The 2009 Australian Tour in 3 Riveting Chapters:

One man's mission to see the 3 Numan shows on the Australian Tour

Chapter 3

Melbourne

Deeper into Australia the train rolled.  Night lights from farms outside struggled to penetrate the concentrated night where in my great-grandfather's time, nothing existed.

I stumbled to the snack car to ease the inner void once more before taking advantage of the 14-hour ride to catch up on sleep.  As I scanned through the sandwiches and drinks the young lady asked where I was from.  She said she'd been to America once and had really hated it.  For one thing all the money looked the same in the States.  Without requesting further elucidation, I ordered an apple and chips and walked back to my seat.

 Then deep sleep came quick enough, and as if in seconds, daylight appeared and it was morning.  When I awoke we'd already passed most of the suburbs and I could see downtown Melbourne outside the window on the horizon.  We rolled by one of the large white bubble-glass ferris wheels popping up all over the world.

I whipped out my vidcam to take shots of my first glimpses of Australia's second largest city as the overhead speakers announced the upcoming stop.  The lights were switched stirring those still in slumber.  I took shots of glass buildings and of hot air balloons in flight.

I walked into the new and modern train station at 7:00 am and picked up my luggage.  Only two weeks before, the place was over 117 degrees (47C) and it hadn't rained here in months.  My prayers were answered, as today it was considerably cooler.  Nights would even be as cool as 50 degrees (12C). 

Tonight was going to be a late one as Numan was in town for the show!  So I didn't want to wake up Peter and his family to shlep all the way downtown to pick me up at 7 in the morning.  Determined to make my own fun, I looked at my map of Melbourne and looked at what there was to do.  The city looked pretty walkable and I was up for anything.

But first I would need some energy.  I spotted a Krispy Kreme across the street.  It was still closed but there were workers inside.  I watched as others tried the door then walked away defeated.  I waited 10 minutes for the reward of being their first customer of the day.

 I sat in the window and got my bearings on the map with sticky Krispy Kreme hands, then I walked for a couple of blocks into town before stumbling upon an internet cafe.  It was sort of a travelers hostel but the place featured internet in the lobby.  I checked the news to discover that there was an earthquake in Melbourne at 9:15 yesterday evening.  Earthquakes seem to occur just before Numan shows these days.  I said as much in an email that morning after which they noted that perhaps was me causing the earthquakes as I followed Numan's concerts.  I'd never thought of that but it seemed plausible.

I then updated the NAGNFC website forum with the following:

Hello to the Numanoids of Sacrifice! Just got into Melbourne on the overnight train from Sydney. Didn't want to wake up Peter too early to pick me up to hang with him and Trish, so I'm here at an internet cafe answering the voluminous emails generated from the hundreds of NAGNFC business cards I've given away as souvenirs.
The Sydney show was truly something special. It was tres' cool meeting friends from Sacrifice, friends from the NAGNFC and of course, making all the new friends. Gary in Sydney was electricity personified. I hadn't seen him so happy to be anywhere since the Brighton Dome show, which had much the same large specifications.
NAGNFC reader Donald Pedder put me up in Sydney. Him, Paul and I showed up at the Enmore to see a huge NYC style billboard of Gary Numan right above the venue. I was dutifully impressed! There were only a couple of girls in the queue, so I bribed them with a CD of Gary's 1980 visit to Brisbane to hold a spot for us while we went to a nearby pub where I found a slick glossy poster of Numan's show on the wall that somehow ended up in my back pocket. Weird that.
Meeting up with friends old and new in the queue and at the show was way awesome. Far too many to mention here, but you all hold a special place in the Machman psyche.
I was geared up with electronics, but my usual trick to get past front door security was to flash a NAGNFC business card shouting "PRESIDENT OF THE FAN CLUB". For some reason, its worked so far.
The acoustics in the Enmore Theatre were brilliant. I realised what made Gary so happy and smiling throughout the performance near the end of the show when I finally turned around to see an two-tiered ocean of Aussie Numanoids with their arms in the air clapping and shouting for more.
As always, there were those who were dragged to the show only to become converted. Their lives will never be the same, as you dear reader, can attest.
As has become to tradition, the aftershow party was at a nearby McDonald's. The Australian beef tastes different to the States, not bad at all, just different.
Before I left Sydney, Donald and I wandered downtown to check out the Sydney Opera House and walk the Harbour Bridge. We stopped in a record shop where I found a 12" of Dumb Dan vs. Gary Numan called "Are Friends Electro". Only sounds slightly scary.
Kit, I'll be happy to save you a spot tonight in Melbourne. Wendy, I've seen it hundreds of times. Especially during the US Pure Tour. People get a taste of Numan, and subsequently give up their jobs and family just to follow the rest of the tour.
Thanks to Peter for the photos and videos. They are all excellent. And thanks for your kind hospitality while I'm here in Melbourne. If only I can one day repay the favour when you're in New York. Peter and I are helping set up a Red Cross donation bin at Numan's merch table this evening.
And thanks to David Banks for your offer to be my tour guide when I slide through Sydney next week.
Now to gear up for tonight's show. I'm told the people of Melbourne know how to rock and have a good time, so I'm looking forward to electricity all around at the Forum tonight.
"I'll just slide out of Sydney and will always come back."

I checked my email again and saw a note from Peter, my Melbourne host:

Jim...give me a ring...Trish is just about to shoot off to take Georgia to the baby sitter. And I'm left with no car.

However, you could catch a train...

Get on the Frankston Line and get off at either Mordialloc or Aspendale. I'll be able to pick you up from there.

I was looking forward to seeing Peter and Trish.  We'd been in contact with emails and phone calls for weeks before and today I'd finally get to see them both.  I called to tell him I'd gotten his note and he gave me further directions for the train.

The metro trains in Melbourne were easy to figure out despite their large numbers.  The train station looked modern on the outside but there was only one queue to buy all the local train tickets, so the wait was long.  Black and white flickering monitors matched gate numbers with destinations.  There was a Starbucks inside but no place to get a real meal. 

At my gate I looked for the pop machine but it was being restocked.  The trains were modern and efficient though.  Here, as in Sydney, people were dressed to the nines.  Gentlemen wore suits, ladies were in their finest dresses and hats, some replete with feathers.

Following Numan's shows, I was used to feeling decidedly underdressed hopping onto morning trains surrounded by spit-shined people in their work clothes.  And today was no different!

The train crawled out of the city with its new Melbourne passenger cargo as I looked for my stop in this unfamiliar terrain.  The maps onboard were handy and easy to use.  I settled in and got comfy as my stop was a long way off.

Finally my stop was announced as I stood by the door.  As the train started to move again I lamented the fact that I was still on board and started pressing the door button.  A gentleman kindly told me that I needed to press the button to open the doors when the train stopped. 

Luckily the next stop was only a short distance up the tracks.  In fact, I'd considered waiting for the next train going back to my stop, but the distance was so short, I just started walking toward it with luggage rolling behind me in tow.  Sure enough waiting for another train back would have been faster.  I watched it roll past me to my stop.  But alas I was almost there.

Besides it was a gorgeous day, if a little warm.  I called Peter from my missed stop and waited.  He pulled up in a neighbor's car.  He wasn't too far, but he didn't know how much luggage I was hauling.

I thanked Peter for picking me up and he welcomed me to Melbourne.  I had seen Peter's house on Google Streetview.  The picture showed a second story being built, but today the live picture showed a beautiful home complete with spacious second story.  I would be one of the very first guests up there!

Peter made me feel very much at home.  He gave me the run of the fridge, laundry and the internet.  Upstairs was electricity and a private shower.  And really, what more than those five things do we really need?

I gave Peter the discs of shows I'd promised him and went upstairs to my room.  The place was mint and the bed looked cozy.  There was a TV and DVD player up there and enough pillows to have a slumber party!

I began to get ready for the Numan show tonight!  Peter had installed a small hourglass timer in the shower.  Much of Australia remained in an ever-worsening drought and the hourglass was a handy reminder of the minutes that ticked by in the precious running water.  Everyone aimed for four minutes max in the shower.

As I shaved, I heard Trish and their daughter Georgia enter the home.  I recognised Trish from the phone calls with Peter.  As I walked downstairs to greet my other host, I saw only Peter.  He said Trish was nervous about making a good impression and would be out soon.  I told him I was as nervous, loud enough for Trish to hear. 

Finally, Trish appeared.  We hugged as she asked me how my trip was going.  I told her Australia had been amazing so far and asked her if she was ready to have a great time tonight at the show.  Georgia was shy around strangers.  She wasn't at all sure about the new guy in their home.  It seemed she would never warm to me.  I always have a stash of all types of candy with me on my travels and offered some to her.  But her shell was hard.  Maybe once she became used to me?

I was introduced to Sarge, the German Shepherd.  He looked fierce but was really a kitten.  He loved to play and fetch.  I never lacked a playmate in him.   

Peter and I had arranged to help set up the donation box inside before the show for the Victoria Wildfire Relief Fund, so we would leave a little early to do that, and then arrive in time for the NAGNFC Preshow Party at the nearby Yak Bar.

Georgia was dropped off and we were off to my last Numan show in Australia.  Peter and Trish lived around an absolute massive bay from Melbourne with beautiful homes and pristine sandy beaches, so the scenery on the drive to downtown Melbourne was always stunning.

Peter found a parking garage near the Forum Theatre.  Peter had sent me several pictures of the Forum from December with massive posters of the Gary Numan show, and now I was finally seeing the place for real!  Peter found his contact at the Forum and we walked inside.  I strolled inside with them but for some reason we had to tell a security doorman that I was with the entourage.  I knew I should have dressed more punky.  I would have looked more the part.  It certainly helped me see the soundcheck in Detroit for the Jagged Tour.

Speaking of soundchecks, tonight's soundcheck was about to begin so we stuck around to enjoy about 40 minutes of live Numan songs in this empty hall.  The first few minutes were the band warming up, then Gary came on stage to sing songs like A Prayer For The Unborn and The Fall.

