Monday 19 February 2007

Greetings from sunny Mildura

And oh boy, is it ever sunny up here. Even at 9.15pm, sitting in a hotel room with the curtains drawn, I'm getting a tan.**

Put my foot in it rather badly with a taxi driver this afternoon when I commented on how green Mildura is compared to where I'd just come from. This was interpreted as 'whinging' - well, perhaps it was, a bit, but under the present circumstances (which we'd better assume are here to stay) sucking water out of an already desperately struggling river and throwing it with merry abandon onto lush green lawns and median strips really is a bit extravagant. Melbournians had our water culture shift a year or so ago, and so far we've survived. I like my grapes and almonds as much as the next person and watering food crops is something that has to be done, of course. But I saw the Murray from the plane window this morning for the first time in five months, and it looks dreadful.

The supermarket here sells "Bush Biscuits." Can you only get these in the bush? How amazing that would be if it were actually the case. They're made by Arnott's and appear to contain golden syrup.

Boy I'm tired.





** The kind of tan that's made of joined-up freckles

13 comments:

Ampersand Duck said...

I bet you are.

I just taught my first tertiary-level class and I'm absolutely buggered, and I'm not ripping up bits of house.

Enjoy that hotel room!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your experience

Rob said...

Heh, I recognised the screen shot of the week at a glance! Wonderful movie!

Ben.H said...

You can get Arnott's Bush biscuits in Brisbane, but they like to think they're part of the bush, in any case.

Mildura being so close to SA, can you get Arnott's Yo Yos?

Anonymous said...

From the way you talk, it sounds as if bush biscuits were not a part of your childhood lunchboxes?

Anonymous said...

I'm so excited that you've mentioned bush biscuits, because the only place I've ever seen them is in the Gap Rd IGA in Alice Springs. I've often eyed them and wondered why i've never seen them before...

My tan is one total mud of joined-up freckles.

peacay said...

Sounds a bit like water envy (perfectly understandable). If I had any money I'd plonk it in home water tank futures. I think somehow we always knew that it would head this way. It's just the guv'mint that was most taken by surprise.

Is it time for a Mad Max water sequel (Costner's flop notwithstanding)?

Ariel said...

I´ve seen Bush Biscuits in Adelaide!

I watched my landlord here in Mexico put the sprinkler in the garden this afternoon AND WALK AWAY and got a little (culture) shock. Of course, the water here is undrinkable. But still ... I know what you mean, it´s second nature to frown on green lawns now. And I´d rather have drinking water than green lawns.

Anonymous said...

I'd rather have both.

Gotta admit, though, when it rained in San Francisco, I thought, "Send some to Australia! Gowaaaaan!"

Suse said...

Oh I do like Earl Grey Baz.

Is that a new one?

Stegetronium said...

But what IS a bush biscuit? Is it an Anzac?

redcap said...

Bush biscuits disappeared about 10 years ago, I think. They just brought them back last year. When I was a little tacker, you could buy them at the school canteen spread with butter or butter and Vegemite for 10 cents. Mikhela, they're something like a giant milk arrowroot - oblong and about 10cm by 5. I think they've shrunk since they reappeared, though. From memory, they don't taste like much at all and aren't particularly sweet (hence the butter and Vegemite).

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