Welcome to The Brisbane Line.

An update...

As reported last Saturday, I'll shortly be off to Egypt for a few weeks. So, on my return I shall commence the build of the new look Brisbane Line web site. But it's not only just the site re-design that will launch, I'll also be adding my Egypt photos followed shortly by other trips that I haven't yet added.

Oh... and I'm aware of some site 'issues' at the moment so if you encounter broken links and a non-working travel map... I do appologise, they'll all be fixed with the new site.

Peace out for a few weeks!

2008, the year of travel.

In a few days time I'll be flying out to Cairo where I'll be spending 17 days in and around Egypt. Later this year, in December, I'll be in Russia eating fish eggs, drinking vodka and wearing a fur hat, communist style. Earlier in the year I traveled through western Europe via train for a good solid month. And earlier still, so early infact that it overlapped into last year, I was at home for a month.

Not bad all things considering.

CCCP Visa.

Well I now have my Russian visa and my passports back from the embassay (in record time surely!) so all is almost ready for my Russian adventure. All I need now is a pair of proper winter pants. Something tells me jeans aren't going to be suitable for -10 degrees.

So it's been 6 years.

6 years ago today, 6 years ago and a few hours in fact, I landed at Heathrow Airport. Wide eyed and excited, though tired and with an awe for all things English, I, with my fathers help, had arrived in London.

Why? I don't really know. To do what exactly? I'm not really sure. But I was here and had the world before me. It was a great feeling and a great time in my life.

Fast forward to the present and looking back, many things have happened in these 6 years - I got my first real job that set me up in my career today, I developed the travel bug traveling to places I wouldn't have even contemplated visiting years before, I've met people from all over the world and remain friends with many, my father has passed away, my dog passed away, several goldfish have passed away...

Perhaps what stands out most of all is the fact that I've grown up and I'm slowly learning that life isn't plain sailing and never will be. You have to take it as it comes and deal with it in your own stride all the while learning to be comfortable in your own skin. Shit happens and you can either deal with it and get on with life or you can fall to peices like some litte bitch girly-man.

Yes I'm rambling, again, but in summing up, the last 6 years have been both good and bad, but more to the point, they've been part of my life's journey and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Karaoki & friends.

Last Friday night after a few ales, lagers and whiskies at my works new local, we ventured on to a Karaoke bar. Complete with booths, widescreen TVs, dual microphones and a remote control that looks and reads like a giant Korean calculator. It was a good fun night and the photos are here and the video is here.

Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

Chuck Norris Facts is another great when it comes to funny sites. Have a read through if you haven't done so already. Classic!

The return of a legend.

Recently I was reminded of a certain character called Mr Tourette. A creation so funny you'll no doubt laugh with tears or cry with laughter. Check him out!

Real Ultimate Power.

Are you ready to get pumped?

Quite possibly the funniest site on the net, www.realultimatepower.net is all about ninjas and contains really useful information. For instance, did you know that ninjas are mammals?

So what are you waiting for? Go and look at it now.

To re-align takes some time.

It's come time to evaluate my site and how best it's real-estate can be used. Having said that, I can let you know that I'm currently re-aligning my content with a new and improved layout. I should be able to launch soon though I'm currently working on some other projects so by soon I mean in the future.

WWII airman? No just some moss.

Yesterday I posted an article about the discovery of what was thought to be the remains of a downed Airman from World War Two hanging in the trees of Papua New Guinea. Reported on the BBC this morning, the Australian Defence Force team sent to investigate found it to be no more than some moss on a branch.

"An Australian Defence Force (ADF) statement said that although the location of the find was below a flight path commonly used by Allied aircraft during WWII sorties, the "remains" were in fact a moss-covered branch." There you go then.

More can be read of the discovery here.

WWII airman on Kokoda Track?

Recently a man by the name of John, while trekking the Kokoda Trail, happened upon what he thought to be a body hanging in the trees above. He was taking photos of some flowers in the canopy when he noticed what he thought looked like a human body twisting in the breeze.

It is thought that if indeed it is a human body, it may be the body of an Airman from World War Two, no doubt Australian or Japanese or American even.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is sending a team to attempt to recover the remains.

More can be read on the BBC here and here.

You are, after all, dead a very long time.

Life expands and contracts in direct proportion to one's courage said Anais Nin, spot on. From time to time certain things happen in life that make you realise you cant just plod along doing the day to day, you loose track of what's important and can be easily brought down by the world or those around you. Life is very short and I for one don't want to live a life of regret and disappointment. I vow from this day on I will seek out new things to do and new people to meet. I will do the things I want to do and be who I want to be. Carpe diem as they say. You are after all, dead a very long time.