Peter reminded me that the NAGNFC Preshow Party was now occurring up the street at the Yak Bar and we left the soundcheck for the party.  The preshow party was just as cool.  There were already a few people there.  We all mingled and got to know each other in this intimate casual pub as I picked the best time to hold the free raffle.  Tonight the prizes were CDs from Brisbane 1980 and Adelaide 1980.

I ordered this insane six scoop ice cream dish and met fans like Jim Stoneman (JiminOz) who stopped by to say hello and tell me how much he loves the NAGNFC website!  I was getting ready to hold the raffle when Phillip walked in.  He had actually come to the party with one of the monster Australian Gary Numan Tour posters like the ones that plastered the Melbourne Forum to give to me.  He wanted to show his appreciation for the website and asked me what I wanted to drink.  Of course, I not only thanked Phillip profusely, but I gave him a copy of both the Brisbane and Adelaide shows! 

I walked around to where the bartender was to ask him for a clean glass to put all the names in for the free raffle.  He told me to help myself to whatever I needed and confidentially whispered to me the following: "So, are you the man?"  I told him no, unfortunately, and took my glass to hold the raffle.

Most in attendance won a live 1980 Numan CD that night.  I wolfed down the rest of my ice cream a little self-consciously (I thought the other 'noids would be ordering food items as well!).  And before long we stole away to the queue to get a good spot inside.  Phillip offered to put the monster Numan poster in his car for me until after the show so it wouldn't become damaged. 

We got into the queue just in time for a massive number of people to get behind us.  I spent all of the time passing out NAGNFC business cards and mingling with all the fans.  Before long, Bridgette showed up to stand with us and devour a bit of food she'd scored from down the street.  It was great to see her again.  This would be our third Numan show in two countries together.

Half a mile to our east, I saw what looked like a carnival with large rides.  Peter and Trish said that was the Moomba Festival.  I had asked Peter before I left if the Moomba was on while I was in town.  Luckily the large annual Moomba parade was tomorrow.

 Then the guy who squeezed into the tight front with us in Sydney showed up late.  He eased his way to the front of the queue to make friends with the Numanoids there and get in first.  I couldn't protest.  This might be the only two times he may ever get to see a Gary Numan show.  Comforted by the fact that I'd already seen the soundcheck, and that I would see Numan again in the UK the following month, I waved back smiling as he looked back to wave at me in recognition.

There was a great vibe to the crowd though.  These were people who were truly looking forward to seeing Gary tonight.  This was a true event!  Cheers echoed into the Melbourne streets as the doors opened.  We were let into the beautiful lobby but no further.  As I stood on the stairs inside I saw Martin Purvis and Joey Lindstrom outside walking in.  Martin asked me if I'd seen Bridgette.  She'd since gone to the restroom, and he asked me if I still had a crush on her.  I told Martin that it didn't seem as if she'd read that part in the Riveting Chapters.  It was then that Martin said he had just revealed all to her.  Well if the girl I fell for in the London rain last year didn't know yet, she did now.  I thanked Martin facetiously and went back to the queue. 

A couple of guys liked my bootleg Numan shirt from the UK much better than the ones for sale and offered a trade.  But alas my shirt was too small for them.  But as I disrobed to try on their shirt, one of the guys snapped away at my topless form on Bridgette's camera she asked them to hold while she powdered.  Sorry about the Machman topless photos, Bridgette!

I found a great spot in the front just to Gary's right as Phillip found his way a couple of spots to my left.  He offered another brewski of Australian lager as I turned around to see the place fill up.  This 1400 seat hall was sold out tonight and everyone sensed this would be a night to remember.

We got talking with the security bouncer dude in front of us.  I told him about all the people who'd traveled from the UK, Canada and the USA to be here.  And I asked him a question I'd always wondered about.  I asked if there was any mention about the banning of cameras and the like.  He actually said that nothing was mentioned.  Even video cameras were fair game and allowed.  I'd always known Gary to be on the liberal side about such things, and this re-confirmed it for me.

Pivot played another interesting set, and as the lights came up and their stuff was removed to reveal Numan's instruments, you could sense the anticipation in the crowd.

The lights darkened to the now familiar soft red glow as Numan's synths began their assault on everyone's psyches.  The crowd roar was deafening as Gary and the band took to the stage.  Numan wore a wristband familiar to Australians as showing support for the victims of Australia's recent natural tragedy.

 This was the night before Gary's birthday.  Him and his band seemed in excellent spirits and turned out an excellent performance.  I'd heard The Fall three times by now including the soundcheck, and for a couple seconds I was the only one clapping until others realised the song was over.  And as per the tradition, I jumped up and down pogo style when Gary sang, "It's tomorrow they send me singing I AM AN AMERICAN", making him smile.

A lot of people seemed to know the drill after the show and mingled by the door eager to get a chance to speak to their longtime hero.  At many shows, a lot of people don't even realise that Gary will sometimes make himself available after a show.

I saw Jane and Jono in the crowd.  They were doctors I'd seen at all the shows, but for this one they went into town and dropped a couple of thou to really get spiffed up for the evening, and they indeed looked fabulous.

I met a girl named Belinda Bowles.  She'd been to the Brisbane show in 1980 and it changed her life.  She even changed her name from Debbie because of We Take Mystery (To Bed).  She was mesmerised during the performance and could scarcely believe she would get the chance to meet Gary.  I promised to mail her a Brisbane 1980 CD when I returned home. 

Per the custom, The Big G asked everyone to form a queue and Gary would see everyone.  Gary waved to us all as the crowd loudly sang him a rousing celebratory version of "Happy Birthday".  I took pictures of Peter, Trish and Belinda with Gary.  I took the opportunity to tell Gary how awesome this tour has been.  He asked me if I'd had the chance to look around and if I was spending time in Australia before heading back.  I told Gary I gave myself a week to look around before heading home and I wished him a safe journey home to England.  He said, "Soon I'll be back to the kids!  They probably miss me by now, or maybe not".  We laughed, I bade him farewell and I walked away. 

It was then that Peter reminded me of the photo I wanted with Gary.  And I owe Peter everything, as this picture, which almost never happened, turned out to be the best picture I'd ever had taken with Gary Numan.

 As I mingled back into the crowd, Phillip grabbed the poster from his car for me.  I thanked him and knew the live CDs I gave him had found a good home.  I overheard a conversation and discovered the guy was actually a former member of the band Yen.  Yen worked with Gary in the studio and on stage.  Some consider Yen to be Gary's best opening band ever.  Very friendly and bearing a backstage pass, he explained to me that he moved to Australia from the UK nine years ago.  He feigned embarrassment as I rattled off song titles of his and seemed surprised I'd remembered any of them.

As I spoke some more with Belinda, I noticed a large glossy poster on a nearby pole.  It seemed Ade Fenton was striking out on his own.  The poster advertised a Fenton DJ set late tonight in Melbourne.  Of course, I confiscated the poster before someone else procured the souvenir.  Now I can share it with you:

Peter and Trish found me in the crowd and I waved goodbye to my new friends.  This was an amazing night by any standard.  I can't remember a better vibe at a Numan gig.  I got the sense that while others in the world can be quick to judge every aspect of Numan's career, these people were simply jumped up for the opportunity to see Our Friend Electric. 

I was happy for the Melbournians that the show was so good, and that we were able to help each other sing Happy Birthday to him afterwards.

We left the scene much as I saw it in the pictures on my website, the Forum decked out in large Numan posters in a city that hoped the show could go on with the threats of power outages from dozens of nearby fires.

On the way home, we stopped at what became my traditional aftershow place in Australia: a 24-hour McDonald's.  It was crowded inside so we drove to a secluded spot and enjoyed our cattle and potatoes in the glow of just having seen Gary Numan.

The next day I would be in luck.  Melbourne exploded in celebration once a year for the Moomba Festival.  The way I understand it, Moomba is an aboriginal term.  Moom=butt and ba=in.  I'm sure the Aboriginals had a good laugh at the whites as the name stuck and they celebrated the "in the butt" festival.

Regardless, I knew Melbournians could put on a good party from one of my favorite movies from 1982 called "The Pirate Movie".  As Peter, Trish, daughter Georgia and I were driving downtown to catch the huge 11:00 parade, I caught a glimpse of a huge ferry called "The Spirit Of Tazmania".  Taz is only a few miles south of Melbourne and the ferry makes frequent trips.

Peter found us a good spot in a ramp and we freshed up in a McDonald's before walking downtown to immerse ourselves in the crowd to watch the spectacle.

With Georgia on Peter's shoulders the huge parade began.  The first few entries were from surrounding countries such as Papau New Guinea and Indonesia to help the Aussies celebrate.  This was followed by entries from the Doctor Who and Star Trek fan clubs.  Then more local interests like the Australian Red Cross and a Victorian Police Marching Band walked past.  All the while a jovial voice MC'd the event over loudpeakers telling spectators what they were looking at.

It was all followed by a long Chinese Dragon from nearby China and  puppeteered by dozens of men.  There must have been 10 guys working the tail alone. 

After one of the coolest parades I'd ever seen, the thousands of spectators made a pilgrimage to the main festival by Melbourne's Yarra River.  There were rides that whipped you around mercilessly, and there were rides like ferris wheels and bumper cars for more timid tastes like mine.

To avoid the worst of the walking pilgrimage there, we all took a half hour and ate at a small diner there along the parade route which suprisingly wasn't busy.  I ordered a little pizza and cool 80's videos played overhead during our visit.

Nearly at the festival, we stopped into a souvenir shop where I picked up some lanolin, Aussie T-shirts, pens with kangaroos on them, and of course the obligatory boomerang.  The boomerang came with directions but I still haven't mastered it. 

Meanwhile, Trish and Georgia were using the facilities in a McDonald's up the street.  Peter and I waited outside as I took pictures of the crowds, a true people-watcher at heart.

