#Event tent rentals Australia

[eventdisplay]

Unveiling the Versatility of Star Tents, Star Shades & Domes in Australia with Event Display

Looking to elevate your outdoor events in Australia? Look no further than Event Display's range of Star Tents, Star Shades, and Domes! These innovative structures offer not only shelter but also style, making them perfect for a wide array of occasions. Let's dive into the world of outdoor event solutions and discover why these offerings from Event Display stand out:

Star Tents:

Transform your event space with the unique silhouette of Star Tents. These structures feature striking designs resembling stars, adding a touch of elegance and sophistication to any outdoor setting.

Available in various sizes and configurations, Star Tents can accommodate small gatherings or large-scale events with ease.

Constructed with durable materials, these tents offer protection against sun, rain, and wind, ensuring that your guests remain comfortable throughout the event.

Star Shades:

Add flair to your outdoor festivities with Star Shades from Event Display. These eye-catching canopy structures provide ample shade while creating a visually stunning focal point.

Whether you're hosting a wedding, festival, or corporate event, Star Shades offer versatility and charm that will leave a lasting impression on your guests.

Easy to set up and dismantle, these shades are perfect for events where time is of the essence. Plus, their modular design allows for customization to suit your specific needs.

Domes:

For a modern and sleek look, consider incorporating Domes into your event setup. These geodesic structures offer a contemporary aesthetic while providing a spacious and airy environment.

Ideal for art installations, product showcases, or immersive experiences, Domes offer endless possibilities for creative expression.

With their sturdy construction and weather-resistant features, Domes are suitable for year-round use, allowing you to host memorable events regardless of the season.

Customization Options:

At Event Display, we understand that every event is unique. That's why we offer customization options for our Star Tents, Star Shades, and Domes, allowing you to tailor the design and branding to align with your vision.

From custom printing to lighting and accessories, our team will work closely with you to bring your ideas to life and create a truly unforgettable experience for your guests.

Exceptional Quality and Service:

With Event Display, you can trust that you're receiving top-notch quality and service. Our products are built to last and undergo rigorous testing to ensure durability and safety.

From initial consultation to installation and beyond, our team is committed to providing you with a seamless experience and unparalleled support every step of the way.

Elevate your outdoor events in Australia with Event Display's Star Tents, Star Shades, and Domes. Contact us today to learn more about our offerings and how we can help you create an unforgettable experience for your guests.

For More Information

Website : https://www.eventdisplay.com.au/printed-marquees/custom-printed-star-tents

Email ID : info@eventdisplay.com.au

Phone Number : 02 6555 5030

[partybuster]

Experience Excellence in Event Rentals: Party Buster NYC's Tent, Table, and Chair Options

Several reputable companies stand out when finding the best party rental Brooklyn Company. Only one is better than the most; Party Buster NYC is a party rental company based in Brooklyn that offers a wide array of party rental products such as bars, chairs, tents, lighting, and catering equipment. Their dedicated professional services have earned them a reputation as the best party rental company in town. We serve in NYC and beyond, providing everything your party needs to become successful. No order is too big for us or too small – state your needs and it shall be delivered to you. We also deliver elegant prop and décor items as well as tents.

[kaorihirata]

Budget

With a total anticipated cost of $57,400 AUD, the budget for the Virtual Reality (VR) installation project has been carefully constructed to ensure that every detail is covered. This demonstrates the project's economic feasibility since it comfortably fits inside the client's budget range of $40,000 to $70,000 AUD.

VR Equipment: The cost for VR headset rentals aligns with the average market rate for a month-long period, guaranteeing accessibility for all participants.

Controllers and Base Stations: The allocation for additional controllers and base stations is crucial for compatibility and backup, ensuring a seamless VR experience.

3D Modeling and Animation: The estimated cost per minute of high-quality production adheres to industry standards for custom content creation.

Programming: The budgeted amount takes into account a moderate level of complexity, typical for specialized VR experience development.

Tents/Booths: The quoted cost for temporary structures is essential for the installation’s infrastructure.

Construction Materials: The estimated cost accounts for current market pricing and material shortages, vital for constructing the necessary structures.

Power Supply: Generator rental costs are calculated based on the VR equipment’s power requirements, securing a dependable power source for the event’s duration.

Security Personnel: The cost for security personnel is determined by the installation’s length, providing safety and security for the event.

Social Media Campaigns: The allocated budget for targeted ads and promotions is fundamental for marketing the event effectively.

Event Staff: The cost for event staff is based on the standard hourly rate in Australia, ensuring adequate staffing for the event’s needs.

Historians: The inclusion of a historian specializing in Aboriginal history brings authenticity and depth to the project, with costs reflecting standard fees for professional services.

Feasibility Assessment: The project is highly feasible, with each cost component justified against current market rates and industry standards. The inclusion of a historian ensures the cultural and historical accuracy of the content, adding significant value to the experience. The budget has been carefully balanced to provide a high-quality VR experience while remaining fiscally responsible, ensuring the project’s success within the client’s financial parameters.

[sublimeobservationarcade]

Australia’s Housing Crisis Is Not New

The housing crisis we are currently experiencing here in Australia, with rents going through the roof and a shortage of rental stocks, seems to be something terrible and uncharacteristic of the nation but it isn’t. Australia’s housing crisis is not new, in fact, it is a well-trodden path that we appear to traverse quite regularly. History tells us that housing has been a persistent problem upon our fatal shores for as long as white settlement has been around. There have been peaks and troughs but a shortage of housing stock has been the constant over hundreds of years. Therefore, the federal government’s identification of the cause may not be reason enough to hold out hope for any quick solution to this perennial issue.

The Housing Crisis & Australian Governments

Governments are saying, if there is a shortage we will build more houses but this has been much harder to achieve than mere words suggest. National cabinet has come together to meet the challenges presented by so many levels of government involved in housing in this country. Local governments, made up of volunteer councillors, have traditionally been involved in limiting development in their locales. Low density housing has long been a desirable outcome in this regard for those wishing to protect and enhance property values and lifestyles in their neighbourhood. Federal and state governments are threatening to impose their will upon recalcitrant local governments to combat this. History tells us, however, that this problem does not easily go away.

