The terminal is right opposite a large window and I have to position my body and the text box so as to be able to see my typing.

Aussies - on the way through security my rucksack and I had a wand waved in/over us (the wand was IN the rucksack, and OVER me) and then some paper was analysed. Nobody explained to me what it was. What was it?

I'm having weird "my holiday is over" feelings even though I know I've three more days in Perth... it's very strange.

So that's the natcon over. I've had a really good time and met loads of lovely people but I appear to have broken my voice, quite badly. Tomorrow I'm off to Perth for the last leg of the trip.

... in a Mary Martin bookstore in Melbourne, enjoying the relatively cheap internet access. I've spent the past couple of days in the company of Melbourne RD fandom. At least two of them I'd already met when they visited the UK but it was good to finally meet Essjay and Myf. Alison and Dean looked after me really well and Alison really excelled herself by playing Netball half way through dinner last night.

I'm just over the road from the Natcon hotel and will be wandering over soon to check in properly.

strangedave and I are convinced that there is a really good room party going on somewhere and we just have to find it. It's the only explanation.

tobesv, you'd better sit down.

They closed the bar at 11.20 last night.

The dealer's room appears to open at 8 a.m.

Programming begins at 9!

Even *I'm* finding it a bit too early.

I've just enjoyed a slab of Roo with garlic mashed potatoes. If they keep feeding me so well it's unlikely I'm coming back home.

Koalas - heavy, fluffy and smell of eucalyptus.

I thought it might be polite to let you all know that I've arrived in Australia safely and am now officially touring.

The trip over was fairly uneventful. I managed to record faithfully my destination and contact details so breezed through customs. The huge HAVE YOU ANY FOOD! AT ALL! notices panicked me into revealing my mints - yes, I shook my Tictacs at an Australian customs official. strangedave met me in Perth, fed me tea, and made sure that I got from the International terminal at Perth airport to the Domestic gates: it appears that they share a runway but very little else and five hours may not have been sufficient time to get from one end of the airport to the other. I am very grateful that he came and collected me, made me tea and got me to the right place in good time.

Since I arrived on Adelaide dmw and dalmeny have cared for me admirably. I've had two lovely meals, met Yvonne and other local fans and had a full nights sleep for the first time in days. Last night was the first time I fell asleep and woke up and hadn't changed timezone - we are travelling out today and I'm worried that at some point I'll have to reset my watch again. Plans for the rest of the week include marsupials, wine, markets, second-hand bookstores and, if I have anything to do with it, penguins. To the side of me hh fishlifter has just shouted "alpaca" and is highlighting the cheesy delights of the Adelaide Hills. That's cheesy as in the comestible, not as in disco balls and Cinzano.

I'm having fun and I'm looking forward to a whole day without sleeping.

Despite my ineptitude causing my credit card account to be suspended due to suspected fraud, not realising I'd need some sort of visa for Australia and what I will refer to as the "New Zealand Wobble" I have an almost complete itinerary for my GUFF trip.

Saturday 26th May - EMIRATES Leave Manchester at 20:50. Arrive Dubai 07:00, local time, Sunday 27th May.
Sunday 27th May - Depart Dubai at 10:05 after browsing consumer electronics. Arrive Perth 0:55, local time, Monday 28th May.
Monday 28th May - QANTAS Depart Perth at 06:20 after 5 hours of lying on a bench, probably. Arrive Adelaide at 10:40, local time, where dmw and dalmeny have promised not to make me walk around a lake in order to see off the effects of jetlag. I'll also have the fishlifter's there to help me acclimatise to Australian life. Remain in Adelaide until...
Friday 1st June - AIR NEW ZEALAND Leave Adelaide at 11.30 and arrive in Wellington at 21:00, local time. I change planes in Auckland and I'm considering buying something in every airport so I can have the 2007 GUFF trip memorial carrier bag collection. In Wellington I'll be attending Conspiracy 2 and meeting with NZ fans including Norman Cates, aka "superb bloke".
Tuesday 5th June - AIR NEW ZEALAND Leave Wellington 12:15 and arrive in Melbourne at 17:25, hopefully into the caring arms of hnpcc. Her and shnetti will look after me until...
Friday 8th June - Convergence 2. The convention the trip is all about. I'm there until the day after the con...
Tuesday 12th June - I should be flying to Perth but this is the part of the trip I haven't actually sort yet. I still need to contact strangedave and find out where he'll be and when he'll be travelling.
Friday 15th June - EMIRATES Depart Perth 22:55, arrive Dubai 05:45, local time, Saturday 16th June.
Saturday 16th June - Depart Dubai at 07:55 and arrive Manchester 12:25, local time, hopefully greeted by my_dad who'll take me home and pour me into bed!

( Things still to do )

I am now flying with Emirates from Manchester to Perth and back again. This is at the relative bargain price of £660, and I'll remind myself of that when I'm sitting in Perth airport waiting for a connecting flight to Adelaide.

Then, today, someone asked me if I had a visa. "A visa?" I said, "I need a visa for Australia?"

That's tomorrow's job.

I have to send a head and shoulders shot to Australia. I'd love to send this one...



...But I think the quality isn't good enough for publication.

Anyway - how does Manchester - Perth - Wellington - Melbourne - Adelaide - Manchester. Planning the most time effective trip could tax the reatest of minds and so I haven't a chance.

GoH's - what should I read by Isobelle Carmody, Eric Flint or Marianne de Pierres?

Hello! I had friend notification set and was quite amused to see how many people were reading LJ at 9 a.m. :)

After the shock came the pleasure, then after the pleasure came the panic. My wonderful nominators bore the panic-stricken posts with patience and forebearance. I can't express my gratitude to the fishlifter's enough - the fanzine was wonderful - and hawkida, jamesb and strangedave who did brilliant work drumming up votes for me. Even poor hnpcc, who found herself in Egypt for the bulk of the campaign, remembered to push the fund on LJ when she got back! I was also stunned by other fans who, independently, took up the baton on my behalf. Particular thanks to frandowdsofa and all at sheffield_sf for the "lots of fandoms have a North" support, tregenza for pushing me on yearoftheteledu and dougs for subtle and amusing reminders to vote on his LJ. I don't want to get extra gushy but I do know that it was the physical votes that count so thanks, again, to everyone in fandom who voted for me. I went into the campaign thinking I'd be happy to get 10 first place votes, over 20 would have been seriously pleasing. The actual number of votes nearly knocked me off my feet.

So, then, onto business. Having finished flapping around in stress I've now sat down and thought about what I'm going to do. I've sorted the cat [1], I haven't asked Caroline but I'm sure she'll look after the Brownies for a few weeks and Dad is happy to water the allotment. The next thing to do was to look up flights.

By Gum! Australia and New Zealand is a huge geographical area, and, predictably, somewhat complicated to get to from the North West. I think my favourite route to Wellington so far took me via four different countries (sadly I didn't bookmark it, and now I can't find it again). One suggestion is that I travel to Heathrow by car/train and then fly direct from there but getting to Manchester is a doddle (or, in fact, a "Dad'll") and doesn't change things too much so I'm going to stick with that.

I've also started to think about prezzies for Aussies. Sadly international laws about invasive pests means I can't bring any allotment produce with me so I'm thinking about Beatles stuff. Which is a bit predictable but it's that or LFC keyrings and I don't want to remind too many people of the UK's current sporting performances...

[1] When I told Dad that I was going to Australia he thought I was joking. I think he believes that *I* believe I'm going now but doesn't expect it to happen. Ho ho ho.

I've already typed the new username in wrong twice.

GUFF stuff is moving onto here, if I remember.