London to Sydney - overland style

In my time here in London I've managed to do a fair bit of traveling though not anywhere near enough. There are many must-see places still to do and I've always said that when I eventually go home I'll do it overland. All the way from London to Sydney. Through Europe, the Middle East, central Asia, South East Asia and then to my own country Australia.

Exploratory Overland Expeditions are a tour company who I've had my eyes on for some time now. When my time comes this will no doubt be the trip that I do.

Check out their youtube video below.

Desiderata.

Desiderata is a beautiful poem that has helped me through some tough times. It's as relevant now as it was when it was written in 1920s.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

The day my world fell apart.

It was a rainy cold Sunday and my girlfriend and I had just come back from the local convenience shop with a bag full of goodies ready to cuddle up in front of the tv and watch movie after movie. Or so I thought.

I could tell she wasn't happy about something but she'd been that way for a few days and she wouldn't tell me what was wrong, I'd pressed her to tell me but nothing.

On this rainy Sunday however, I thought things would get better with us both spending some lovely cosy time together. We'd arrived home, she made baked beans on toast for us both which was lovely and we continued watching a movie. Shortly after she sprung it on me.

I'm sorry she said. With my head on her lap, I looked up at her and said "what for?" She then told me she didn't love me any more. I was shocked, hurt, stunned, upset... I didn't know what to say. I just looked at her and suddenly felt sick, sick with worry, distress, shock, pain... You name it, I was probably experiencing it at that moment very moment.

It was horrible, I just had to get up and go outside. Shaking, I went for a walk to Richmond Hill and sat at a park bench. I don't know how long I was there for but after a while I wandered back to the road and down some side streets and back to the house.

I came in and she was seemingly as calm as day pottering about the lounge room. It was just so surreal. I still felt sick and didn't even know what to say.

No bombs today.

Sitting at the tube station today waiting for the Richmond bound district line in a half hungover and tired daze, I was blankly watching one of the station cleaners picking up rubbish when he went to change one of the rubbish bags that hang from the yellow mounted bag holders that you see all over suburban tube station platforms.

It reminded me of a time when I first moved over to London almost 6 years ago and my dad and I were walking around in the West End were I commented to him that I'd noticed that there were no bins around and yet the place was clean, no rubbish floating about. He told me that it was because of the IRA. Intrigued I asked what he'd meant and he said that when the IRA was about, they would put bombs in bins in the city. And so, the government removed all the bins to reduce the possibility of such things happening.

The survey for people who make web sites.

Has that time come around again? It seems it's been a year since the last web design survey conducted by alistapart.com for people who make web sites. Take the web design survey now.

Empire: Total War.

It's an exciting time for PC gamers. PC strategy gamers that is. IGN reports on Creative Assembly's latest - Empire: Total War. I've been a fan of this series from the beginning - Shogun: Total War moving on to Medieval: Total War, Rome: Total War and then finally Medieval 2: Total War. This game looks to be shaping up as the next evolution in not only this franchise but also the rival Civilisation series.

How I've spent many hours in Civilisation 4 playing as the English colonising the world... now I can do it in the Total War way - with real-time battle control! Awesome!

It looks as if my PS3 will have to take a back seat when this comes out.

St. Johan Christmas 2003.

Going back to 2003 this time, these photos are from St. Johan in Austria. I went for 4 or so days with my cousin and co for Christmas.

Morocco photos.

Morocco photos from back in March 2006. As always have a look through and write to me if you feel like it. Otherwise don't. I don't really care.

Roman holiday.

These photos are from way back in 2005 when my girlfriend and I went to Rome. In my opinion the greatest of all ancient European cities. There's just so much to see and the atmosphere was great, the weather too.

Santorini holiday.

We're back from Santorini and have with photos to prove it. It was a good long fun and relaxing holiday that made a change from our usual backpacking style short trips where we cram in everything we can in a short time. Take a gander at the photos now.

8 days in Santorini.

In 5 working days time (or 8 normal days time), I'll be off to Santorini for 7 nights and 8 days of holiday relaxation. It feels like an age since my last holiday which was 125 days ago or 85 working days ago.

Gold Coast May 2006.

The Gold Coast in May 2006, a trip back home to visit my girlfriend and family. Photos are here.

Richmond Park.

Last Sunday, 1st June was partially spent in Richmond Park looking for deer. Richmond Park is the largest Royal Park in London and the biggest walled park in Britain. It covers 2630 acres and has wild deer roaming within. I took a few photos and the better ones are now available.

A mention on the BBC.

In Nick Bryant's follow up article to his previous 'Australia's rising role in the world', my post has been deemed worthy of a mention by the journalist himself. How exciting.

The original Skuthorpe.