The History Of Housing Affordability Crises

 The housing affordability crisis in Australia has a long history in white settlement terms. Tent cities around Melbourne and the goldfields were common in the early 19C. These morphed into low grade structures, like the workers cottages and slums in the inner cities of the capital cities. “In Australia’s early years, much of the housing stock was of poor quality, often overcrowded, and posed real risks to people’s health. Slums were common in the inner parts of the major cities and in many country towns. As late as 1915 bubonic plague was a reality in the poorer parts of our cities and other contagious diseases remained an ever-present risk. Numerous letters to the editor documented a real social concern with the housing standards of the poor. Government intervention, economic prosperity and tenancy laws all improved housing conditions across Australia. Within a century Australia was defined by good housing and high rates of home ownership. The nation saw off the last of its slums in the late 1940s.” - (https://mspgh.unimelb.edu.au/news-and-events/archive-news/why-100-years-without-slum-housing-in-australia-is-coming-to-an-end) Australia was not the wealthy place it is for many today and the structures which housed its inhabitants reflected that reality. “As the Second World War drew to a close and the Australian federal government focused its attention on the significant task of post-war reconstruction, the problem of a shortage of affordable and suitable housing was a major concern (Troy Citation2012; Macintyre Citation2015). The cumulative effects of the Great Depression and the channelling of building materials and labour into the war effort had produced a shortage of housing estimated to be in the range of 300 000 dwellings (Commonwealth Housing Commission (CHC.  During this period, the quantity and quality of housing in Australia was extensively troubled. Dedman, the Minister for Post-war Reconstruction, argued in his introduction to the second reading of the Commonwealth State Housing Agreement Bill (CSHA, 1945), that …  the principal deficiency in Australian housing policy to date has been in respect of good standard houses to be let at rents within  …  capacity to pay. The characterisation of the 1940s Australian housing crisis as a problem of a lack of dwellings, the high costs or ‘affordability’ of housing, and the poor quality of existing housing stock is well documented, as are the policy solutions that were pursued in response to this crisis (Berry; Troy; Macintyre. Missing from such accounts is an in-depth and critical examination of how the 1940s housing crisis was constructed, especially as a series of geographical problems, and how solutions pursued in response to this crisis were justified. Such discrepancies are argued to be a feature of housing histories more generally (Jacobs ; Cole ).” (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00049182.2017.1336968)

Current Housing Crisis Pressures The current housing affordability crisis for renters and first home buyers is becoming ever more acute following the pandemic. It seems, as if business and Corporate Australia in particular are clawing back any losses and lining the pockets of their investors with record profits. This is happening at the same time that at least a third of working age Australians are struggling to pay the rent and, indeed, find rental accommodation in their neck of the woods. High inflation and the cost of living index is screwing us all with relentless rises in essentials like rent, food, and energy costs. The market is leading landlords by the nose to raise rents again and again, with rises of 20% to 30% across the board in most cities. “Australia is experiencing a period of very low rental vacancy rates and rising rent levels, which has led to what is widely recognised as a ‘rental crisis’. Indeed, the national rental vacancy rate (i.e. the percentage of untenanted rental properties against all rental properties) was at 0.9 per cent in September 2022, the lowest since April 2006 (when it was 0.8% for one month). This very low vacancy rate has been sustained for most of 2022, a situation not seen in the last 20 years.” - (https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/brief/why-does-australia-have-rental-crisis-and-what-can-be-done-about-it)

The Albanese federal government is promising a concerted effort on their behalf and by state governments to address the housing shortage. At the same time they are bringing in record levels of migration, some 1 000 per day. Migration boosts economic growth during this higher interest rate corrective time, even if they have nowhere to live in the short term. Tents are being erected again on the fringes of some cities due to the housing shortage and affordability crisis. A House Is A Home… A house is a home but has been a major economic factor in the nation and in the lives of Australians. The poorer members of our communities are suffering unfairly due to the unaffordable expense of keeping a roof over one’s head in the 21C. We have been hit by a pandemic, floods, and bushfires. Since those recent disasters, we have been mercilessly fleeced by Corporate Australia, the RBA, banks, energy companies, and businesses. Businesses like Qantas are unprepared to wear and share in the hard times with the rest of us it appears. Record profits are being declared whilst many Australians are seeing their savings and lifestyles go down the gurgler. Building companies are going bust with a dangerous frequency. Everything costs substantially more across the full gamut of services and goods. Qantas, Woolworths, Coles, CBA, NAB, ANZ, Westpac, Ampol, Woodside, Wesfarmers, Suncorp, and Santos all returned super profits. “Corporate Profits in Australia averaged 56588.40 AUD Million from 1994 until 2023, reaching an all time high of 151403.00 AUD Million in the first quarter of 2023 and a record low of 12032.00 AUD Million in the first quarter of 1995.” - (https://tradingeconomics.com/australia/corporate-profits#:~:text=CorporateProfitsinAustraliaaveraged,thefirstquarterof1995.)

Australia’s housing crisis is not new; indeed, it is a regular occurrence through our history. The wealth of the nation is booming but is in the hands of the few and not the many. The share of the nation’s wealth has shifted away from the majority of Aussies into those with vested interests. This has accelerated over the last couple of decades and been overseen by our governments. Wage growth has stagnated over the same period. The ACCC has failed us, as can be seen by the market concentration levels in almost every sector. Therefore, our governments have failed us on this score because they appoint those in charge of these regulatory bodies and fund them. Corporate Australia can set the prices due to the absence of any real competition. Our leaders have failed the nation and bagged the proceeds for their own benefit. Neoliberalism has been a smokescreen for this, promising cheaper prices via privatization but in reality distributing the wealth of the nation to well placed insider mates at the top. Nobody is ever held to account for these things and white collar crime flourishes in Australia. Those of us without our snouts in the trough are playing a mug’s game. Now, once again, we cannot afford to live in our own country. Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of Money Matters; Navigating Credit, Debt, and Financial Freedom.  ©WordsForWeb

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[partyhireadelaide]

Check out our range of party hire options in Adelaide and Surrounding Area

Adelaide Party Hire

Are you looking for the best party hire in Adelaide? Look no further than White Marquee! We're Australia's #1 choice when it comes to choosing a reliable, professional and affordable party hire service. Our range of services covers everything from marquees and furniture to lighting and sound equipment – so whatever kind of event you're planning, we can help make it happen. And with our commitment to delivering top-notch customer service and excellent value for money, you know that your special occasion will be remembered.

Party Hire Adelaide

We're Adelaide's #1 party hire, and we've got you covered for all your outdoor and indoor party needs! Whether you're having a backyard bash or a formal event, our range of marquee tents, tables, chairs, and catering equipment will make your party a hit. We guarantee a stress-free experience, so you can sit back and enjoy the party! Get in touch today and let us help you plan the perfect event.

Outdoor Party Hire

Are you throwing an outdoor party in Adelaide and looking for the best party hire? Look no further than White Marquee - Australia's #1 Event Hire! We've got everything you need to make your event perfect, from marquee hire, event hire, bar hire Adelaide and glassware hire Adelaide to tableware hire Adelaide, walling hire Adelaide, furniture hire Adelaide, party rental Adelaide and chair hire. With us on your side, there'll be no worries when it comes to planning a memorable get-together – so let's start the celebrations today!

Indoor Party Hire

Don't worry if you're throwing an indoor party in Adelaide instead of outdoors - White Marquee has covered all your event hire needs! We offer a wide range of services like tablecloth hire, cutlery hire Adelaide, glassware rental Adelaide, crockery hire Adelaide, pavilion hire and display screen hire Adelaide to make sure your occasion looks as impressive inside as it would outside. And don't forget our food warmer hire Adelaide and event equipment hire Adelaide – plus we can also provide linen hire Adelaide for that extra touch of luxury. Let us help you put on the best Adelaide Party Hire ever!

Exhibition Hire

We offer a range of exhibition equipment for hire in Adelaide, from booths to furniture and more - making us Australia's #1 Exhibition hire. Our exhibition booths are perfect for any event and can be tailored to your individual needs. If you're looking for the perfect exhibition hire, you can trust us to provide you with a quality service. Get in touch with us today to find out more about our exhibition hire options!

Exhibition Equipment

Make your expo or exhibition stand out with White Marquee's range of equipment – the #1 party hire provider in Adelaide, South Australia. We have everything you need to make your event a success, from custom display stands and stage hire to cutlery hire, festival hire, wedding hire and dance floor hire. At White Marquee, we provide top-quality event rental services at affordable prices so that you can create an unforgettable experience for all involved!

