(This is the Online column, written for The Southland Times)
After our wee excursion along the Murray River it was quite nice to make it back to the big smoke.
We spent a few days in Adelaide, staying far too close to the famous Haigh’s Chocolate, before hopping on a plane and flying to the sunny Gold Coast.
Where it rained.
Again.
For some reason it always rains when we arrive here. And it’s that very wet, very impressive tropical rain that bounces off the road and is accompanied by thunder and lightning.
Never mind. I spent some time (and money) yesterday at the Louis Vuitton store so it’s all good.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the availability of cheap, fast internet on my travels. I knew sending my first column, when I was in Sydney, wouldn’t be a problem but I was expecting the cost to be much more than the 20c I was charged.
My next pleasant surprise came when it was time to send my second column. We were at Swan Reach, a little town on the Murray River. For much of the time we were on the river there was no cellphone reception so I wasn’t sure I’d be able to send my ramblings back to the office.
However, the nice lady at the local dairy pointed me in the direction of the local school and a couple of lovely wee local girls offered to give me a lift there.
How friendly is that?
When I got there, I discovered the internet provided at the school’s community library was free, even for out-of-towners.
In Adelaide, the cafe-bar attached to our hotel had an internet cafe and for the grand sum of $6 I could spend an hour on the net (clearing the 577 e-mails I’d received and sending my column) and get a free cup of coffee chucked in for good measure.
Okay, so I don’t drink coffee any more, but the bloke of the house enjoyed it.
Now, here in Surfers Paradise, the internet cafe at the hotel where we’re staying is offering an hour of high-speed access for just $4.
Even better than that, the internet cafe is on the way to the bar, where I can sample my new favourite drink: vanilla Galliano and lemon squash (tastes just like lemon cheesecake, I swear).
Holidays are good.