As we entered the festival, my hosts lathered themselves up with suntan lotion as I watched a random marching band play past us.  I whipped out my vidcam to shoot the band and the rides around us.

Our first stop was dessert.  It was fairy floss (cotton candy) for them and a cool ice cream bar for this Machman.

Trish took pictures and held our stuff as the rest of us rode the ferris wheel where I scored some awesome shots of Melbourne and the Yarra.  Soon afterward I saw a kid with a bubble gun walk past, its trigger shooting hundreds of bubbles around him.  I HAD to find one.

Luckily we found a table up the walk where I could have my own bubble gun for just $15 complete with batteries and extra liquids. 

Once my ex-fiancee Jennifer and I hung outside our Earl's Court Hotel window in London blowing bubbles to the cheers of people below, but this method of bubble-producing was much easier.

Next, Peter tried to shoot baskets to win a big purple stuffed animal for Georgia but to no avail.  Perhaps because basketball is so popular where I'm from,  I was implored to help shoot baskets to win the prize.  My first shot was a winner, but my second ball landed somewhere in Thailand.  Needless to say, we left without the animal, a point which caused much audible regret from four-year-old Georgia the rest of the afternoon.

I thought I was getting used to the Australian heat by now, but our next stop proved me wrong, reminding me how much I missed cooler weather.  It was a hot day hovering around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but our next stop was the Ice Bar.

Walking downtown, Trish cared for Georgia while Peter and I walked downtown looking for the bar where everything was made of ice.  The tables, chairs, glasses, decor, walls and shelves were all ice.  The cost was $30 for a half hour and included a fancy mixed drink from the bar.

Peter adeptly found the place and I excitedly walked inside.  In the lobby were coats, boots and dual-layer gloves to wear.  I told the girl I really didn't need any of the winter wear, even if it was 15 degrees Fahrenheit inside.  I travel to the Arctic in the winter just for fun and, when I delivered pizza, would eat my lunch inside a 10F freezer, but she said it was the uniform so I obliged.

We paid our fee and were given our free drink tickets.  My heart raced happily at the thought of the refreshing coolness about to envelope our humid-racked selves.

One door opened for us, closed behind us, then a second door opened bellowing freezing mist in the air as it met the warm outside.

Inside, 80s music played overhead as we looked around at polar bears and other large Arctic monsters made of ice.  The seats of the ice chairs were covered with fur to prevent freezing your bum.  Some of the ice wall was chiseled away to reveal a TV which showed snowy ice scenes such as X-Game skiiers and avalanches. 

I'm not well versed in alcoholic drinks, but the Polar Bear seemed the best choice to imbibe upon, and it was delicious!  After downing drinks, patrons were encouraged to smash their ice glasses.  Seriously, if I lived in Melbourne, I would do everything I could to get a job here.  This was pure heaven. 

Peter and I took pictures of each other, and I took a picture of a couple of girls on their camera for them.  Believe it or not, it was still too warm for me and I started to peel off my coat and gloves.  I had paid for the cool air and I was going to get its full effect!  As I took off my coat, the coolness was like a heavenly, caressing gift from a gorgeous woman all over me.  I looked over at Peter who was faring much worse.  He said he couldn't feel his ears and his hands were freezing.  I told him we could leave if he wanted, but he stuck it through the entire half hour with me.  What a trooper!  I offered to buy him another drink to act as antifreeze.

We watched as some women walked in, then soon ran out, unable to stay inside more than ten minutes.  Sadly and inevitably, the thirty minutes was up and we surrendered our winter attire.  Trish and Georgia waited outside as she marveled at how cold his skin was.  The Moomba parade and festival were awesome, but could hold only a close second-place to the Ice Bar.  Thanks to Trish for thinking of it!

On the drive back home around the large bay, we stopped at a small park were there was a small cliff down to the water.  There was a hang gliding club there with a couple of guys practicing their stuff.  I got some great video there as Georgia played with the bubble gun.

Back home I was in for a treat.  Trish made us a roast lamb dinner.  Over dinner, Trish asked about my love life asking about my 3 long relationships with ex-fiancées.  Dinner was delicious and I insisted on helping clean up to feel useful.

I hopped on the internet to update the NAGNFC Forum about the Melbourne show last night:

Hello to the Numanoids of the World! Jim "The Machman" Napier here in
Melbourne at the home of fellow Sacrificer Peter McGuffie. Last night's show
was completely sold out and the vibe was incredible. It is a shame that this was
the last all-Numan show as Gary and the band have only gotten better with each
night.
Peter helped set up the donation bin as the soundcheck started. We were
privy to 40 minutes of the soundcheck before stealing away for the preshow party
nearby.
The NAGNFC preshow party at the Yak Bar was unbelieveable. Of the 18 or so
people there, many came away with coveted prizes of cds from Gary's 1980
concerts in Adelaide and Brisbane. A fan of the NAGNFC, Phillip, presented me
with a tube of a large poster from the concerts. The local paper, The Age, had
a large write up and interview with Numan. The locals say The Age is
conservative and rarely gives such press to a visiting musician.
The show was memorable. 95% of the Numanoids had never seen Our Friend
Electric. I watched some girls cry happy tears for finally seeing their hero in
3-D. I gave Gemma a NAGNFC card during the performance.
The security staff told me they got the word from Gary that cameras and
even recorders were oky, unlike the recent Stray Cats performance there.
These were true fans who were insanely ecstatic Gary came all this way to
play for them. I was hoping they would get the chance to meet Gary after the
show.
Gary seemed very happy and was smiling for everyone's photos. He asked me
how long I was staying in Australia. Peter is super happy with his picture with
him. He is staring at it as I type this.
I actually met a member of Yen after the show. They worked with Gary in
1990 on the song "Adrenalin".
This was all after midnight so we brought in Gary's birthday in style, even
singing to him as he came out to visit with us.
Thanks to everyone I met on this tour. This experience has been way better
than I could have hoped. The decision to return to Australia for any future
tours will be an easy one.
I gave myself some time to see the sights Down Under after the tour, so now
it's time to be a tourist. Thanks for reading and enjoy the insane amount of
updates from this tour when I get home the 1st of April.
Signing off from Oz.......

I received an email from David Banks whom I met at earlier Numan shows:

Hi Jim,

How were the Melbourne Shows???

I am not sure if you just wish to stay just in the city of Sydney on your brief visit, or if you would like to see some of our wonderful countryside???

I could be free on Friday - and could drive you up to our famous Blue Mountains, and probably see some of our unique wildlife - I can guarantee you seeing some neat birds! The Blue Mountains are about 50 miles west of Sydney. The scenery is breathtaking! I would get you to get the train to Seven Hills station, and pick you up from there.

Are you travelling solo, or with a friend (or 2)??. Let me know as I could accommodate them as well (just have to take the baby seat out).

If you could let me know one way or the other, so I can put the wheels in motion for Friday.

Have a great week Jim.

Kind regards,

David

 Georgia went to bed as we spent the evening watching Aussie TV.  This was when I learned that anything goes on free commercial prime time there.  Nudity, F-this, S-that.  I'd never seen anything like it on free TV.  Peter said it was relatively new to see it, and there had been some uproar over it, but it was here to stay.  They got me into a popular show about gangster activity in Australia in the 1970s.  Not watching much TV anyway, Peter did get me into the US sitcom Two and a Half Men.  We watched my guy David Letterman who had U2 on all week, then I took my leave to my bed upstairs.

I was surprised how cool nights get there.  Days are warm, but you will need a blanket at night, even during their summertime.  I never need a blanket in summertime at home in New York, as summer nights are warm, sticky and humid as in the daytime.

  The next morning, Peter and I checked the internet for reports, emails and pics from people and friends at the Melbourne show.  One fan with a photopass sent me a heap of pictures on his Flickr page to share with everyone, some begged me to ask Gary to return and others thanked me for the NAGNFC Preshow Party:

Hi Jim,

Just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed meeting you at the YAK Bar on Saturday.

I had a good night,& the crowd seemed into the gig too.

I hope the rest of your stay in Australia is good.If you need any advice on local travel ,let me know.

I travelled & worked all over West Australia,Queensland,NSW,SA,NT & Victoria.

However,I'm not much of an expert on the cities...I'm sure you have enough advice there.

Take care

Jim Stoneman  (JimInOz)

Peter was super-happy with his picture with Numan.  He had printed out a copy and displayed it with pride on his wall.  While the girls were out, I told Peter I'd be happy to buy lunch somewhere.  He led me on a walk through his peaceful neighbourhood to the nearby beach.  When Peter called me in the US, Trish was often at the beach.  Now on a weekday, the beach was devoid of people despite the incredible sunny weather.  Along this very long sandy beach on the massive bay were small, but million dollar homes. 

What surprised me most of all were the numerous jellyfish that had washed ashore with the tides.  Some of the blobs were absolutely massive and had real weight to them.  They were dead and thereby safe to handle, but they were weirdly transparent and even a little sticky.  They were everywhere and you had to be careful if you didn't want to step on one.

The path winded through an outdoor patio restaurant and into the small suburb of Aspendale.  Peter picked a small cafe with outdoor tables.  I was partial to the burger platter but Peter highly recommended the fish and chips.  And being a local, he oughta know!  Nothing against the UK, but this was the best fish and chips I ever ate.  It was so good it was like eating candy.  The portion was large but I could have ate three more!  Peter revealed to me later that the fish in the fish and chip platters here are actually shark!  I would definitely have had the burger if I'd known.  Still working my way up to vegemite, I wasn't feeling overly experimental.  I'd never eaten shark and likely wouldn't want to find out, running to the safe haven of a juicy burger.  But alas, what I learned that day is: Them sharks is tasty!

I thanked Peter for the suggestion vowing to sample more sharky fish and chips before leaving the continent.  I wandered inside to pay for lunch, but my card wouldn't work!  Hmmm.  I told my bank to expect charges in Australia.  Luckily a nearby ATM accepted the foreign card and the day was saved. 