Exhibition Booths

If you're looking for a way to make your exhibition stand out from the competition, then look no further than White Marquee. We provide top-notch rental services and equipment that will help create an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. Our range of exhibition booths are perfect for any event, whether a wedding, festival or expo. Plus, we've got all the extra stuff you need, like custom display stands and stage hire. All this at amazing prices – so don't wait - contact us today!

Event Hire

Hey there! We've got you covered for your event hire needs! At White Marquee, we offer the best in table hire and chair hire to make your event a success. We've got the perfect hire options for your party, and we guarantee you won't be disappointed. Get in touch with us today and let us help make your event the talk of the town!

Table Hire

At White Marquee, we understand that table hire is crucial to any event. We have an extensive selection of tables to choose from for your special occasion, no matter the size or style! Our team will collaborate with you to ensure that all aspects of the event are taken care of, so you can relax and enjoy yourself knowing everything has been sorted beforehand. Plus, our delivery service makes it easy and convenient to deliver your party items straight to your door - no hassle! So why book with us today and make sure your next event runs smoothly?

Chair Hire

If you're looking for a chair hire for your event, look no further than White Marquee! We've got a huge range of chairs to choose from that'll make any occasion extra special. Plus, our delivery service makes it easy and convenient - just let us know what you need, and we'll bring it right to you! So take your time worrying about the details when we can take care of everything in one go - book with us today and get ready to party!

Furniture and Walling Hire

We've got your party needs covered with our wide range of furniture and walling hire! From outdoor furniture and wall décor to tables, chairs and linens, plus lighting, marquees, decorations, glassware, crockery, cutlery, barware, dance floors, heaters, and umbrellas - White Marquee has it all! Come to Adelaide's #1 party hire and get your party ready in no time. Let us help you create the perfect atmosphere for your event - get in touch today!

Outdoor Furniture

From chairs and tables to umbrellas, we've got all the outdoor furniture you need for your event! Whether it's a wedding, birthday party or a corporate gathering, our team at White Marquee have the right furnishings to make your special occasion memorable. We love seeing how our clients transform each space with our chic and stylish pieces - from sun lounges and beach umbrellas to full dining setups at any location in Adelaide. Our friendly staff are always ready to help out and guide you through choosing the perfect outdoor furniture hire for your needs. So don't wait any longer - let us take care of making your next celebration extra special!

Wall Décor

When it comes to wall décor, we've got you covered too! Our selection of stunning canvas prints and wall hangings can help add an extra touch of elegance to your event. Whether you're looking for something simple or bold, our team at White Marquee will be able to find the perfect backdrop that'll make your celebration stand out. We understand how important it is to create a comfortable atmosphere - so let us take care of finding the right pieces that'll perfectly suit your needs. With our extensive range of products, you'll be sure to find just what you need here with us!

Specialty Hire For Weddings And Festivals

We've sorted all your tableware, linen and Marquee needs for your special day. We've got you covered from heating and lighting to chairs and tables. Not to mention our range of catering equipment, audio equipment and decorations. And remember our games, dance floors, furniture, food trucks, and bars - perfect for weddings and festivals!

Tableware

At White Marquee, we know how important tableware is for any event. Our range of stylish and modern tableware sets will give your wedding or festival the perfect touch. With premium quality plates, cups and cutlery in a variety of colours and styles, you can be sure to find something that suits all tastes. Plus, if you need it, our team can deliver everything directly to your door - so you don't have to worry about anything! Let us help make your special occasion unforgettable – book now and get ready to party!

Linen

Linen can give your special day or even the extra wow factor you're looking for. Our range of quality tablecloths and napkins in a variety of colours, styles and sizes will make your venue look amazing. And if you need help tying everything together, our experienced team is here to assist with styling advice – so you don't have to worry! Plus, we'll deliver it all straight to your doorstep - no fuss! Check out our collection today and make sure your next gathering looks absolutely stunning – book now and get ready to party.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Delivery And Setup Costs?

Delivery and setup costs will vary depending on the size of the event, location and other factors. At White Marquee, we can provide you with a quote for delivery and setup upon request - give us all the details about your upcoming event, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can! We're Australia's #1 Party hire company located in Adelaide, South Australia, so you know that any deliveries or setups are going to be taken care of quickly and professionally.

How Long Does It Take For The Equipment To Be Delivered?

When it comes to party hire, time is of the essence. At White Marquee, Adelaide's #1 party hire, we understand that all good things come with timely delivery - and ours is no exception! That's why our equipment arrives in a super-quick fashion, typically within a couple of hours, depending on your location. So you can get your shindig started without any delays!

Do You Provide Staff For The Event?

Yes! We provide party staff for any event. Our experienced and friendly team can help make your special occasion one to remember by taking care of the setup and running of all our equipment so that you can relax and enjoy your day or night. We also offer staffing solutions from waiters, bartenders, photographers and even DJs - just let us know what you need for your function.

Are There Restrictions On Where I Can Use The Equipment?

At White Marquee, we understand that when you rent event equipment from us, you want to be able to use it anywhere. That's why there are no restrictions on where our rental items can be used - as long as they're set up and operated properly and safely. So whether your event is in a public park or at home, you can rely on us to provide the best quality party hire equipment available!

What Is The Cancellation Policy?

White Marquee understands that plans change, so we offer a flexible cancellation policy. If you need to cancel your order for any reason, give us notice in writing. We also allow changes to be made up until 24 hours prior to delivery with no penalty or additional cost.

Conclusion

At White Marquee, we understand that planning a party can be stressful. That's why our team is here to help make your special event as stress-free as possible! Our friendly staff are available to answer any questions you may have about our party hire services, and with unbeatable prices, you won't need to break the bank for an unforgettable occasion.

We guarantee satisfaction by providing top-quality equipment and reliable delivery and setup so you can sit back and enjoy the show. So don't delay - let us do all the hard work while you bask in the glory of being a superb host! Letting White Marquee take care of everything will give you "peace of mind", knowing that your special event is in good hands.

[myaustralia5-blog]

35 Things You Want to Know Prior to Traveling to Australia

My Australia

1. Due to its enormous size, Australia provides a broad selection of climatic zones - in the temperate climes of Southern Australia into the tropical humidity of north Queensland and the arid desert heat of the inside. The summer months (December to February) are usually the very popular for seeing coastal regions like Sydney and Melbourne, while winter (June to August) is a fantastic time to explore the Red Centre.

My Australia

2. Winters are usually mild across the southern countries, but temperatures could be surprisingly nippy in Tasmania.

3. Back in Australia, the very long summer, particularly the 2 weeks around Christmas Day, is the busiest period of the season and also you need to book flights and accommodation well in advance if you'd like to be in Australia during this period.

4. Also Keep in Mind that resort lodging  Is at a premium throughout major sporting events like the Melbourne Cup (first Tuesday in November), the Australian Open (also in Melbourne, each January), Adelaide's engine occasion in March and the Australian Grand Prix held in Melbourne during March.

5. Unless You're an Australian or New Zealand citizen, you'll require a visa to enter Australia.  It is possible to apply for a selection of visas, such as tourist visas and working holiday visas, but you have to do this prior to leaving home.

