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Ricky Down Under - Day 17

Hey everyone. I've been in a bit of Internet limbo over the past few days but wanted to catch you up on my travels while I have the chance.

Since my last post I enjoyed a great visit to Brisbane and the Queensland Quilters. Kim Boland was our hostess and it was great fun to see her again since she had organized the Brisbane portion from my previous tour to Oz in 2005.

The first day was spent seeing sights and shopping. Sunday and Monday were master class days. A big Whoo-hoo shout out to all who attended and another Whoo-hoo for the thunder that accompanied my lectures on Monday!

Tuesday Kim drove Justin and I to Bribie Island and then up into the mountains where we took a stroll through the rain forest. I was surprised to see how high we were and really enjoyed hearing the kookaburra.

I've arrived in Adelaide and yesterday my good quilting friend and Adelaide resident, Pam Holland, treated us to some local sights followed by a fantastic Thai food dinner.

I wonder if I'll be talking like an Aussie when I get home next week... I'm just sayin'...

class

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Down Under - Day 8

G'day Mates!

Yesterday (Day 7) we arrived in the vast Red Center of Australia. We left Alice Springs on an early bus to Uluru/Ayers Rock. The ride was about 5 hours and I was surprised to learn that there is nothing - absolutely nothing - between Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. There were two roadhouses along the way, but no towns, villages, or communities.

We passed Attila (Mount Conner) which is often mistaken for Uluru (OO'-loo-roo) because both rise magnificently from the surrounding ground level. Attila is on a private cattle station and is not the same sort of formation as Uluru (Uluru being the largest rock visible on earth). Not far away from Attila is Lake Amadeus, which is usually a dry, salt crust lake. The white salt against the red earth could easily inspire a quilt.

Lake Amadeus, left, Mount Conner, right

Finally we reached Uluru/Ayers Rock. Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural landmarks. The sandstone formation stands 348 m (1,142 ft) high (rising 863 m/2,831 ft above sea level), with most of its bulk lying underground, and has a total circumference of 9.4 km (5.8 mi).

Kata Tjuta (Kah'-tah Joo'-tah), a conglomerate of similar rock formations (also called The Olgas), lies 25 km (16 mi) west of Uluru.

The resort is located about 9 miles or so from Uluru but it is easily viewed from the nearby dunes. We spent the day getting situated and organized and then went out to the dunes to take in Uluru at sunset.

Today (Day 8) I rose at pre-dawn to head to a dune and take a few sunrise photos. Next was another amazing new adventure - a helicopter ride! We flew over the area to get up close to both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. It was exhilarating and you can see photos below.

The next new adventure was renting a car and driving on the "wrong" side of the road. I survived to tell about it. I'm just sayin'...

Tommorw - farewell central Austraila. Up next - Brisbane!

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Down Under - Day 6

Today was a travel day. We flew from Perth to Alice Springs - uneventful. However, I thought I'd share a bit more from our days in Perth and surrounding area.

Michelle Pearson (who I dubbed the Divine Miss M) is the force behind Handcrafter's House in Perth that hosted the master classes. The shop is a quilter's must-see place when visiting Perth and they have a very large selection of fabric. I was able to snag about 25-30 fabrics with Australian/Aboriginal designs to add to my "collection".

Because of the way I teach (lecture style to large audiences), it is a logistical and organizational feat to pull it off. Kudos to Michelle and her amazing staff for pulling out all the stops. Not only was the theater a perfect venue, but the extra effort she put forth to tour Justin and myself around before and after the event made our visit even more memorable. All I can say is, "Whoo-hoo Michelle!"

During the last session of my master class, I felt someone touch my arm from behind. I turned to see who it was, but there was nobody there. It so distracted me that I commented about it to the audience. About 2 minutes later, it happened again. I'm on the stage with nobody else and something/someone touched me. The experience raised the hairs on my neck.

Later, after the seminar was over, I was told the name of the theater. It is the Metcalfe Theater, named after the actor Edgar Metcalfe who, though English born, lived most of his life in Perth. Then I was told that Edgar_Metcalfe had passed away on September 13th - just three days before my classes. I don't know if there is a connection, but I've never had any kind of an experience like it. Was it a ghost? I'm just sayin'...

Here are a few more photos for you to enjoy.

I added to my didgeridoo collection x2. In addition, I dipped my toes in the Indian Ocean for the first time!

I snapped this photo of a lionfish at AQWA - Aquarium of Western Australia.

Pre-dawn glow greets us as we arrived at the balloon launch area. Check out Venus.

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Down Under - Day 5

I can't believe it's already day five on this Australia tour. Day two and three were spent with an awesome group of 140 quilters where I presented master classes in a fantastic small theater in Perth. There were plenty of "g'day mates" mixed right in with tons of "whoo-hoo" shouts! After the seminar was over yesterday, our hostess with the mostest, The Divine Miss M (Michelle Pearson) drove us up to Toodyay (TOOD-jay). I had been told a surprise was in the works.

What a surprise it was! I was told to dress warm and be ready to leave at 4:30am. The surprise was revealed when we arrived at the Winward Balloon Adventures for a hot air balloon ride! All I can really say is WOW! Michelle really outdid herself as a hostess. I continue to be amazed at the wonderful things quilting has brought my way. This morning will forever be one of the most magical memories of my life.

Later that day we sat and chilled at our lodging, the Avalon Homestead in Toodyay. The facility is a 16 bedroom retreat center that caters to quilters. Sitting on the patio allowed me the opportunity to snap photos of some of the birds from the area.

During our drive back to Perth in the late afternoon, we stopped in various places to experience the flora and fauna of the Australian bush. Justin was particularly thankful we didn't encounter any snakes.

I'm sad to leave Western Australia, but excited to head off to our next destination - Ayers Rock/Uluru! Northern Territory, here we come! We'll be taking a bus from Alice Springs to Uluru. In case you are wondering, our bus will not be Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - although that might have been fun. I'm just sayin'...

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Ricky Down Under -Day 2

Our fantastic hostess Michelle Pearson with Handcrafters House here in Perth took us for some sightseeing. One of the destinations was to the Caversham Wildlife Park. I have to say I never thought quilting would lead me to petting a wombat. I'm just sayin'...

Day 2 Caversham