We walked to a nearby grocery, and just for fun we looked for Fosters Beer.  In America, the commercial goes: "FOSTERS!  AUSTRALIAN FOR BEER".  In reality, not only do Aussies loathe the stuff, it is hard to come by.  We looked at an entire wall of beer, but Foster's was nowhere to be found.

Back home, little Georgia was still unsure about the new guy.  Despite my candy, she was still very shy around strangers.  Peter and I stayed up late watching TV and I answered emails from friends.

The next day would be something truly special.  Peter would take me up to the Healesville Animal Sanctuary deep into the woods that were ablaze last month.  On the way, Peter showed me a house where a firefighter was found inside.  As we ventured deeper into these world famous woods which had just made worldwide news as Australia's worst natural disaster, what I found was that in many places, it wasn't total destruction.  It was strange actually.  You could drive and see total verdant green, only to end up in blackened tree trunks and burnt metal highway signs, then back to green again. 

Peter didn't get up this way too often and got around with the help of a map.  As we climbed further into the mountainous woods 50 miles north of Melbourne, the road around Kinglake became lonely and very winding.  It must have been impossible to drive these narrow, windy roads in the thick haze.  Indeed there were numerous traffic accidents by residents who tried to flee at the last moments, causing most of the fatalities.  We passed by one cliffside marked off by police tape.  But then it was green again.

The animals of the Healesville Sanctuary were largely evacuated to the Royal Melbourne Zoo, but luckily the Sanctuary was untouched by the fires and was open for business. 

We paid and wandered inside to see the native creatures of Australia.  First were the birds of prey, who were being shown off in a show in the amphitheatre.  These were some smart birds.  One even cracked open an egg with a stone in its beak!

Then we walked through a large cage full of exotic birds, then it was to the open air enclosures of koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, kookaburras, Tasmanian devils, wombats, pelicans, and then lunch.  I bought lunch and pitched in for the petrol out here.  The pickings were slim as it was getting late in the day.  All that was available were hot dogs and chips.  Slightly scary stuff those weiners, so I declined and picked off Peter's chips.

We made it in time for the cool koala show where a trainer adeptly told us little known facts about one of Australia's most symbolic creatures.  And I never thought it would happen, but I got to pet a dingo.  Those would be scary to encounter in the wild, and even now we were advised to keep our hands away from the head, but it was way cool to interact with one.

On the way back home, Peter spotted a Ford Mustang with its steering wheel on the left like in the USA!  A weird sight indeed in Melbourne!  Just then I received a phone call from Craig, a cool guy I met at the show in Sydney.  He had kindly invited me to stay with him in Sydney on the way back to the airport in Brisbane.  I wanted at least one day to goof off in Sydney on my own and just explore, so I reluctantly declined the offer.  Besides, Craig had plans to see New York later in the year, and we would perhaps hook up then.  He promised to send me some cool rare Depeche Mode when I returned home, which I received.  Thanks, Craig!

Peter was a bit dragged out after seeing the three Numan shows and stopped at a McCafe for some coffee as I scored some McLunch.  I recounted to Peter how dragged out a Numanoid can become doing 10 Replicas shows in 11 nights like I did last year.  Sleep was a luxury but the excitement of the Numan performances (and plenty of Coca-Cola) kept me going!   

We spend the evening watching the Replicas DVD Peter just scored in the mail.  It had just came out so I hadn't seen my copy yet.  Peter played me some Australian music he thought I'd like, sticking in a Presets CD.  I told him that Donald in Sydney played me some of their videos and I was really impressed.  I would have to pick up some of their stuff before I leave. 

Australia has some of the strictest gun laws in the world.  Peter and I had discussed the pros and cons of allowing the ownership of guns so a citizen wouldn't have to wait 10 minutes for the police to save them during an armed home invasion, and the fact that an armed populace lessens the chance of such an invasion and frees up the same police to deal with those who flaunt the law.  We watched the news that evening to see a report about a mass shooting in Alabama.  Peter looked at me and said, "You really need to do something about your guns".

The next day was my last day in Melbourne.  My overnight train for Sydney would leave at 8:35 in the evening.  I offered to buy lunch as we wondered where to go.  We decided to get to Red Rooster.  This fast food chain was everywhere in Oz.  Indeed, their advertisements extolled the pride of eating at Red Rooster which was exclusively Australian.  This was my chance to see what all the fuss was about!

 Once more during this trip, I needed an Australian to translate my fast food order to the girl at the cashier.  Peter apologised on my behalf saying, "He's a foreigner."  I paid for lunch and we found a seat by the window.  All day, we played Numan trivia, trying to stump the other.  Peter asked questions like, "Where did Gary get the brooch on the cover of Dance??" 

He found it hard to stump me except for one question on the drive over.  He asked me which ear Gary wore the earring on the cover of Telekon.  I guessed wrong after which he rolled down his window to shout: "WOOHOO!  I Stumped The Machman!".

The Red Rooster food wasn't bad, but nothing to crow about.  LOL!  Get it?  Never mind.  Anyway, it wasn't enough.  Peter and I split some chicken strips before we left.

Back home I watched Georgia as Peter and Trish ran a couple of errands.  Finally, and with hours to spare, Georgia and I were playing together like old friends.  We marched around the living room as if on a hunt for treasure and made a cake out of paper, jar lids and pen tops. 

When they returned I thanked both Peter and Trish for the incredible hospitality.  They made my stay comfortable and I felt very welcome there.  I was lucky to have them as friends.  I swiped the last of my laundry drying in the backyard and collected my gear from my room upstairs.

Trish was surprised I just had a duffel bag and a backpack.  I travel light to make room for all the souvenirs to lug back home!  The Red Cross donations were in Peter's garage with plans being made to hand over.  The Red Cross receipt for the amount donated was on the NAGNFC as part of the May update.  I was proud of the Numanoids who came through for our cause at the Melbourne show.  I hope we made a difference to someone in need.

Peter drove me to the train station.  Driving once more around the gorgeous bay I thought about how lucky I was that it was so cool.  Only recently it was hard to breathe with all the smoke from the fires, it was 117F (47C) and power outages meant the air conditioners couldn't be counted on.  Beaches were empty during the day as it was too hot.  It still hadn't rained for several weeks now, but at least the temperature was very comfortable during my time in Melbourne.

But as we approached downtown, the sky opened up.  It was RAINING!  Real rain!  I felt overjoyed for the people here.  So many prayers unanswered until now.

All too quickly, we were at the train station.  I told Peter he didn't have to stick around to see me off as I didn't want to burden my host any further by getting him wet in the rain.  I pulled my backpack, duffel bag and large Numan poster given to me by Melbournian Phillip in appreciation of the website.  Peter joked that he was hoping that I would forget the poster in his car.  LOL! 

He stepped outside for a smoke to watch me cross the street and at the station, I gave him a wave and shouted a hearty "NUUUUUUUMAN!!!"

I wandered inside to drop off my luggage for the baggage handlers and noticed I still had a half hour to kill.  I ventured outside for one more visit to the Krispy Kreme, my first and now last stop in Melbourne.  The rain fell in brushing sheets now, as if wiping away drought.  Now it was a monsoon, and crossing the streets of Melbourne was difficult for the wide rivers that ran in torrents along the street curbs.

Residents smiled joyfully and strangers laughed with each other at crosswalks.  "Looks like we're going to need our snorkel gear to cross the street!".  I walked back from the Krispy Kreme to catch my 14 hour train to Sydney as I was getting drenched in the rain.  The sweet, sweet rain. 

Nearby the large white ferris wheel sat alone, still unused.  It was finished just weeks ago, but the searing heat warped its mechanisms rendering it useless.  But here on my last day, there was no more choking on dry air as a normal constant.  Horns beeped, people jumped over rushing streams, and memories of the hottest, driest summer in Melbourne's history were wiped away like tears in the rain.

On the train I whipped out my monster-sized package of Goldfish crackers I'd brought from America.  Nightfall descended on the city as we waited past the departure time.  It was announced our train was broken and attempts were being made to fix it.  I drive locomotives back home and my mind ran a long list of possible scenarios that were going on in the cab of the diesel locomotive which hopefully would pull us into Sydney tomorrow morning.

Back home, if we couldn't find the problem with the train, we'd call the yard's flying squad which came out to help us diagnose the problem.  Surely this is what was happening.  9:00 came around and we continued to sit.  Finally at 9:15 the vexing problem was solved and we were on our way.

Conductors took orders for gourmet meals from the kitchen.  I knew there would be a selection of yummy sandwiches from the all night snack car so I opted out of a big dinner.  I listened to Howard Stern radio shows and local FM radio as we rolled through the remaining Melbourne suburbs into the hinterlands.

The monster Numan poster I was given in Melbourne was placed in the overhead bin high above, but it rolled pretty deep inside.  I would have to get some help retrieving it tomorrow morning.

Finally hunger got the best of me and I scored a tuna sandwich, crisps and a Coke from the snack car.  I knew this would help me sleep.  And tumble asleep I did, contorting myself into a sleeping position to the sounds of Howard Stern.

It was 3:00 in the morning as all the passengers were jolted awake to what sounded like a jarring crash.  It felt as if the tracks took a sudden 90 degree left turn as we bound around the curve at high speed.  My poster was shaken out of its deep overhead compartment and hit someone in the head across the aisle.  Luckily in his sleepy stupor he accepted my apology.  I placed it by my feet and looked out the window.

Dear Reader, I hope I can describe what I saw accurately.  And I definitely wasn't dreaming it.  I looked out to see what looked like a lunar landscape, with the occasional eucalyptus tree or two on the lonely horizon as we rolled past.  The moon shone a limited glow casting the trees' shadows on this strange vista.  With no visible grass, the entire landscape looked like an incomplete computer rendering.