6. Back in Australia, tipping is becoming a lot more common, particularly in pubs and pubs. Giving 10 percent of the Entire invoice Is Usually considered proper

7. Back in Australia, driving is on the left, therefore many UK guests will feel at home.

8. Australia is a casual society - do not be surprised to be known as"partner" by strangers.

9. Dress codes are both relaxed: when exercising, except in smart restaurants, most guys wear shorts and T-shirts.

10. Australians have a strong sense of humor.

11. If you are aged between 18 and 30 you might be qualified to apply for a Working Holiday Visa, letting you live, travel and work anywhere in Australia for a year.

12. You can apply for vacation working license if you meet the following requirements

• Be aged between 18 and 30 (inclusive) in the beginning of employing

If You're awarded a Working Holiday Visa, you are able to:

• Input Australia anytime in 12 months of the visa grant

• Stay for up to 12 weeks in Australia

• Leave and re-enter Australia any number of occasions in the 12 months from the date of original entry

• Undertake temporary employment in Australia for up to six weeks with any company

13. Having another Working Holiday Visa you can extend your stay in Australia or return again for one more year until you turn 31. To acquire the next visa, you want to have done a minimum of 3 weeks'specified work', such as fruit harvesting, in a qualified regional place.

14. Australia is a remarkably varied island, continent, and country- both culturally and geographically speaking.

15. Virtually all of Australia's population lives within 50 kilometers of the shoreline.

16. As a former penal colony, the nation is currently a combination of contemporary cosmopolitan civilization and historical Aboriginal customs.

17. A trip to Australia guarantees excellent nightlife, sightseeing, and daring adventures to remember forever.

18. The very best time for Australia travel is involving mid-April to late August, when airfares are the cheapest, although the peak travel season in many areas of Australia is through their winter, the very pleasant time to go to Australia is from April through September.

19. Daytime Temperatures are hot, and it seldom rains. September and October are perfect, once the heat is enough to protect you on the shore in the southern countries and the wildflowers of Western Australia have been in blossom.

Hostels Begin at 20 AUD per night for a dorm room, although they get as large as 40 from the large coastal cities.  Personal rooms with a double bed and a shared bath in hostels array between 80-100 AUD each night.

20. For budget resorts, you're seeking to spend around 75-95 AUD to get a double room, private toilet, TV, and breakfast. Larger, string hotels cost nearer to 200 AUD. Camping prices between 15-30 AUD each night (cheaper if you bring your own tent, more costly if you are parking an RV).

21. Food is not cheap in Australia! Most decent restaurant Eateries price at least 20 AUD.  The ideal value food would be the Indian and Asian restaurants where you could find a really satisfying meal for under $10 AUD!

22. Local city buses and trains price 3-4 AUD. The hottest and most affordable way to travel would be to push yourself.

23. Flying can be quite expensive as a result of limited competition, particularly if going from shore to shore. I normally avoid flying in Australia unless I'm pressed for time or there's a sale.

24. Multi-day Tours and activities are expensive, usually costing 400-540 AUD. Day excursions will cost approximately 135-230 AUD. As an instance, a one-way visit to the fantastic Barrier Reef can price 230 AUD as a two-night sailing trip round the Whitsunday Islands can cost up of 540 AUD. A three-day Visit to Uluru out of Alice Springs is about 480 AUD. Walking tours are approximately 50 AUD and afternoon excursions to wine regions are between 150-200 AUD.

25. Suggested daily funding - $60-80 AUD / / 43-57 USD (Notice: This is a proposed budget assuming you are staying at a hostel, eating a bit, cooking all your foods, and utilizing local transport. This also depends heavily on the amount of excursions you're doing! Employing the budget suggestions below, you always have the option to reduce this amount. But should you keep in fancier lodging or eat more frequently, anticipate this to be greater!)

26. The amount of crime is not any greater than in the united kingdom. Be cautious with personal possessions and travel records in towns and popular tourist destinations.

27. Avoid carrying everything in 1 bag. Do not  Leave bags unattended in vehicles, public areas or nightclubs.  Theft from safety deposit boxes is normal in the more affordable hotels and hostels.  Be particularly attentive at night at the busy tourist regions of Sydney such as Kings Crossdown city George Street, Hyde Park and Centennial Park.

28. There have been a few significant sexual assaults against British nationals in Australia.  Be careful at the city center of Alice Springs in the nighttime. There have been quite a few incidents of harassment, robberies and attacks (including sexual assault) on overseas tourists.

29. Alcohol and drugs may result in you being alert, less accountable and not as conscious of your surroundings. If you're going to drink, know your limit.  Drinks served in pubs abroad tend to be more powerful than people in the united kingdom.

30. Beware of scams where potential tenants Are requested to move a deposit into an overseas bank accounts in exchange for keys into a rental home in Australia. British travellers have fallen prey to such scams.

31. You can reduce the danger of  Losing your passport by acquiring a proof of credit. This can be a recognized form of ID for several services such as opening bank account or entering licensed premises. By acquiring a card shortly after you arrive you may limit the requirement to take your passport with you.

32. In case your passport is stolen or lost you could have the ability to acquire an Emergency Travel Document in the nearest British Consulate. .

33. Australia is a massive country. If you are researching national parks it may take some time to get help in the case of an emergency.

34. The terrain and extreme heat could have a serious influence on your capabilities. Take loads of water and also a way of rigging up shield from sunlight.

35. Australia is home to some of dangerous Animal species, out of crocodiles, jellyfish and sharks to venomous  Insects, snakes and spiders are present in many areas of the nation.

[maevefiction]

Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 48

Tom remained at Wilcox Medical until July 11th, and I didn’t leave his side for more than a few minutes during the entirety of his stay…a navy-blue leather recliner to the left of his bed had served as my sleeping spot. Said sleep was elusive, as is the case with any hospital stay. It’s all a blur of doctors and nurses and machines and strange periods of quiet that turn into an assaultive dissonance on a dime. Detective Frye paid us a visit at the hospital the day before Tom was discharged in order to discuss his recollection of the incident, aspiring to fill in as many blanks remaining in the police report as possible. Since there was no one to prosecute, such matters were for the record only, but accurate information was essential in the event that a civil suit was filed by Claudia’s family. I was initially taken aback when Tom asked me to leave the room while he spoke with the detective, and it must have shown on my face because Tom quickly apologized and said he simply wasn’t ready for me to hear any of it, even though I might be ready to listen. Upon my return an hour later, Frye was gone and Tom was visibly upset, with an underlying anger reflected by the tension in his shoulders and the set of his jaw. Though it was a challenge, I didn’t pry, settling instead for squeezing his hand before I retired to my chair and sat in silence with him until he was ready to talk. And when he did, it was about everything and anything other than whatever it was that he’d just shared with a complete stranger.  

His recovery had gone smoothly, but we’d found ourselves taking what amounted to a forced vacation in a rented condo on Kauai, waiting for Tom to be cleared to fly to San Diego so he could, hopefully, arrive there in time to participate in the Kong Skull Island panel. Since we’d be in Australia for a large chunk of my pregnancy, I’d decided to choose an obstetrician there, and had managed to find one in London as well who was willing to follow along and take over once we returned home in mid-to-late November. That date was tentative at best since we weren’t sure what physical limitations or restrictions Tom would have nor how they’d affect the Ragnarok shooting schedule. I’d had a basic blood work-up and general physical exam at Wilcox, and when that turned out fine I opted to wait on a sonogram. It seemed silly, but I just didn’t want to forever associate the experience of seeing our progeny for the first time with…whatever the correct term for what we were going through was. Prog…that’s what we’d started calling the little bugger that was making me violently ill at least once a day. Short for progeny, with a ‘j’ sound. The Prog.

