Short trip to the red centre

Uluru,
originally uploaded by _bernd_.

I spent a week in Australia's red centre, which was surprisingly green due to ongoing rainfalls. Especially Alice Springs felt more like a town in a tropical area than in the middle of a desert. Luckily, the rain cleared, and I enjoyed Uluru, Kata Tjuta, and Kings Canyon in sunny conditions. Camping was also much more fun in dry conditions. I had a remarkable view of the milky way out my swag.
Besides following the typical tourist paths, it was interesting to catch a glimpse of the rich culture of Indigenous Australians, but also of their current struggles.

the balloon

the balloon,
originally uploaded by _bernd_.

After almost 4 years I submitted my thesis. It is now under examination and I expect to hear back from the examiners in June or July this year. Most likely I will have to carry out changes on the thesis, but the main part of the work is done (I hope, fingers crossed), and I feel very relieved right now.

The balloon is a Melbourne University tradition. It's a what you get in return when you submit 3 bound copies of your thesis. Some say, it's a symbol of relief due to the loss of a burden. Maybe it stands for the elevation into the ranks of an academic. Or it could just be a symbol for all the hot air produced over 4 years and printed on hundreds of pages :)

Merry Christmas!

Weekend in Sydney and Kiama

Sydney Opera House (triple exposure),
originally uploaded by _bernd_.

Lisa and I spent the last weekend of October in Sydney to catch up with old friends from Austria, and we went to the picturesque town of Kiama to celebrate the wedding of a friend and volleyball team mate. I will post more photos as soon as I find time to scan them.

Photos from a short trip to England & Austria

British Museum,
originally uploaded by _bernd_.

Due to work/studies, I spent 2 weeks in England in June 2010. It all happened on a short-term notice and was quite stressful, but interesting and insightful nevertheless. And as a further plus I had a few days of holidays in Austria at the end.

My Yashica FX-D was my constant companion throughout the trip, but it took me a while to get the film rolls developed and scanned. I'm happy to report now that the images from England are on Flickr, and that the images from Austria will follow soonish.

Aotearoa / New Zealand

Kaiteriteri,
originally uploaded by _bernd_.

Lisa and I spent 10 gorgeous days on New Zealand's South Island (Aotearoa is the indigenous Māori language name for New Zealand).
We spotted whales, swam with dolphins, went sea kayaking, walked on a glacier, ... , and Lisa even undertook a bungy jump. I think this is one of the most beautiful countries I've ever seen. Hopefully, some of the photos on Flickr manage to convey that impression.

A new favourite sport

Pakistan vs Australia 1st Test Melbourne 2009,
originally uploaded by _bernd_.

I'm getting more and more into cricket. Before I came to Melbourne I was barely aware of this sport's existence. Then I honestly thought that there could be nothing more boring than watching a game that runs over 5 days. But thanks to my previous housemate Eric, who introduced me to the game, and thanks to Lisa, who took me to the cricket at the MCG during the Christmas break, I'm getting more and more into it. Lisa patiently taught me all the basics: I know what a wicket is, or a duck, or the silly point.

It's a great game to watch, it's always exciting with each new ball, and it is interesting how the game unfolds over the 5 days. I love watching it.