I kept staring.  No lights at all for miles, not one.  No houses, no streets, just this eerie dreamscape.  But it wasn't flat.  I stared mesmerised long enough to watch distant hills get closer and pass us by.  As Numan once said, "There's nothing here but us.  There's nothing here but us."

We did have a snorer on board, and I felt bad for the woman seated next to him across the aisle from me.  But eventually I fell back asleep.

  The train was due in Sydney at 7:00 am but thanks to the initial delay, we arrived just before 8:00.  That was fine with me.  I would just be killing time until my hotel started checking guests in at 1:00 pm.

I was able to drop off my luggage at the hotel so I could explore Australia's largest city unencumbered.  Luckily the hotel was smack next door to the train station!  Across the street was a McD's, KFC, Subway and an all night EasyInternet like the ones I saw all over the UK and Ireland when I was there.  I took a few moments to catch up on emails. 

I wandered a couple of blocks down a main street to find a wicked cool indoor mall in Chinatown.  The place boasted several levels and shops of all kinds.  But down at street level, the Chinese flea market was the biggest I'd ever seen.  I spent the entire morning strolling aisle after aisle of T-shirts, rugs, asian-centric items, cell phone accessories, tiny food take outs, dirt-cheap Australian souvenirs, and just about anything you wanted.  I put shirts down to walk away before being enticed into incredible deals and markdowns I couldn't resist.  Hawkers shouted at me for cheap 15 minute massages with free samples to try. 

There was one shop with some wicked cool shirts, the kind I like with all the crazy writing all over them.  Just my luck, these were the only people who wouldn't haggle the price.  The best deal I could get was one for $25 or two for $40, so I picked out two.  At least with the American dollar, I was already getting a discount of over 30 percent on everything.

But that wasn't all, the other half of this large complex boasted a huge and bustling Asian grocery market.  On the top floor was a multiplex cinema.  I would have to remember that in the unlikely event I slowed down.

Further downtown, I noticed a free bus made a huge circular route down from the north of town to The Rocks and docks by the Sydney Opera House.  The bus then looped back up another main street back north to do it all again.  That was a handy way to get my bearings, and I used this great air-conditioned free bus frequently.

I hopped off to get an ice cream at Baskin Robbins and then hit the KFC.  It was a short walk through some indoor malls and side streets until I found the famed Sydney Opera House.  I walked completely around it taking video of the landmark and water taxis that plied their routes.

On the bus back north of downtown, we passed some amazing looking fountains and statues.  I meant to stop at some point and have a looksie, but it was not to be on this trip.  It was now time to check in so I could get a shower from the all-night train trip.  I also wanted to be back in time for the event the hotel was throwing for its guests, a kangaroo barbecue!  I had to do this.  What other chance would I get to sample kangaroo over the time-honoured Australian tradition of a barbecue?

Back at the hotel I spiffed up and walked outside to the Roo BBQ.  There were burgers for the timid, but the last time I ventured outside of my comfort zone and tried the sharky fish & chips, life was good.  So roo it was!  First I dressed the bun with every type of condiment so I really couldn't taste the roo just in case. 

The roo was placed on my bun and I grabbed a drink.  I sat on a step in the front and bit into my first kangaroo.  Wow, was it ever chewy.  It was described by those at the BBQ as tasting gamey, which is a pretty accurate description.

I was nearly finished when I got talking with a guy from England.  He was staying at another place nearby, but they got wind of our Roo BBQ.  He was funny to speak with and I told him about my trips to his country.  He had the same model phone as me, and I gave him some tips about getting better pictures out of its camera.  All my Numan pictures you see on the NAGNFC are from my phone camera.

He had to get up early to fly out of Sydney tomorrow morning, but still eagerly took me up on my invite to come and see the new movie "The Watchman" for the 8:30 pm showing.  It was an odd flick for a superhero movie, but was still interesting for its alternative U.S. history in the 1980s.

On the way back to the hotel he branched off to his hotel and I wished him safe travels.  I had to get some sleep as well.  Tomorrow morning, David was picking me up to see the Blue Mountains!

By now, Donald in nearby Paramatta told me about a benefit concert called Sound Relief coming up Saturday.  I was pretty sure I wouldn't go.  With bands like Coldplay, Barry Gibb, Olivia Newton-John, The Presets, Icehouse, Midnight Oil, Split Enz, Taylor Swift and Architecture in Helsinki, it was sure to be expensive anyway.

I slept soundly and woke up in time to follow David's directions.  I would take a metro train out of the station next door from my hotel to where we would meet at our rendezvous point.  David told me to be ready for an incredible day of adventure and amazing scenery.

I caught the train out just as the doors closed.  It couldn't have been timed more perfectly!  It was a double-decker train and I walked upstairs to see better.  After 40 minutes and several train stops, I walked out at my stop.  The platform was small and there was little around, but I dutifully followed David's directions and walked down to stand by the phone booth. 

I didn't know too much about the Blue Mountains really.  I saw them plastered all over tourist brochures.  And in fact, my Aussie train pass included a round trip pass to Katoomba where the most popular lookouts are.  But there is absolutely nothing like a knowledgeable local to show you around, especially a local Numanoid!

Before long, David pulled up and welcomed me aboard.  I told him how thankful I was to have this opportunity to see the sights, but he was genuinely thrilled to show me around.  David even brought some gifts.  He played a fair amount of cricket, and gave me a real Australian cricket ball, along with a fresh jar of vegemite, making me promise to try some, which I did!

As David played brand new Depeche Mode I'd never heard, I asked him if he'd seen any funnel web spiders, redback spiders or snakes around.  I would be in for a treat later that day.  The scenery was stunning on the ride to the Blue Mountains.  It started to drizzle, which added to the moody mist in the foothills of what was to come. 

We started at the Wentworth Falls lookout.  On the way to the overlook, David pointed out some actual funnel web spider holes, advising me not to stick my fingers inside.  I could promise whole-heartedly!  Antivenin from their sting was only created in 1981.  These are very intelligent spiders, actually creating trip lines at the opening of their holes as an alarm against any foreign invaders.

The mist from the recent drizzle was too thick to see the falls, but we could hear them roar mightily a mile below us.  We then stole away for the main lookout at Echo Point.  After parking the wheels, we walked to the visitor centre where we found all kinds of books about birds and spiders.  David was not only interested in orchids but is also a world authority, having discovered some species and even travels the world to lecture and sign his numerous books about orchids. 

At the lookout I got some great video of a wide open scene of nature for as far as the eye could see.  David pointed out the demarcation line of trees where the eucalyptus turned into rainforest.  He took some video of me as I narrated the scene so far.  I told the camera how lucky I was to have such a personable guide to show me around.  Thousands of people visit the Blue Mountains every day without the benefits of a personal tour from a world-renowned naturalist.

On the other side of the lookout we could see the Three Sisters, three monstrous pinecone-shaped rock formations that jutted upward from the horizon.  Then David pointed out the cable cars that actually ran from point to point almost a mile over the ground and beside the impossibly high Katoomba Falls.  I narrated another video snippet then we were off to sway high above the landscape on the Skyway cable cars!

David insisted on buying the tickets, and I promised to send him whatever he requested Numan-wise when I returned home.  The first adventure was the world's most inclined railway.  The tracks went nearly straight down several feet to an amazing lookout to the distant horizon. 

The ride began to the sounds of the theme from "Indiana Jones" as it started to descend into the depths.  It didn't go fast, but the view out the side demonstrated that you were traveling nearly vertically now.  At the bottom I shot some pictures, then we embarked on a new section that even David had never seen.  It was a new boardwalk that allowed deeper access into the rainforested section against the cliff.  Not only did this allow David to scope out more orchid possibilities, but the place (and inclined tracks) used to be a working coal mine only 30 years ago, and there were several historical signs full of information.

Along the short trail, we came across a natural spring.  The water was totally drinkable.  I hadn't seen a freshwater spring like this since a trip to northern Canada in 1994.

At the end of the boardwalk was the embarkation point for a very long and inclined cable car ride way up to the point where you could ride the horizontal cable car across the breadth of Katoomba Falls. 

As people rushed inside they pressed against the glass up the steps of the car to see where they were going.  Meanwhile, David and I had the best view in the back.  As we were lifted in elevation a mile to the next vista, nearly the full view of the Blue Mountain region was before us from our view out the back window.  This too was new to David as well.

We were both incredibly impressed with that ride up to the cliff top from the boardwalk below across hundreds of trees with one of the world's most stunning views.

But we were hardly done with the Blue Mountains.  Next was the horizontal Skyway.  As the cable car started its way across, the glass floor magically turned clear to reveal how high up we were traveling!  Cameras were pointed below and next to us at Katoomba Falls.  We were reminded how many feet were were in the air when our guide happily revealed how many seconds it would take to hit the ground from here.  I told David that the fall really wouldn't hurt a bit, it's that sudden stop.

David scored us some ice cream, then it was off to a favourite bakery of his in Katoomba where he set out to introduce me to an Australian staple, the sausage roll.  We found a great spot at a lookout by Bridal Veil Falls where a couple of monster crows showed up to eat our crumbs.  The lunch was delicious, then we set out to see the lookouts that the vast majority of tourists will never get to see. 

We took his four-wheeled vehicle, blasting Gary Numan, through the deserted back roads to incredible lookouts.  Sometimes David would stop when he saw the potential to seek out rare orchids.  The rocky outcrops in this unpopulated section served up some of the best overlooks we'd seen all day. 

We ventured out onto rocks with no railings and dropoffs of hundreds of feet.  I love getting off the tourist trail, and this foot the bill in every way!  Down one skinny dirt road, we found an overlook and walked out.  I decided to test the echoes up here.  Being Australian, David cooeed much better and louder than me.  He would shout, then hear his echo a full four seconds later!  He thought for sure there was someone answering us, and said he'd never experienced anything like this.  We started shouting "NUUUUMANNNN" and David exclaimed how cool a spot this would be for a Numan show with its natural echoes.