Diana, James and the rest of Tom’s family had headed home as soon as he’d been discharged, but Luke and Simon stuck around under the guise of not wanting to fly to London only to have to turn around and fly right back to the US again for SDCC. In reality, I knew the reason for them remaining was because they figured we’d need their companionship and assistance but wouldn’t want to ask for either, which was one-hundred percent correct. They’d taken on the task of finding the rental, packing up our belongings at the hotel and having them ready and waiting when we arrived. No one even asked if I wanted to do it myself, for which I was grateful, because there was no way I was going back there. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able go back there…just looking through our wedding pictures and videos pushed me to the edge of the ‘massive anxiety attack ahead’ cliff, and, in all honesty, I couldn’t wait to get the fuck off of Kauai. Remaining there seemed to make it impossible to process, to try to move forward. I’d begun having nightmares, as had Tom, but we didn’t speak of them in the daylight hours, nor in the dark of night. I knew that there was work to be done, that we needed to find a pathway to healing emotionally…but that didn’t seem possible until things in the physical realm were fully sorted.

Tom’s first follow-up appointment had taken place on the 13th, his second – and last – on the 18th. Dr. Salinas gave him clearance to travel and return to normal physical activity with some limitations…no running and no stunt work for thirty days. After that it would be business as usual, but for the next three months he’d need to self-monitor, and if he noticed any pain or atypical shortness of breath he was to head to the nearest medical facility immediately. Copies of all related paperwork would be sent to the proper department at Marvel for review, and the new shooting schedule emailed once it had been established. Since he was fine to do a majority of planned scenes, it was likely only three weeks or so of actual filming time would be lost. Which was bad enough, but…could have been worse. So much worse. I wondered if I’d always think that way, and if it wasn’t actually a bad way to evaluate one’s current situation. All things should seem less horrible when you pause to consider what’s worse, in theory. I decided to file it under ‘convenient diversionary tactics to avoid dealing with life’, mainly because my pondering had been interrupted by another round of heaving up the contents of my stomach.

All four of us shared a charter to San Diego on the 21st, heading directly from the airport to the same hotel we’d stayed in the year before via a car service. Stepping out of the black Dodge Durango and onto the pavement was surreal…a mix of reporters, media, and attendees thrilled to be among their people again were all around us, and we were paid little to no mind until we entered the lobby. There were stares, pointing, and whispering as well as several shouts from well-wishers. While it was a bit overwhelming after spending so much time in a private setting, the positive energy emanating from those within our space reminded me that there were likely some folks who’d been concerned about us and had been sending along that same energy from a distance via social media. I hadn’t looked, and neither had Tom, but now was probably the time to investigate and at least post a simple thank you if nothing else. I didn’t want to, but it seemed rude not to, so I added it to my mental to-do list.

After check-in we took the elevator up to our floor, and when the doors opened I could feel my body tense at the sight of the narrow hallway. Tom and I stepped out into it, leaving Luke and Simon behind as their room was two floors above us. We walked to our room, the third one on the left, and when I turned to face the door a vision of Claudia knocking on it froze me in place. Once Tom completed sliding the keycard and swung the door inward the contents of the room were clearly visible, and though slow to process the data, my brain cycled logically…not Kauai, different place, dead Claudia, all clear…and I managed to step forward and inside. The door shut behind me with a loud click, and I flinched, then headed for the bathroom. Tom had pulled out his phone and begun talking to someone I assumed was either Jordan or a fellow cast member about the panel’s structure and content. He was still engaged in conversation when I emerged a few minutes later, standing in front of the window that overlooked the city. The setting sun, now at its lowest visible point on the horizon, had created a halo effect that surrounded his upper body, and in that moment, I felt like myself again…normal, even. My version of normal, anyway. And then, there was a knock on the door, and I panicked, whimpering quietly because that’s all my body would permit. Tom didn’t realize anything was awry at first, only turning around when the knocking continued. He took one look at my face, tossed his phone on the bed, and walked quickly to stand in front of me as he loudly stated to whomever was out in the hallway that he’d be right there.

He took my face in his hands ever so carefully, trying his best to keep himself even-keeled for my benefit. “It’s okay. It’s probably just our luggage. I’ll go see, and I promise I’ll leave the bolt on until I’m certain. All right?”

I nodded, watching him from the foot of the bed, unconsciously clenching my hands into fists as I waited for something terrible to unfold. As the door opened my heart began to pound like mad, and when I saw the luggage dolly I sat down, elbows on my knees and my head in my hands…relieved, but confused and embarrassed by my behavior. I heard the door close again, then felt Tom’s weight shift the mattress as he sat beside me. I lifted my head slowly as he slipped his arm around my shoulders. I wanted to say something but I didn’t know where or how to begin, and since he remained silent I assumed he felt the same way. Though it felt wrong to judge so quickly, this was becoming a pattern, and it made me uncomfortable across the board. We hadn’t been intimate since the night before the public wedding ceremony and learning that I was pregnant, and it felt petty and selfish to even be thinking about not having fucked my husband in three weeks when I’d almost lost him forever, but I missed him, missed the reinforcement of the connection between us sex provided, all of it. It had been officially off the table until the restrictions Dr. Salinas had imposed were lifted, and while I’d been expecting to get back to it right away his expectations clearly differed. To be honest, he’d expressed no interest in it whatsoever. I didn’t know what to make of it, and it was another instance of me saying nothing because I had no clue as to what I should say, if anything. I’d also caught him looking at me on multiple occasions while wearing an expression of guilt and/or regret and again, said nothing. A pattern indeed, and an awful one that I was unsure how to break free of, other than being patient until it ran its course. Lord knew he’d been ceaselessly patient with me all along the way, the situation he’d just navigated serving as a prime example. Was that the right way to handle this? Fuck if I knew. What I did know that I was exhausted, and softly announced that I was going to try to get some rest. He kissed the top of my head, rose and began to unpack our luggage as I undressed and crawled under the covers. As I lay there, I realized that it wasn’t only him who hadn’t revealed the details of their experience that day…neither had I. Yet, he’d known the circumstances, enough, at least, to know someone knocking at the door was something I might now find frightening. Had he watched a video of the press conference? Discussed it with Luke or Simon? Or, perhaps, Detective Frye? I sat up, intending to broach the subject, but found myself trapped between needing resolution and wanting to avoid causing him any additional pain. His voice startled me.

“Maude? You okay?”

I stood, nodding. “Tired, but can’t sleep. Gonna take a shower and see if that helps.”

As I walked past him, he set the shirts in his hand down on the dresser in order to reach out for me, pulling me to his chest and kissing the top of my head again, then releasing me. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” The carry-on that contained my toiletries was on the floor near him, and I stooped to pick it up and brought it with me into the bathroom. After closing the door behind me, I started to cry. I cried as I unpacked what I needed. I cried as I turned on the water, I cried as I shampooed my hair, I cried as I rinsed it, I cried as I soaped myself and rinsed again, and I cried as I dried myself off and hung the towel back on the rack. My eyes were red when I glanced at my reflection, so I wet a washcloth with cold water and held it over them for several minutes then checked myself out again. Not ideal, but acceptable. I blew my nose, then walked back out into the room. Tom had finished unpacking and was sitting at the room’s desk, laptop open in front of him. He looked up at me, smiling.

