down, although I like the simplicity of it all.

Finally succumbed to flu.  The joys of sharing an airless backpacker room with three others ... one of whom was a 7 ft very sick coughing and wheezing man.  The dorm rooms house both genders.  I have been holding the flu at bay for a month now, but my body has finally given in.  Feel awful.

Did not stop me from joining Brizzy pilots at Prattons for a sleddy though :-)  Good to be out and about in the country again.  No longer a city girl, I miss the sound of the birds and the wind.....

Friendly paragliding club Conondale (Website)

More Photos

Arrived in Port MacQuarrie this evening and as usual, Macca's is saving the day with free wi-fi internet connection and coffee.  No I don't eat hamburgers, but I am partial to their apple pies and coffee :-) .... and wi-fi!

I did something special for myself today ... will tell you a little bit about it when I feel stronger. 

Again, I have felt the care of 'strangers', Brisbane people who extended me kindness, sharing their warmth of personalities and willingness to make a positive difference. 

Thank you.  You honour me and in so doing, you honour yourself ..... We are One.

Brisbane is a river city, with a multitude of bridges

A very trendy part of Brisbane with harbour cafes on the waters edge

Highways over water, running along the edge of the city

I rode the CityCat ferry along the river for a tour of the city by water

Amazing dancers attract attention to SMET - Born on the Street

A lovely house and garden with its own jetty .... sigh.

The Big Wheel for another view of Brisbane City

A lovely old house up the river towards the Univercity

An amazing section of Brisbane called Waterside or Riverside. 
 When I looked up I saw the future and it was glass and steel columns.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TWINS!!

It is my niece and nephews birthday today :-)

Happy Birthday kids - Aunty loves you very much ... all the way from Australia.

xxx

Leaving Laurieton for Port MacQaurrie tomorrow morning then Brisbane and Fiji Friday :-)

Gonna dry this flu up with some good old fashion sun and rinse my head out with island sea water.

Pretty hectic virus this.  I am ok if I don't exert myself by leaving the house, but just a little walking to see a bit of Laurieton and I become so ill and weak as a kitten. Battle to breath and the head pain is like an ice pick lodged in my skull. (or what I imagine an ice pick lodged in my skull would feel like!) The whole effect makes me want to check into a hospital and see if I am dying of Swine Flu - quite the fashion here in Australia.  Flygirl is such a hypochondriac!

One more day and counting.  Looking forward to Fiji .....  Having to renew my visa stamps every 3 months has its perks! 

'Hands in the sand, face in the sun, feet in the sea. An empty mind. A free body......'

Live like there is no tomorrow ..... no regrets for things unsaid or not done.

I have no regrets.  There is so much I still want to see and do ... as it should be for me, but of the things I have seen and done and the choices I made along the way, they brought me to this moment .....  Each day is precious.  It is what it is ... and then it is gone.  All I have is now.

mm...you changed my life. 

I breathe into the cup of my heart ..... because of you.   Thank you :-)

Arrived Fiji this evening.  Brushed the cockroach off the courtesy taxi seat and braced myself for my budget accommodation.  I was not disappointed.  I am motivated to spend every daylight hour exploring this island. Tomorrow I start by getting on local buses and seeing where they take me :-)  Thank God it is HOT!!!  I have missed the suns warmth for too many months!

Freedom is an illusive quality.... I feel slightly panicked at the thought that 'tomorrow' it will be taken from me.  How like a child I still am..... And there I thought I was growing up.....

All I have is now.  My life is about to change, again ... I can feel it coming.  The manipulations, the guilt trips, the demands, the alcoholic paranoia and the health complications.  I cannot pretend I did not know it was coming ... I just thought I had a few more years ... I am trying hard not to freak out and the only way I know how is not to think about it.  The ostrich with my head in the sand.

Am I being judgemental?  Anothers life is impacting on my life and I am objecting to it!!!  I feel sick to my stomach at the thought of what is coming next.  Events may be overtaking both of us now, a melodrama in play.  I have to find a way to stay on  my feet.  I cannot let myself be swept away in this.

For the next few days I have to shut my mind to the future.  All I have is now ....  Tomorrow may be very different to what either envisaged our lives to be.

How easily I assimilate environmental influences.  Half way round the world and a tentacle has me reeling still.  I have to find a way to hook into something else to keep me grounded....

Equilibium.  Good to know I can put my life in balance again...

Fiji is lovely.  Six days is not enough time.  Definitely want to come back with a few months to explore the islands propper.  There is so much to see, so many beautiful happy people to talk to and share food with.  Some misconceptions I had:

I thought the Fiji Islands were all blue water and sandy white beaches.  Wrong.  But I did find a spot yesterday at Natandola Beach where I sat with the octopus fisherwomen, passed within a meter of a sea snake and chatted over lunch with several men from Canada and USA who have come to watch the eclipse of the sun tomorrow Wednesday.

One more day to go and I am reserving it for pampering.... 

Back home in Australia and so very, very tired.

Fiji was lovely in a very unexpected way.  I hope to write a little about it before my trip to north west Australia. One thing I have learned is that people make the difference in this world and who we are and how we interact with our neighbour is everything. We create our reality, we influence our world, people respond to kindness and gentle acknowledgement.