David asked if I liked Chinese food.  A couple of his friends would join us and his family for dinner.  I thanked him and said Chinese was awesome.

As we drove out of the Blue Mountains, I realised not many Americans got the full treatment I received that day.  I felt very fortunate for the opportunity to see this incredibly scenic place without needing to join a bus tour or going on my own.

We drove into the outskirts of Sydney to David's house where I met his family.  Colourful tropical birds sat on the overhead wires outside.  His wife and three daughters were very friendly and welcoming.  It would be David, his wife, two friends, and youngest daughter Rachael.  As David was showing me his office and his impressive library of books he'd written, the oldest daughter came in to ask me if I'd ever seen the movie "Twilight".  I actually had.  She said "See Dad?  That movie is cool!"  She was also a fan of Taylor Swift, but I had no idea I would get to see Taylor before I left Australia.

In one of David's books, he showed me one orchid he discovered, and so got the chance to name the species.  The one he discovered was officially called the 'Gemma Webb'.  I told him his books inspired me to finish the book I am writing.  David offered to proof read it for me, not only because I'm a fellow Numan fan, but because he said that the way I write these Riveting Chapters is in a style that is very easy to read.

David asked if I wanted to go in the backyard and look for redback spiders.  I'd read up on these nasty creatures on websites before leaving America.  The redback is the second-worst poisonous spider in Australia to bite a human after the dreaded funnel web spider.  But before I remembered that, the word "Sure" escaped my lips.

I apprehensively followed David out the door and into his backyard.  There was a dirt garden with a metal screen.  He reached inside and pulled out a brick.  Sure enough, on David's very frst try, there it was underneath.  A real redback!  It had already secured dinner, having killed a cockroach several times its size.  David picked it up on a stick and put it on a plastic chair for better viewing as I cautiously took pictures.  His backyard was full of life.  We also found a salamander and a Southern Cross spider.  He showed me around his greenhouse and his favourite types of orchids he'd collected from around the world.

We took two cars to transport all of us to dinner.  The oldest daughter was dropped off at a social school function.  The youngest was in the backseat as David played her favourite band, the Pet Shop Boys.  Rachael was 3 years old but knew all the words.  I was impressed with her intelligence.

In the parking lot of the restaurant, a guy in the car next to is asked if I was Rachael's father, noting the resemblance.  We walked upstairs in this shopping plaza.  This was a Chinese restaurant like none I'd ever seen.  It was a Friday night, so in the middle of the place was a small dance floor with a one man band playing all your forgotten favourites from the 1970s.  In one corner there was a sort of sports bar scene.  We chose a huge table for us all.  They knew David and his family, and were tended to by several waiters and waitresses during our meal.

I don't eat a lot of Chinese, but I know the beef lo mein is good.  The Australian Chinese never heard of this dish.  But after describing it, they brought a huge plate of it, and about nine other huge dishes on a revolving wheel in the center of the table for everyone to pick from.

The food was great and the conversation was just as fun.  Later David danced with Rachael on the dance floor.  We thought about requesting some Numan for him to play but it was not to be.

I offered to help with my dinner, but David said it was all or nothing.  Besides, he said I would need the funds to send him all the Numan goodies I wanted to ship his way.

Back at his house, I hugged David's friends and family goodbye.  It was here that I was certain about something I was wondering about.  Women in Australia will kiss a man on the cheek when saying farewell.  I found it a common practice from Queensland to Victoria.  And as far as I can tell from my travels, Australia is the only place where this is a custom.  Now if only I can get Olivia Newton-John to say goodbye!

David picked up the oldest daughter from the school function and they drove me to the train station where I could catch the metro back to Sydney and my hotel next door.  At the station I shook David's hand and thanked him for a most incredible day and for taking the time to show me scenery I'll never forget.

The platform was full of 20-somethings returning to Sydney after a night of partying.  One asked if this was the right train into Sydney.  Back at the hotel, I felt bad for the other guests who came here without knowing anyone.  Thanks to David, I felt like a VIP today and was sure I received the full Aussie experience.  But it wasn't over.

On a whim, I logged on the net and saw the reminder from Donald that the big Sound Relief concert was tomorrow.  I had no plans to go, instead touring around on an open-top bus, or checking out one of Sydney's famous beaches.  But I looked at the price, which actually looked reasonable for 12 hours of Australia's best bands.  Without thinking twice, I made the impulse decision to buy a ticket and fell asleep knowing my last day in Sydney would be one to remember.

I woke up Saturday at 7:30 am and called Donald at 9:30.  I was going to show up at the Sound Relief concert later in the day as the better bands played later, but the show would start with Coldplay.  I decided to get to the concert at noon.  Donald was still asleep but said he would call me at the concert.

I left the hotel, scored some KFC and a liter of Coke for the walk, and made my way toward the large Sydney Cricket Grounds.  Without a map, I lost my bearings and eventually looked for a taxi.  Several of them were already full, but I found one cabbie gassing up his ride.  He agreed to take me to the show.

As you might imagine, it was a slow ride.  With 80,000 expected spectators, traffic crawled.  My fearless cabbie went down a few streets looking for the quickest way.  Just three blocks away he said it may be quicker to walk and he pointed the right way.

People were walking and running to the Cricket Grounds from every direction.  Because of the traffic delays, I arrived just as the sounds of Coldplay were echoing for a mile around the stadium.  I scored my ticket at the will call and took my assigned seat in the stands.  Those who ordered their tickets earlier were in the standing section up by the stage.

After Wolfmother played, who had some songs I'd recognised, I got a call from Donald.  He was way off to the left of the stage, and the sound was more echoey, so we eventually went back to my section.  But not before I'd made friends with a couple seated near Donald.  We talked about all the bands who had volunteered their time and talent to benefit the victims of the Queensland flooding and the Victorian fires.

I thought I was the only American in attendance, but one of my new friends said he'd lived in New Jersey for awhile.

Donald and I switched seats for better sound.  We were far back, but there were two large screens on either side of the stage so we didn't miss the action.  The entire afternoon, Donald and I watched as attendees continually thwarted security by climbing over fences to get to the standing section close to the stage.  

We watched Jet, Midnight Oil, Split Enz and Architecture In Helsinki perform, then the sky opened up into a torrential rain followed by a mass exodus by many to the drier stands where we sat.  Most braved the rain, pulling up the grass-protecting linoleum to waterskate on the remaining linoleum.  Another group of 15 walked around underneath a massive slab of cardboard they found.

Taylor Swift performed to an enthusiastic crowd.  She has been in the USA Top 20 for months now.  I thought of David's oldest daughter and how much she thought of Taylor.

A moment of silence occurred for the victims of Australia's recent natural disasters, followed by appearances on the screens of Prince William and Prince Harry offering their condolences to the people of Australia.

Luckily, the anticipated Icehouse reunion occurred as the rain stopped.  Donald and I had watched tons of Icehouse videos at his place only days ago, and we were both looking very forward to seeing them.  They played songs everyone knew, even patriotically featuring the didgeridoos of Australia's Aboriginals in one song.

Everyone was looking forward to Australia's Depeche Mode, The Presets.  Night had fallen by 8 pm as they took to the stage.  Their powerful energetic performance was punctuated by the natural lightening that was frequently occurring around this outdoor stadium.  The intensity of the lightening increased until no one could tell the difference between it and the stadium's flashing concert lights.  No one could tell the difference between the thunder of the crowd and the thunder getting closer to Sydney.  It was a magical moment as everyone partied even harder in the melee.

The Presets left the stage and left everyone breathless.  Most of the young crowd left afterward, having seen who they wanted.  Donald and I stuck around for Australians Olivia Newton-John and Barry Gibb.  Donald and I had watched Olivia on an old video singing "Xanadu" from 1980, but I never thought I'd get to see her perform before leaving the continent!

By now, security had given up.  Many left after The Presets anyway, so everyone was allowed up by the stage to enjoy the action up close. 

Fully entertained, Donald and I left the stadium to his car.  I was entirely lost, but I could see downtown from here.  Luckily, Donald gave me a ride to my hotel.  On the way, we saw some incredible nightlife going on around Oxford Street.  I thanked Donald once again.  Without him I wouldn't have thought to go to this amazing event.  I shoved a fiver in his ashtray for petrol and we waved goodbye.

I was surprised to see so many out and about in the section around the hotel.  At the Sydney Cricket Ground, it looked as if most of the city turned out to party!  I fell asleep, comforted for certain this time in the knowledge that I had gotten the full Australian experience.  I saw her best bands, saw some of her best scenery, ate her sharks, petted her koalas and kangaroos and owned a cricket ball and a jar of vegemite.  But what trip to Australia is complete without a visit to the Crocodile Hunter's Australia Zoo?  I would have to visit before flying home Tuesday.

I woke up early Sunday, and checked out of the hotel.  I stopped once more at a cool take out nearby I'd fallen in love with.  It was good, cheap and friendly with umbrella tables.  A great place for people-watching, too.

I stopped into a bookstore in Sydney's train station that specialised in railroad books.  They had several model displays.  I didn't tell them I worked for a railroad, but silently killed time looking around the wares.  I walked into town knowing it would be my last foray into this continent's largest city.  I stopped at Baskin Robbins, KFC, then saw a parade of green as Sydney's St. Patrick's Day Parade was taking place.

I walked once more around Sydney's Opera House.  By the boat docks, there was a huge Aboriginal playing his didgeridoo to the dance beat of a CD as a large tour group set out from the dock behind him.

But I had to catch the 4:20 pm out of Sydney, arriving in Brisbane at 5:30 am the following morning.  The railway was under maintenance, so it was a coach bus for us today.  I made sure to get a spot in the front of the coach.  The bus made its way over Sydney's famous Harbour Bridge as I got one last video of the Opera House and the surrounding environs.

The bus stopped every three hours or so to give passengers 45 minutes to explore the rest stops off the highway.  These rest stops included several food chains, little grocery shops, bookstores, electronic accessory shops and even slot machines.  I watched one woman win some cash.