“Better?”

“I think so.” I put my hands on my naked hips. “You coming to bed?”

“Not yet…going over a few things for the panel tomorrow. Will it keep you awake if I’m working?”

I shook my head as I allowed my hands to drop to my sides. “I don’t think so. I can always put my earbuds in and listen to music if it does.”

“Okay. I can’t imagine I’ll be at this for more than an hour, honestly, so I’ll be joining you soon. Get some sleep, my love.”

“Okay.” I returned to my tangle of sheets and blankets, my damp hair clinging to my neck, my back turned to him. There was, of course, no sleep to be had, though I pretended to be out cold when he finally settled in beside me two hours later. Once I was positive he was asleep, I got up, put on my robe, pulled out my own laptop and sat at the desk he’d recently vacated to do my own work. Which didn’t require much effort, as the only pressing task on my list was the Skype interview I had set with Chad Morrison for the New York Times tomorrow at 1 PM. I reviewed the most recent Manageall stats Trudy had sent me, created a bullet-point list, then spent the next few hours surfing around checking out random things that I thought might hold my interest and, perhaps, entertain me. I woke up in a puddle of drool with my hand beneath my head resting on the desk, my browser still open and displaying an article entitled ‘Gentle Yoga For A Better Birth’. The system clock read 6:17 AM, and a quick glance at the bed confirmed Tom was still sleeping. I stood, removed my robe, hit the bathroom and then slipped in beside him, waiting for him to awaken and for the day to begin. A new location, a full schedule, little time to dwell…and, hopefully, all of that would amount to first steps down that pathway we needed to traverse.

***************************************

SDCC had gone off without a hitch…everyone was incredibly respectful, and kind. I don’t know why I would have expected anything else, other than that little voice I kept hearing inside my head whispering things like ‘they know it’s all your fault’. My interview with Chad had been published on July 25th, and by the time we arrived on the Gold Coast in Queensland on the 28th Manageall had surpassed the ten thousand subscriber mark. That kept me busy over the next week as I scrambled from our rental house just outside of Oxenford to remotely help Trudy configure new servers and ensure that the system could handle three times our existing traffic, just in case. Five new employees were added within the space of two days, and all but one stayed on board despite being thrown into the fray with little to no training. Ten-thousand plus subscribers was A Big Deal…aka the amount that tipped our monthly gross revenue over the million-dollar mark. It was a milestone that warranted a discussion, one which Luke and I decided to have in person once I returned to London.

Tom had begun filming at Village Roadshow Studios on July 30th, waking each morning at 4 AM, leaving by 4:30 and returning home each night well after 10 PM, showering, then falling into bed exhausted. To make up for lost time, the shooting schedule would be six days a week until a temporary relocation to Brisbane happened in late August. My schedule mirrored his, mainly in order to account for the 9-hour time difference between Queensland and London. When I’d contact Trudy or Luke at 5 AM my time, it was 8 PM the night before where they were. A mindfuck, truly, and it meant I was done working every day by 11 AM at the latest, which left me with entirely too much time to think. Things between Tom and I were still as they were back in San Diego…no conversations about the incident, no sex. Every day had begun to represent another brick being added to the wall building between us. There was no animosity, we still talked about a broad spectrum of other things, still slept in the same bed, but there was a sense of necessitated cautiousness and a distance that hadn’t been there before.

The obstetrician I’d chosen, Dr. Bresden, practiced out of Brisbane, and my first appointment was scheduled for 1 PM on August 15th. The drive up would take about an hour or so, but we figured we’d leave at 11 and allow ourselves some extra time. If my guess as to when I’d conceived was correct, I’d reached the 13-week mark, possibly the 14th, and over the past eight days I hadn’t puked once, which was both awesome and anxiety inducing. Did it mean I was progressing normally, or was, you know, something WRONG? The evening before the sonogram was rough…I was obsessing over the morning sickness waning, and my nightmares had gotten continually worse, to the point wherein I began to dread going to sleep. We’d gone out to dinner with Chris and Elsa, who decided it was time to share their horror stories about child-rearing and childbirth now that Tom and I were official pledges to the Paternity Fraternity. I bitched about it the entire way home, then continued to complain about it after we’d arrived back at the rental house until I thought I heard Tom sigh heavily, at which point I had to decide whether or not to flip the fuck out or let it pass. Since I couldn’t be totally sure, and also because I could readily admit I had one foot over the cray-cray side of the fence, I let it go and we turned in for the night.

The next thing I knew, I was screaming, Tom was yelling, and my hands hurt like a motherfucker. I took stock of my surroundings and realized I was standing in front of the closed bedroom door. Looking down, I saw knuckles that were bruised and bloodied, as were the pinky-sides of my hands. When I looked back up and left and my gaze met Tom’s, my screaming stopped and his yelling ceased, replaced with a loud gasp of relief that was nearly a sob.

“What the fuck HAPPENED? I was asleep. How am I here? I don’t understand.” I reached out and touched the door with a fingertip, searching for confirmation that this was, in fact, reality, and as soon as I pressed down a jolt of pain hit my brain and I…remembered, my body twisting so I could face Tom.

“The Marriott, but…not the real Marriott. I was in the hallway, and you were dead, right there on the floor, and she was dead next to you, and I was just staring and staring and then she moved. She moved. And then she sat up, and she had the gun and she said ‘did you really think you were getting out of here alive’ and then she stood up and it was like something out of the Walking Dead, her eyes were all filmy and when she opened her mouth I could see right through because the back of her head was just…gone. And I turned around and ran down the hall and I tried all the room doors but they were all locked and then I got to the end of the hall and where there should have been stairs there was a door, a metal door, and the handle moved up and down like it was open but it wouldn’t open and I kept looking back over my shoulder and she was moving so slowly, but I couldn’t get the door to open and down at the other end of the hall was just a wall. She talked again and said she was going to wait until she got close to me to pull the trigger because she wanted to watch, she wanted to see…and I screamed for help, for someone to let me out, but no one came and I started to pound on the door, first with the sides of my fists, but then I started to punch it because she kept getting closer and the she touched me, her hand was on my shoulder and I swung around and punched her in the face and I thought she was going to fall down but she didn’t and then I tried to grab the gun but she wouldn’t let go and I went back to hitting the door and jiggling the handle but I knew I was going to die and then…then I…I was here…”

It felt like my heart was going to pound right out of my chest, and as I reached out to touch Tom to make sure I really wasn’t still inside a nightmare I noticed that the left side of his jaw was reddish-purple and that it was streaked with blood. My hands rose in an instant to cover my mouth, and when I spoke my voice was muffled and garbled.

“Oh my god, I hit YOU, didn’t I? Not her. YOU.” I lowered my hands, briefly assessing their condition once more and realizing that the blood on his face was most likely from my knuckles. “Oh my god. Tom, I’m so sorry…so sorry…are you okay? Jesus fucking CHRIST. What ELSE did I do? What is WRONG with me?!”

