:: One People, Many Cultures ::



::Living Together in Respect and Friendship::

I’ve picked up the keys to my new flat. It’s a short term got-to-get-out-and-take-control-of-my-life rental choice, so it’s bright, warm and clean. Those were the minimum requirements for enabling me to enjoy my life enough to feel confident about getting out and chasing down contracts, or potentially a new job. The bedrooms are small, but I’ll use one only for sleep and the other as a study so that’s not really an issue. The kitchen is big enough. There’s room for a small dining table and a full theatre in the living room. Of course, all of that is currently locked up in storage but I’m only days away from having my old life back.

The big selling point on the place, wasn’t on my list of requirements. When I walked in, I looked straight to the balcony and saw a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets on the railing. Yesterday, when I went back to start moving in, there were two pairs huddling out of the rain. I don’t have a bird tray in storage, but it will be the first thing I buy.

I spent a sunny weekend walking 26km or so from Otford to Bundeena – the length of the coastal border of the Royal National Park. I was ‘leading’ the group of five friends since I’d done the walk in parts in my school days, more than 20 years ago. Some things have changed – noticeably the stricter camping regulations – but much was the same. It’s a gorgeous coastline, with all the grandeur of Australian bushland mingling with squeaky white sandy beaches.

We enjoyed a campfireless (those new regulations) evening and a cool winter night to contrast with the burning sun during the day. Good company and heated discussion made up for the lack of flames, but the highlight of the walk was seeing whales off the coast towards the end, on Sunday.

They were far enough off the coast that all we could see were the jets of water and occasional black patches, but there was no doubt they were whales. They’re the first I’ve seen in my life. I’m told that they’ve been appearing in the years I’ve been away, a sure sign of the benefits of restricting (eliminating???) whaling. I can only hope that the numbers will grow steadily until a walk along the coast will bring guarantee of a whale sighting.