As night fell, we were treated to an amazing tropical light show.  There was no rain, just lots of impressive lightening on the horizon ahead of us.  I fell asleep after midnight, but awoke as the bus stopped in small villages to drop off or pick up passengers.

We arrived to Brisbane's Roma St. Station in the darkness of 4:30 in the morning.  As the driver unloaded everyone's bags, I looked down to the pavement to see the largest cockroach I'd ever seen.  I made sure to get some video of it before it got stepped on, as it was close to the action.

Now I had some time to kill before my 8:15 am train left for Beerwah and the Australia Zoo 90 minutes north.  My hotel in Brisbane wouldn't check in until at least noon, so I used some automated lockers in the station which were large enough for both my bags.

I bought my train ticket from the booth.  Conveniently, they sold zoo tickets at the same desk as well!  A quick breakfast at McDonald's, then it was a short wait at the platform.  The train pulled out of Brisbane and started to roll through some prehistoric-looking scenery.

Soon the announcement came over the speaker: "The next stop if Beerwah.  If you are going to the Australia Zoo, this is your stop!"  Apparently, they've had some less savvy travelers stay on board all the way up the coast of Queensland.

Once in Beerwah, a Zoo Bus pulled us to take us on the short ride to where the animals waited for us to gaze upon them.  The friendly driver explained how to catch the Zoo Bus back to the train station.  The Zoo looked like it was in the middle of wilderness.  Once there, my first stop was the large gift shop to buy a shirt for the day.  I hadn't had the chance to wash up since Sydney, so at least I would be wearing new clothes.

The bus driver advised the best way to start was to take the free shuttle around the perimeter of the park to get our bearings.  The guides on the tram shuttles were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. 

Having done the circular trip once around, I started at the beginning where several alligators and crocodiles were soaking up the sun.  Further in the park was the chance to queue up to feed an elephant.  We were all given pieces of fruit to give to our mighty beast.  We were advised not to stand for pictures to keep the queue moving, but this was so they could take your picture and sell it back to you at the photo shop.  Luckily, I had a vidcam and got everything in real time.

I did make a purchase at the photo shop though.  They offered pictures of you holding 9 foot Burmese Pythons or tiny American Alligators with rap star names.

After checking out koalas and exotic birds, I made my way to the Crocoseum, made famous on Steve Irwin's show The Crocodile Hunter.  The show began with Steve's bloopers on the big screen.  Trainers came out to rouse the crowd and begin the meat of the show.  First were the birds as they whipped around the small amphitheatre at high speed right in front of our faces.  Next came what we all came for, the crocs!  They had one come out.  He was pretty fat from being rewarded for his part at all these performances.  He still jumped up fairly far to reach the chicken the trainer held above the pool.

I followed secluded paths around the zoo, tropical birds walking in front of me, until I saw the camels, then the kids petting zoo.  There were tiny cows, goats and sheep all around.

You could spend time on one of Bindi's Pony Rides, then enter the Kangaroo Park.  Normally, approaching a wild roo isn't advised, but Steve's roos are docile and are used to people.  Zoo patrons laid all around the large grassy area along with the roos.  Most fed the roos some corn they purchased for the purpose.  It was a casual and unsupervised opportunity to spend time with these amazing creatures.  But I didn't tell any of the roos that I'd eaten one of their own a couple of days earlier.

Then it was away to the elephant area in the new section of the park, followed by an incredible display full of tigers.  There was a large pool and park set up for them.  You could observe them from every point, even underneath the water through the glass.  Even more amazing, three trainers were inside, with at least one in the water playing with these large, powerful cats.  Once in awhile, a trainer would throw a toy into the water up against the glass, followed by a large cat throwing itself against the same glass with a loud splashing THUNK, giving us some amazing picture-taking opportunities.

Like the Sound Relief concert, I really didn't think I would have time to get to the Australia Zoo.  I had just arrived from Sydney, threw my bags into a station locker and took another ride to get here.  But like that concert, I was really happy I did.  Some big Crocodile Hunter fans back home talked me into going so I have them to thank.  I likely never would have otherwise, opting to explore more of Brisbane on my last day in Australia.

I found an extra Zoo map for those friends back home and went to the front to wait for the Zoo Bus back to the train station.  As I waited, there was some excitement going on to the right of me.  Up an outside wall of the Zoo climbed the largest, blackest spider I'd ever seen.  It caught the interest of some Zoo trainers who pulled up in a special animal retrieval van.  They pulled out special netting to catch this monster which no doubt is sitting today in some enclosure inside.

Train riders made their way back to Brisbane looking over souvenirs they'd purchased today.  As the train pulled into Central Station, it started to rain.  I grabbed my belongings out of the station locker and found the local to Fortitude Valley where my hotel bed waited. 

 As I walked from the train station to the hotel, the rain fell harder.  I passed by one scene where the police had one man over the car in handcuffs as I wheeled my duffel bag past.  With the rain, I was concerned for the large Numan poster I was given in Melbourne.  It was in a cardboard tube which was becoming wet.  I flagged down a taxi for the remaining two blocks. 

I made it back to my hotel just in time, with 15 minutes to spare before they stopped checking in guests.  They knew me from the time I stayed here about three weeks earlier.  The March summer waned and it was much cooler in the room than the oppressive heat that gripped me last time. 

With all the rain, I was less concerned with poisonous critters making their way inside the room, so I threw open the balcony doors which created a heavenly cool breeze inside the room.

It was here that I'd discovered a small opening in the side of my duffel bag where some threads had come undone, but it was a perfect size to hold the monster poster tube lengthwise inside the bag.  Awesome! 

I watched some TV.  They were showing an episode of that Australian gangster crime series I started watching at Peter's place.  I fell asleep now with no doubts left in my mind I had now been exposed to the fullest Australian experience on this trip in this history of humankind.  I'd seen Icehouse, Midnight Oil, ONJ and Barry Gibb perform, saw the Crocodile Hunter Zoo and wild killer spiders, played a didgeridoo, did the three largest Aussie cities, explored the Blue Mountains the Moomba Festival, got primed on Aussie pop culture at Donald's, drove the Pacific Highway by car, train and bus, sampled an Aussie burger at Hungry Jacks and now owned vegemite and a boomerang.  And I owed it all to Gary Numan who inspired me to fly here in the first place to see history.

My flight left in 12 hours, so I fell into the haze of slumber's sleepy clouds silver-lined with the thoughts of this adventure half a world away.

I woke up at 7:00 in the morning.  I had lots of packing to do, to separate all I wanted to bring on the plane from the checked luggage.  Luckily the train station was nearby and the airport was just a fast trip away.

I received a call from the folks concerned that I'd woken up in time.  Very thoughtful.  I definitely didn't want to miss my ride back over the Pacific.  I showered, mindful for the last time of conserving the water. 

I spent a couple moments on the internet in the lobby.  I knew by now that time on the computers before the office opened was gratis. 

I walked to the train station to a sunny day for flying.  Everything was clean from the previous night's drenching.  I scored a ticket direct to the airport and made my way inside.

The wait at the Qantas gate was short.  I got talking with a guy about his trip.  The lady at the check-in desk was really cool.  I was hoping the poster in the cardboard tube would pass muster sticking out of the hole in the duffel bag and all taped up like that.

After speaking with her, I discovered she used to live in Niagara Falls, Ontario, about 10 minutes from where I lived from 2005-2007.  She offered to check my bags all the way to Ithaca.  This was incredible!  I didn't know that option existed!  Not only would I now save the baggage fee from Los Angeles to Ithaca on Northwest Airlines, but now I would be unencumbered from the luggage to explore Los Angeles for the day I had to kill there if the Qantas flight arrived in time.

I thanked her and she wished me a great flight.  My friend back home was right.  Qantas is awesome.  I made my way over to the souvenir shops and bought some chocolates for some family back home.  Before the security gate was a food court with all types of food.  It was Red Rooster for me to sample one more taste of quintessential Australia before hopping off for the Americas.

  After gate security, there was an additional queue.  This time, passports were checked to make sure no-one overstayed visas, I think.  They saw the state of my laundered passport and kindly said that if I returned to Australia, I would need a new passport.  I told them I had no plans to return.

Passports and airline tickets were checked once more before being allowed to the boarding gate.

The plane was pretty empty.  In fact, as I sat in my window seat, it looked as if the two seats next to me would remain empty for the flight, but as the doors closed, a young friendly Indian girl sat next to me in the aisle.

During the flight, I took the advice of friends and got up to stretch my legs and walk around at every opportunity.  I would wait until the girl left, then unbuckled myself to hike around the cabin and lift my feet up behind me to help the circulation, ever mindful of feet and belongings in the aisle.  I respected the flight attendants all the more after dealing with these obstacles. 

It was a dark and comfy flight as everyone sat in their own world, hypnotized by their monitor screens, or fast asleep in worlds the English language can only fail to describe.  Every now and again, a flight attendant would gingerly make their way down an aisle holding a small LED light to show you what was on offer, usually a bowl of fresh apples or glasses of water.

 Thanks to the time zones and the international date lines, I actually arrived in Los Angeles before I left.  We touched down in L.A. at 7:00 am, four hours earlier than when we left!  US Customs were friendly.  He seemed surprised I'd been overseas so long.  I guess most trips are much shorter.  And I received the usual "Welcome home".

My large duffel bag was checked though to Ithaca, so now I could grab the metro and explore.  My flight left LAX at 11:30 pm so I had all day to get into trouble.  When I stayed at the Travelodge here last month on the way over the Pacific, the driver suggested Venice Beach as a cool place to hang out.  I figured out the bus schedule, scored a day pass and hopped aboard one that looked like it was going the right way. 

The L.A. metro system has a cool website that will explain the way anywhere by bus or subway by just entering where you are and your desired destination.  This was a huge help, and I was able to get off at the right place and change buses no problem although I'd never taken the bus downtown here.