He stepped forward and embraced me, rubbing my back in slow circles and rocking me gently until he felt my heart rate returned to normal. Pulling back, he placed his hands on my upper arms, eyes focused on mine. “There’s nothing wrong with you. That was a night terror. I knew the risk of intervening…you’re never supposed to, but I couldn’t just stand aside and…anyway. I’m fine. How are you feeling?”

I shrugged, shaking my head back and forth slowly.

“I know. I’m so very sorry, Maude. First things first…those knuckles of yours need to be cleaned, And, we both could use some ice. Will you come to the kitchen with me? We’ll get that bit sorted, and then we can figure out what’s next. All right?” I nodded, and he stepped back, leaving one arm around my waist. He unlocked the bedroom door, opened it, then led me to the counter that held the undermounted stainless steel sink. We were both nude, and as he leaned forward to open the tap and set the right temperature with his free hand I felt the brush of his pubic hair across my hip, then again as he pulled back and released me in order to go find a clean kitchen towel. More than a year ago in New Orleans I’d had a brief case of performance anxiety after he’d revealed his full sexual history, but this, this was the first time ever that being naked in his presence made me feel uncomfortable. It was more than that, really…I felt self-conscious and exposed. I wrapped my arms around myself, and when he returned to my side I spoke, my chin lowered to my chest as I stared down at the water circling the drain.

“Would you mind getting me my robe?”

He placed two tan and white towels on the counter. “No, not at all…shall I turn the thermostat up a few degrees as well?”

I shook my head. “No thank you. I’m not cold.”

He hesitated, and I said nothing, continuing to stare. I heard his bare feet padding across the tile, the sound fading as he entered the bedroom. Upon the resumption of the sound I forced myself to lift my head and turn to look at him as he drew closer. In his hands was my black silk robe, and when I noticed he’d put on his navy-blue running shorts it dawned on me that by saying I wasn’t cold I’d clued him in as to what was on my mind, at least in part. He held the garment open so I could slip into it easily, his eyes averted as I carefully worked my arms through the sleeves. Though it wasn’t exactly pleasant, I tied the belt on my own. The water was still running, and he reached in and dipped his index finger into the stream.

“That feels all right to me.” His voice was nearly toneless, any emotion present seeming somehow forced. He reached for my right wrist, then paused, eyes asking for permission when I met his gaze. I nodded, then turned to watch as his hand encircled my wrist and guided my knuckles slowly into the streaming water. When I winced at the intensity of the stinging he spoke again, voice now trembling.

“I’m sorry.” He patted my right hand dry ever-so-gently, then moved on to my left. I winced again as the water made contact, noting that Tom’s own hands had begun to shake. By the time he’d dried my left hand off with the second towel, his entire body was quivering, and at that point I realized he was weeping. My head jerked upward and I swiveled my torso so I could see his face. He looked down and away, holding his hand up palm out toward me as he strode rapidly into the living room. I followed, and when I came to rest directly in front of him he spun around, leaving me with a view of his bare shoulders and back contorting as he sobbed.

This was it, then…the tipping point. Seeing him this way overrode my own emotional disarray, and I couldn’t imagine that anything I might say would make the situation worse, so I went all in.

“Tom. We need to talk.” He shook his head, and I gingerly placed my hand on his upper back between his shoulder blades. “Tom.” The contact was broken by him taking two steps forward. “Okay, no touching. That’s fine. But…”

He spun back around, blinking to clear his vison. “You want to touch me?”

“Of course I want to touch you. Why wouldn’t I want to touch you?”

His arms rose from his sides, bent at the elbow with his hands extended, fingers splayed and pointing in my direction as he looked me up and down. “Since you don’t want me to see you, I’m assuming you’d prefer that I also don’t touch you, which leads me to believe you’d prefer to not see or touch me, either.”

“That’s an incorrect assumption all around. I’d prefer it if you did touch me. But you haven’t, not in the way I’d expect you to, and you’ve given me no indication as to why you haven’t, which has caused me to assume that you’re no longer interested in me sexually, which has ultimately resulted in my feeling self-conscious and exposed when standing naked in your presence. Is my assumption as off base as yours?” Not an easy question to ask, that one. I hadn’t thought it through and wondered what the fuck would happen if he said no.

He nodded repeatedly. “Yes. It is. Completely.”

I lifted my arms and extended them outward at shoulder height, palms to the ceiling. “And that’s precisely why we need to talk, Tom. Ow.” Down went the arms, though it didn’t really do a whole hell of a lot for the throbbing ache in my hands. “We’ve avoided this conversation for far too long…instead we danced around the subject in an effort to prevent causing each other any additional pain. But that didn’t work. That never works, and I know that, but here we are…staring at each other across an ever-widening chasm which will eventually grow too vast to bridge. This distance, this disconnect…it’s awful. I’ve seen the pain in your eyes, and the anger, the guilt, the regret…and there’s my own shit I need to talk about…but I’ve stayed silent for fear of hurting you and I don’t want to do that anymore, Tom. I don’t think I CAN do it anymore.” There were two beige micro-fiber chairs on one side of the living room, and a matching couch on the other. We were standing between them, and I sat down at one end of the sofa. Tom hesitated at the other end briefly, then decided to sit in the middle, right by my side, and began to speak.

“I’m afraid. It terrifies me, the thought of my lung collapsing again. What if the next time I’m not so fortunate? What if it kills me, and you’re left here alone, and our child grows up without ever knowing me? All day long, with everything I do that’s even remotely physical, I’m aware of every breath that seems even remotely atypical, every twinge of the muscles in my torso. I’ve been counting down and focusing on the three-month marker because that’s when the risk of it happening again decreases to align with the norm. I’ve promised myself that then, that’s it, there’s no further need to worry, that I can let it go. I want to let it go. I hope I can let it go. But that’s why I haven’t…we haven’t. I wouldn’t want you to have to live with that, us loving each other being the end of me. And I should have told you. I should have. And I’m sorry. There’s another reason as well, and it’s a completely irrational fear but it feels real, and present. I’m sure it’s relative in some fashion to my past loss, but…I…”

Thinking in such a macabre and medieval-esque fashion was not Tom’s style, and that his mind had gone there was indicative of what a mess he’d been, and I was both impressed with and distressed by how well he’d managed it all from me. “You’re afraid that if we have sex I might have a miscarriage.”

He turned to face me, nodding. “It’s ludicrous. This I know. It’s not specifically that sex would be the cause, but if such a thing were to happen within close proximity of the act…and Maude, I just…I…I feel like death is just…it’s always lurking…even on set, you know? Loki’s role in Ragnarok is redemptive, there’s a comprehensive resolution, and he finally is able to ascertain his place in the universe and be at peace with it, and perhaps begin to experience happiness, or at least contentment…but I know what awaits him, that this moment for him is fleeting at best and I can’t help but see parallels there to my own reality.” Pausing, he rested his head in his hands, then moved them slowly back to his lap as he turned sideways, right leg bent with his knee on the couch resting centimeters from my left thigh. I shifted to mirror his position as he swallowed hard before continuing.

