I don't travel much or even really go on holidays all that frequently, but that's something that is gradually changing (with disposable income it seems) and I'm a little excited by it. Late Christmas afternoon I flew to Melbourne with my housemate (Adrian) and one of his mates (Dan) to stay in Melbourne for a week to watch the Boxing Day Test and imbibe alcohol. Flying across on Virgin was more or less unexceptional - save for the fact that they gifted their inflight television package to us - and...

For as long as I remember (at least while living in Perth - 2001) I've been fascinated by the Avon Descent. I never understood what could motivate people to paddle - the motorboats I find less exciting - some 130ish kilometers from the crack of dawn over a weekend at the ass end of winter, frequently carrying getting out to carry/drag the thing in shallow areas. I've always been an outdoors, active and typically fit person, but "epic" undertakings have always left me slightly puzzled....

There's no rants thread anymore, and I'm not really sure that this will turn into a rant but I'm sure I would have posted there if it were available. Maybe the fact that it's being blogged will allow a greater opportunity for its retension for posterity, but it's the internet anyway and a blog - despite a slowly changing public opinion - is hardly gold standard material. I've never blogged before either, I read a few between quieter moments and what not but otherwise have kept out of the blogosphere...