Your worst nightmare

If you don't like spiders, brace yourselves. OK so I've made it clear that spiders here will not do you any favours if you get tangled up with one, so when someone asks if you want to see the huge webs down at the park, you would say 'no thanks' right...
So we went down to the park where I've been skateboarding, but this time we headed off the 'stay on the path if you don't want to encounter the real Australia' path and hit the 'we did warn you' dirt trail. You didn't have to go far to find yourself in an arachnophobia's nightmare. Let me paint the picture, so look to your left, a spiders web and a little fat multicoloured beastie sat plump in the middle, waiting. Look to your right, another web with another wee blighter, waiting. Look up, or rather DON'T, as the a whole network of webs with little and HUGE (i mean close to hand size huge, not that my hand was going anywhere near them) were strung across the trees that lined the path, and not high up, some just inches away from your noggin. I had second thoughts about walking under them, what if one dropped... ''shudders.'' But I got pictures, to share the delights.

feast your eyes on these wee beasties

( pictures have been darkened so you can see the web, and unintentional dramatic effect)

the classic pic

the view above (key: blobs = spiders or prey)

the (not that you want to be) close up

Swimming update, so the family have a bungee-like chord that you can attach yourself to and in essence swim on the spot, so on my first serious attempt at swimming I felt as successful as a 3 legged cat in a vat of treacle. But in fairness on my next try I assessed that I've got the strength (no surprise) and a half decent technique but the real problem is not being well practised in holding ones breath. Also its an old fear of drowning as to why I've shunned swimming for so long, but think I've sailed out of that harbour now, so full steam ahead.

I'm going to be teaching a friend guitar in exchange for Aussie elocution lessons (yes, I fully intend to have the Ozzie accent, g'day mate!), though if successful (at guitar teaching) it's been suggested that I should look at making it into a job whilst out here... interesting! watch this space. I've also had an attempt at picking up piano again, starting with the Lord of the Rings soundtrack, quality music, just not when I'm bashing it out. I will be teaching Ali science come February (and other subjects I don't find too challenging) so need to start sharpening my academic thought, which frankly seems to have departed me since leaving the education system, though this may a good thing because I don't think I should try taking about histones and methyl tags to a 9th grader.

Australia, the land of opportunity (hey maybe I could do advertisement). Au revior.