Qantas Jet, flying home

I've only got this long left in Australia:
DHMS
0000

It’ll last longer

“The PowerShot A610 packs a lot of muscle into its compact body. A 4X optical zoom, full manual controls, a long list of scene modes, and above-average performance and image quality make this camera a perfect match for snapshot photographers and enthusiasts who want it all for a competitive price.”

-CNet

Lonely Planet’s slogan is “be a traveler, not a tourist.” And what makes a tourist look like a tourist? Besides the gaudy outfits, oversized maps, bad driving, and constant fascination with everyday occurences, that is… That’s right! —a shiny camera hanging from that sunburned neck of theirs. What better way to remember your trip than to photograph every seemingly inane detail of every waking moment? Yeah, I know! Pfft. What does Lonely Planet know about travelling…

This is gonna be fun. I’ll start posting crap I mean new stuff soon.

 

Payment Up Front

Cost of passport, with expediency fee: $167
Cashier’s check for BUNAC USA, with bank fee: $599
Post Office envelope, with stamp fee: $0.39

Money-money-money muhh-nee: $766.39

Those Bunackers told me it might not be possible to leave the 23rd. Apparently they don’t realize the sentimental significance of getting to Sydney the day before January 26th.

 

Encouraging Tourism

The Australian approach: let people take as many pictures as they can of your beautiful country, then show them to other people. Repeat. Now that’s tourism.
Kata Tjuta Western Australia, Pinnacles Jumping the Pinnacles Opera House and Harbor Bridge against the setting sun
There are so many good travel photos on flickr and their associated groups I couldn’t possibly link them all.
 

Countdown to Oztown

I put in a decrementing timer so I always know how far away it is… and it’s getting closer by the second.

Right now: 76 days, 1 hours, 49 minutes, and 32 seconds.

EDIT: Yeah, I know… it changed. Read this post to see why.