The original Skuthorpe, Richard Skuthorpe (originally Sculthorpe but registered as Skuthorp), was born on 15th August 1793 in Cambridge in England. He arrived in Port Jackon as a convict on the General Hewitt in February 1814. He was convicted of stealing a horse from his employer in Sudbury England. He was sentenced to 7 years transportation in Suffolk in 1813.

Richard Skuthorpe went on to have 7 children and 5 wives.

His death certificate states he was a miller having lived in Kurrajong, N.S.W. He is buried in Richmond, N.S.W.

Baz Lurhmann's Australia

A movie I'm looking forward to seeing is Baz Lurhmann's Australia. Being billed as 'an epic adventure, set on the brink of World War II.' Sounds right up my street. Check out the preview below.

[ video no longer available ]

Australia's rising role in the world.

An article on the BBC web site of interest to me and possibly to you caught my eye enough for me to respond to it. It's all about Australia's position in the world and whether it has the potential to be a rising 'power'.

Below is my post to the article.

As an Aussie living in London, it's nice to hear these things from a foreigners perspective, although most of Nick Bryant's points I'm already aware of.

I'd like to add that Australia, in general, is a very underrated country and under the radar type country. In many ways it's far in advance of the UK in respects to lifestyle, culture (by that I mean way of life and general atmosphere, rather than history and historical importance, as the UK beats all hands down), government policy and the countries continued growth (or at least under Howard). Not to mention our vast natural resources.

In the early years of the country's existence, Australia thrived on wool and raw materials and these days raw materials and international business. In the future our natural resources will probably continue to be the biggest part and backbone of our future growth. Once oil runs out and if/when the world goes nuclear, Australia will literally be the world's powerhouse with coal and uranium reserves/exports being in the number one and two positions.

Not to mention the biggest mining companies in the world are Australian, Rio Tinto and BHP.

If you know your history you'll be aware of Australia's prominent role in winning WW1 and highly successful role in WW2. It's a fact that the Germans in WW1 and Japanese in WW2 and the Vietnamese in the Vietnam conflict all stated that the opponents they most feared to fight were Australians. It's a fact that Australia accounted for 9% of the Entente powers during WW1 yet took over 23% of captures, a massive and disproportionate contribution to victory. It's also a fact that the AIF soldiers and commanders were responsible for the allied victories of 1917-18 leading to the capture and breaking of the Hindenburg Line and it's also a fact that Ludendorff and the German high command stated that the victories led and planned by Australian, General Sir John Monash (the first commander to be knighted in the field of battle in over 200 years) and won by the all volunteer AIF (no other country could boast this) on, after and before the 8th August broke the German army leading to their retreat and eventual surrender causing Ludendorff to call it the "Black Day of the German army in the history of the war". And it's also a fact the Australians were the first to defeat the Germans and Japanese on land in WW2. Not even Britain, the US or Russia can boast this.

Yes I'm going on a bit but my point is that Australia has always been and no doubt will continue to be an under-valued and under-rated 'world power'. Or at least in popular culture and common knowledge - but not at least in the history books. As a nation, we've always been a huge player in world events but hadn't necessarily been a major player in creating those world events, that credit goes to the big boys of world powers.

So in summing up, all I can say is Advance Australia Fair!!

The last of the generation who could do things.

My dad was the sort of bloke who could fix things. He could literally fix a broken TV or a car and often did.

Many people these days need to pay someone to do such things and it's becoming evident to me that my generation is witnessing a shift. One of those historical shifts in society where older skills, largely become redundant in the wake of new technology and therefore new ways of doings things and as such new attitudes.

Gone are the days when people in the majority could do such things without the need for external help and now it's becoming one of those niche specialties, a reversal if you will.

Just an observation.

New York, New York.

Just a re-fresher to check out my photos of New York, New York.

Backpacking around Europe.

I've now added a selection of my photos from my backpacking trip around Europe earlier this year.

Anzac Day 2008.

Anzac Day 2008, the 93rd anniversary. Four years ago I went to Turkey to experience the 89th anniversary Anzac Day dawn service at Anzac Cove and it was one of the best days/early mornings of my life. The whole experience makes you feel so proud to be Australian and it's a reminder that we really are lucky to come from the greatest country on Earth.

So in honour of those Anzacs now and then, thank you.

Free Tibet and down with China while we're at it.

Having witnessed the Olympic torch relay protests on TV last Sunday with the relay here in London and more recently in Paris, I'm glad the citizens of the world have taken it upon themselves in showing China that their behaviour isn't acceptable. Even if current western governments won't do so.

It's probably the first time that China has seen such a reaction from the world since Tiananmen Square. Unfortunately, everyday Chinese citizens probably won't see this reaction thanks to the all controlling Chinese government.

Free Tibet and down with communist China!