I am also ashamed to admit that I feel almost panicked into savouring every moment, living for the now, not because I am enlightened by anything, but rather because I feel threatened that my world will soon change, and that I will loose my freedom.  I made the mistake of admitting that the most important thing in my life is my Freedom, pure, unadulterated Freedom ... answering to no-one, being responsible for no-one ... and now, one day soon, I may have to learn to live without that freedom .... or at least learn a new way of living, yet another step in the evolutionary ladder....My ultimate lesson on Freedom...that it is from within...

I have internet connection for 24 hours!!!  I am so excited!

How the simple things in life make this Flygirl so happy :-)

On the road again :-)  First stop Geraldton and Kalbarri...

Yesterday the wind was south, a reasonable wind direction for Wazza's Knob outside Geraldton, but too strong.

We stayed over at Kalbarri last night with Mike's mum Iris.  This morning we are going back to Geraldton and Wazza's Knob for a morning flight ... hopefully.  The wind is east south east - even better direction so long as it does not get too strong.  The hill looks lovely and is used for student training and hang glider flights as well.

The low cliffs and sand dunes in and around Kalbarri also look stunning but need a west south west to west north west wind direction so may not get a chance to fly them on this trip :-(

So I am hitch hiking again :-)  Presently in Port Headland and heading north.  Found a Macca's here with free wi-fi  (HOORAY for MacDonald's!) so might spend a day or two on the internet.  I have been very scarce as internet and cellphone reception has been hard to come by and expensive in the more remote areas and we have been travelling fast.

Mike and I have gone our separate ways.  A lack of flying and communication incompatibility.  We both want to get the best of our free time and this is the best solution for both of us.  Mike did give me a whole lot of camping equipment for which I am very grateful.  Thanks Mike :-)

Some photographs of my time in Lightning Ridge.  I will add to this album in time. 

Still in Port Headland.  Was off to Broome today, but got diverted by a nice conversational Irishman. Very interesting to talk to having travelled to many countries, so might stay a day or two longer.  Nothing romantic :-).  He has a girlfriend and is much younger than I am by 11 years.  Damn!  Anyway, he is doing construction work and now his car has just blown a head gasket and died a permanent death. Poor guy is finding it difficult to communicate socially with the Australian construction workers and miners in Port Headland who mostly drink beer in large quantities after work and do nothing else and he is starved for real communication. I get the feeling he is pretty cheesed off about something that has happened recently.

It is a surprise to me how I absolutely need conversation and communication these past months.  Not like me at all.  I kind of like it.  People are fun!  Don't get me wrong, I have not changed that much.  I still love my moments of silence when I am on my own and in nature, especially at dawn and dusk, but when there are other other people around I want to know all about their lives and what has made them who they are and I ask lots of questions and positive energy flows.  It has become quite addictive.  Oh  dear!!!  But their  lives are so very different to mine, providing a window into another world that I have not experienced. It is like being part of a tapestry.  Colour, texture, imagination, and smell.  I feel ALIVE! Hitching has become my way of mapping alternative life styles and painting a new canvass for my own.  I mean: Who would have thought that this sailor girl would love the rural farm lands so much!  I just did not expect that.

Anyway, back to Port Headland.  Tomorrow Saturday there is a Fête at the local yacht club.  There is also horse racing on Monday - the Port Headland Cup, the mining towns version of the Cape Town J&B Met and Durban July. The people in this town are very excited about it.  The recession seems to have missed Port Headland.  Plenty of work around, lots of silly money, but my word the conditions are harsh!  Port Headland is a hot dusty, desolate tin can of a mining town with very little in the way of natural beauty.

Lots of South Africans here.  Some like it having come from small towns like Piet Retief.  Others use it as a stepping stone for immigration, doing their four years.  I even met a Capetonian who offered me accommodation, but I am hesitant of staying with single men who are not part of the paragliding network.  Families are no problem, but I just don't want any awkward situations - men being men and this being a mining town with a rough reputation.  Still, I have only been met with friendliness.

People earn huge salaries in Port Headland, but live in hard core prefab and tin homes making little effort to soften the container like effect.  High summer heat is in excess of 40 degrees, dusty, windy and really, for a place with so much money, there is nothing beautiful about any of the buildings - except perhaps the salt mines at sunset.  I plan to take sunset pics today.  The yacht club is harsh, but there is a new marina being built and a new building alongside the ugly one, so there is hope for something beautiful in the future.

Yesterday I walked out onto a sand spit alongside the harbour entrance and found a place to sunbathe.  Was so happy to be able to wear a bikini and feel the warmth of the sun .... hidden behind a sand dune to block the cold wind, of course!

Yes, the wind is still blowing.  It abated yesterday afternoon and dropped off completely by sunset, and I was hopeful ... but last night it picked up again and my tent would have blown away if I was not sleeping in it.  Or sort of sleeping. Did clothes washing this morning and my clothes were dry in half an hour! Strong wind warnings from Broome to Karratha!  Eish!  Like being in Cape Town in high summer and the South easter blitzing ... but in Cape Town it all looks incredible and beautiful... in a ferocious kind of maddening  way.