A guy got off where I change buses to Venice Beach.  Turns out he was from Germany and exploring as well.  We helped each other find the right number bus to the beaches and talked about our trips along the way.  He disappeared at the next stop.

There wasn't much going on yet here as it was pretty early in the morning.  There was a strange gathering on the beach.  These were definitely locals and they surrounded a community center.  Guys in the front talked with a bullhorn.  As far as I could tell, it was some kind of lottery, perhaps for a job or housing.  I stood there for awhile but I couldn't tell what it was for. 

One guy was already setting up a booth of wares on Venice Beach.  He looked like George Clinton of Parliament, and probably was actually!  Just feet away, the Pacific and a gorgeous beach beckoned to be trod upon.  I got some great video of the waves crashing on shore.  Hundreds of birds were chased away by the incoming water, then on a constant loop, ran back to shore to pick algae from the wet sand.

The scene was lonely, contemplative, and beautiful.  Beverly Hills was only a couple of miles to the northeast.  Just over a mile north in the distance, I saw the Santa Monica Pier and walked along the strands of sand toward it.  Everyone once in awhile, someone would jog past me.  Guys listened to their Ipods and girls smiled.

I'd seen the Santa Monica Pier hundreds of times in photos, but I'd never been here.  I walked the pier just as the shops along it were opening for the day.  One place was a plethora of video games and the largest collection of pinball games I'd ever seen in one place!  It was a good place to kill an hour for sure.  I saw some air hockey tables.  I love air hockey but it's really hard to play alone!

I took some video from the pier's end which featured a long history of this American landmark.  After the pier, I walked back toward the city.  There wasn't much around here.  I would love to have seen an In-N-Out Burger.  I always wanted to try the food there.  I know the burger chain is a religion out here.  I passed by a McDonald's which just wasn't going to cut it today.

The map at one bus stop looked like it was going into the heart of Los Angeles, so I waited for a bus, showed my day pass and hopped aboard.  Before long we were in Beverly Hills and rode by Rodeo Drive, with its selection of famously upscale stores boasting the finest clothes in the world.  I thought of getting off the bus but decided to press on.

I suddenly had an urge to check out Hollywood and Vine, as well as the the famed Walk of Stars.  I got off the bus at a Subway stop and made my way there.  The Hollywood/Vine stop was adorned with metal film reels all over the ceiling and walls.  The last time I was here was on the US Pure Tour in 2001.  I scanned Google Maps on my phone for an Inn-N-Out Burger but all I saw nearby was a Jack In The Box.

Not having remembered how bad the food was last time I ate at one on the Pure Tour, I waited in line to place my order.  The prices were cheap and I was looking forward to lunch.  Not than I'm picky, but whoo, was it horrible.  My meal of burgers and tacos looked good on the menu but just then, I had flashbacks of the Jack In The Box in San Diego when John Gullidge from England and I laughed at the food and found someplace else to eat.

It was a short walk to Sunset Blvd.  A friend back home told me that Amoeba Records was a must stop.  Now that I was going home, I could buy with impunity, and not have to lug the purchases much further now.

I found the large retro neon building and started salivating as I thought about the wonders I would find inside.  A guy in the front gave people claim checks for their bags and I walked inside.  This was the biggest record store I'd seen in decades!  I walked up one aisle and down the next, more amazed at what lay inside the racks. 

I found both the US and UK CD pressings of Devo's spinoff band The Wipeoutters from 2006, a DVD history on Kraftwerk, the new Scritti Politti album on vinyl, and even a vinyl bootleg by Gary Numan I'd never heard of.  It was called Hammersmith '84 with a black and purple cover.  It was only $17.99.  They had one left if you're interested.  Since I never heard of it, I thought it must be a local pressing, but I can't say for certain.

I also found a CD by Architecture In Helsinki whom I became enamored with in Australia.  I brought my purchases to the retro-looking L.A. chick at the counter.  She was really friendly and asked if I was local.  I said I was just passing through, and that I was happy I made the effort to pay a visit to her incredible shop.  She threw some extra Amoeba Records postcards and bumper stickers in my bag for me.

I saw some cool looking restaurants and was sorry I'd filled myself with Jack In The Box.  Back on the Subway, I looked at the map for other ideas about where my day pass could take me.  I paid a visit to the upscale transit center downtown called Union Station.  For a central transit location, it was pretty fancy.  Chandeliers, wooden seats and walls, and a beautifully landscaped outdoor area.

I decided to ride to the Subway's southern terminus at Long Beach.  I'd never been there but I'd heard much about it.  I was hankering for some candy just as a girl went from seat to seat selling candy from a box. 

But I never made it to Long Beach.  At a train stop overground, just south of Compton, I saw a large building with the words "Casino".  Now that would kill some time for sure.  I hopped off quickly and made my way over.

This was a weird casino at best.  It was sliced out of a hotel lobby and featured about eight card tables.  I checked my shopping bags at the desk and bought some chips.  They were playing standard Blackjack rules, but players had to pony up 50 cents to play each dealt hand.  On the upside, those who played for four hours were automatically comped a free night in the hotel.  I would have to remember this place.  Even if you lose $100 in the four hours, you at least had some fun out of it, and still scored a hotel room to stay in.  And if you won $100 in four hours?  Well then that would be a good day indeed.

I didn't win, but it was a great diversion until I had to get to the airport.  It was already 7:30 pm so I had to make tracks to LAX where my 11:30 pm flight left for Milwaukee.

The excellent L.A. transit system got me back to LAX quickly.  So quickly, that I had ample time to check out an Inn-N-Out Burger I'd noticed close to the airport parking lot on the free shuttle ride from the airport.  It would only be a quarter-mile walk or so from the airport parking lot, so I hopped off the free shuttle there and made my way.

I was amused that I wasn't the only one to think of doing this.  A couple of young guys were walking back sipping from cups from the burger chain.  I walked the perimeter of LAX in darkness along Sepulveda Blvd until I reached the end of my day's quest: a real Inn-N-Out Burger!  I would finally find out what all the fuss was about!!

As I sauntered inside, the place was full of happy eaters.  The drive-thru was hopping.  The place wasn't huge but there were a dozen young workers wearing the Inn-N-Out Burger uniform complete with white 50's diner-style hats. 

I sauntered up to the counter and my jaw dropped at the prices.  They were about half price what I would have happily paid for dinner this evening.  The guy asked what I wanted for dinner.  I told him I'd never been here and asked what he recommended as an introduction to the food here.

He said that first he recommended a hat, as he pulled out one like the one everyone behind the counter wore.  Cool!  I ordered the standard burger and fries and was given a number, waiting off to the side as others walked in.  One of the young girls who worked there overheard this was my first time at Inn-N-Out.  She walked over to ask me where I was from that I'd never eaten here.  I told her I lived in New York, and was just killing time on the way back from Australia.  Her eyes brightened at this.  She said it was her dream to make it to Australia one day.

I put on the white 50's diner-style hat which made the workers and customers smile.  I found a seat to eat and read some newspapers.  The food wasn't bad at all, and I wolfed it down as I continued to wear the hat.  As I walked to the trash to empty my tray, the girl asked how my first visit to Inn-N-Out was.  I gave her my compliments to the chef.  She told me to come back soon, and I told her to fly to Australia as soon as she could, as she would really like it there.

As I walked out I took a picture of the restaurant, and got a scare as a massive jumbo jet roared by only 100 feet above me toward the nearby tarmac.  Some more passed overhead, but I got used to it by then.

I hopped on the free shuttle to LAX from the airport parking lot to check in and walk past security.  Once I was into the gate area, things were quiet and I plugged my PSP and cell phone into some provided outlets.  One woman saw my Amoeba Records bag and we got talking about the cool items we'd found there and music in general. 

As I sat another woman told me there was a gate change.  I knew of it, but I thanked her and soon collected my stuff to move to the new gate.

As always, I tried to be the last one aboard, so I could get bumped and score free goodies.  But with the economy, it just wasn't happening.  This had been a full day, and I slept the entire way to Milwaukee as there was only pitch black out the window anyway.

It was a four hour flight, but the time zones struck again, and it was only 2:30 am by the time we arrived in Milwaukee.  There wasn't anything to do in my terminal, where my next flight embarked for Detroit at 6:30 am.  Rather than leave into the airport in search of things to do only to wait in line at security to get back here, I found an AC outlet by some seats and whipped out some movies I hadn't seen on my PSP.  I easily killed some time until my next flight left.

I still couldn't get bumped, but I got talking with one guy in line to get on the plane to Detroit.  He always slapped the plane for luck as he boarded like I did.  He also said he always farts in first-class as he walks back to cattle class.

It was only a 35 minute flight to Detroit.  This was my seventh of eight flights on this trip and I could recite the emergency procedures by heart by now.  But I was looking forward to checking out my favorite airport again.  One flight attendant was making friends with a child behind me, talking together the entire way.

In Detroit, I had a couple of hours to kill.  I didn't want to eat here as I knew dinner would be waiting for me back in Ithaca compliments of my family.  I walked through the psychedelic underground people mover of sound and light once more, and walked the length of one terminal, taking its train the way back to the other side where I purchased some water for the next flight and a paper to read now.

At the cool-looking fountain of dancing waters, a girl dressed as a Japanese Geisha sat on the ground to tea as others snapped photos.

 The flight to Ithaca was short and sweet.  I'd been away for nearly a month.  It would be good to be home again and update the NAGNFC with all the pics and Riveting Chapters.

The plane touched down on the place in the world I call home.  I'd made it!  I survived the poisonous snakes and spiders!  And I made some very special Nu-friends half a planet away.  My entire vacation raced before my eyes as it died.  But my folks and brother were there to greet me with open arms as I left the security gate. 

But the sounds of didgeridoos would always resonate in my psyche for as long as I live.  Thanks to all the awesome Aussies I met, and thanks for making me feel like home when I hadn't ever been further away.

THE END

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