“I was mid-way through my run when I saw her. She waved at me as if her being there was perfectly normal. It made my blood boil, and instead of having the wherewithal to get back to the hotel as quickly as possible I approached her. I asked her what the fuck she was doing there, and told her she needed to leave immediately or she’d wind up with a police escort off the property. The mask of a friendly greeting fell away and she said ‘How could you let her to this to me, Tom? Let her ruin my life? I did what I had to do so she couldn’t trap you, and instead of being grateful you let her lie about me to the world, and then you married her. You married her, when you know how much I love you. And you love me. We belong together, you know that. She’s brainwashed you, that’s what’s going on here. She’s trying to keep us apart, and you can’t just roll over and and let it happen. Tom, come with me right now. We’ll run away and be happy, you and me, just us. Please. You have to come with me.’ And I told her I would do no such thing, that not only did I not love her, I regretted every moment I’d spent with her and that I wished I’d never met her, that I wished I could go back in time and tell her to get the fuck away from me when she crawled under the table to suck my dick. That whenever I thought about having fucked her it made me physically ill. And then I told her I was so lucky and so blessed that in spite of the mistakes I’d made I’d found you, that I’d never loved anyone like you before, and I never would again. Her response was that this was all your fault, that you’d stolen me away from her, and that if she couldn’t have me, no one would…and that’s when she pulled the gun out of the gift bag and shot me. The pain knocked me down and back and I fell onto the sand, and she put the gun back in the bag and said she really thought she wouldn’t need to use it, but I was too far gone and you were to blame. And that if she was going to have to pay for her crimes, you’d have to pay for yours too. She smiled at me, knelt down in the sand, kissed my check, said goodbye, then got up and took off running down the beach toward the hotel. I sat up, and the pain…and the blood…but I had to go after her. Each step I took seemed an eternity, and I couldn’t run, but I needed to get to you. I realized I’d never catch her, and that I was close to Luke and Simon’s room, so I began to walk that way. And then I crawled. But it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t get to you. I set all this in motion, there in that moment. I let my anger get the best of me and we both almost died because of it. In LA, when she threw the highball glass at you…I should have known. Up until that moment I was her focus, and she still believed that her and I would have a relationship at some point. You were just a minor inconvenience, a bump in the road. When she discovered that you knew about the videos…that’s where the shift happened. You became her target, the one to blame. I didn’t see it. I should have seen it. Having you speak at the press conference instead of handling it on my own was akin to painting a bullseye on your chest. And when you needed me most, when I should have been the one to face the monster I’d invited into my orbit, I wasn’t there for you, or for our child. I wasn’t there, Maude. I couldn’t protect you. I couldn’t save you. I wasn’t THERE.”

For the first time in a long while…since our wedding day, really…I saw him…really saw him. Because he’d finally let me see him again. Sitting before me was a man so burdened by guilt and sorrow that he had no tears left to cry…an anxious, exhausted, depressed, defeated man positively teeming with self-loathing. My husband. A rush of pure, unadulterated love washed over me followed by an irrepressible urge to comfort him and banish all his fears that resulted in my reaching out and taking his hands in my damaged own, oblivious to the pain.

“Tom. No one sees this kind of thing coming. This is the stuff of late-night crime dramas and tragic Oscar-bait films. There was no way for you to know. I didn’t know, either…and believe me, I’ve beaten myself up for it, too. I’m the one who got in her face in LA and spouted off about prison. And no one ‘had’ me do anything…I stood at that podium of my own volition and called her bluff. I knew she’d be pissed, and I did it not only in spite of that fact, but, at least in a small way, because of it. The blame for that falls squarely on my shoulders. But what she did…no, Tom. It’s not your fault, it’s not my fault…that’s all on her. It was her choice. Her decision. And she was too much of a coward to answer for it. And even though I know all that, the logic behind it, I still feel guilty about how I handled all of it every day…and I thought you’d distanced yourself because you blamed me. Do you blame me?”

He shook his head, voice barely a whisper. “No. I thought the same…do you blame me?”

“No. I do not. I have not. Not even for a second. And there’s something else you need to know, Tom.” Those blue eyes full of trepidation met my brown ones. “You’re right about not being there…but you’re wrong about not protecting me, and you’re wrong about not being able to save me. When I opened that door and she was standing in the hallway, I was frozen in place. I couldn’t move. I watched the gun rise higher and higher and inside my head I was screaming ‘close the door, close the door’ but I couldn’t and then that faded and the only thought I had left was ‘she’s going to shoot me now’. And then I heard a man’s voice shouting for her to drop her weapon, and that broke the spell. That voice is the reason why I was able to get the door closed. That voice is the reason why those three bullets lodged in the door and not in my flesh. The man that voice belonged to? Police officer. And why was he there in exactly that place at precisely that time? Because you sent him, Tom. You sent him upstairs. You gave him the room number. You told him to go, GO! And he went.  If you hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you on the couch right now…so I don’t ever want to hear you say you couldn’t protect me or that you couldn’t save me ever again. You might not have been by my side when it happened, but you saved my life and our child’s life all the same. And you risked your own life to do it, Tom. Dr. Salinas said if you’d have stayed still your lung wouldn’t have fully collapsed so quickly. But you didn’t stay still. You got up over and over again and kept going and being in restraints couldn’t even stop you. You almost died that day in order to make sure we didn’t. Do you understand that? You almost died. To save your family. If that’s not protecting what you love, then I don’t know what the fuck IS.”

When our eyes met his lower lip began to quiver and I tightened my grip on his hands. “That day, outside the recovery room, Dr. Salinas…she said that she couldn’t explain why you made it through so well…why you lived. She didn’t phrase it quite that way, but that was the gist of it. But I know why. When you got word that I was alive, that I was unharmed…you went to war. You waged a battle with the final enemy. And you were victorious. You returned to me, to us. You fought death that day and you won, Tom. You came back. You came home.”

His gaze turned toward our joined hands a he positioned his left ring finger so it was next to mine, the silver bands that bound us clinking softly together in the silence. He looked back up at me, the right corner of his mouth having curled upward in a half-smile, tears tracking down his cheeks and through his stubble like tiny pachinko balls. “When I promised to never let you go, I meant it.”

I began to sob then, as did Tom. He pulled me onto his lap, my bottom nestled between his thighs, legs sideways, feet resting on the cushion I’d just vacated. He wrapped his left arm around my waist, the right around my shoulders, hand cradling my head and pressing it gently to his left shoulder. He rocked us back and forth, side to side, his face buried in my hair. When the weeping ceased, I ran my right thumb along the base of his left one, that oddly sensual spot of flesh which allows lovers to steal moments of secret erotic pleasure in full view of the world. As he began to do the same in turn, there it was…a spark of the energy within us both demanding to be set free so it could unite each with the other’s and light our collective world ablaze. I raised my head to take stock of his expression, wondering if he felt it as well. His tongue snaked across his lips and I inhaled sharply, which earned me a an ecstatic eyeroll and a pelvic thrust from him, his cock hard against my ass. He kissed me then, both our mouths open from the start. There was no finesse in any of it, all tongues and saliva and clashing of teeth as he undid my robe and cupped my left breast in his right hand, thumb stroking back and forth over my nipple. His touch caused me to gasp and cant my hips, and I could feel his body tensing…whether it was with fear or desire, I couldn’t be certain. I removed his hand from my breast and stood up, then turned to face him as I let my robe drop from my shoulders and fall to the floor. Leaning forward, I placed my hands on his shoulders and stared into his eyes, again unsure of whether it was lust or terror at hand.  

“Tom, honey…please don’t put any pressure on yourself. It’s okay if you’re afraid. I understand. Now that I know why…I’m fine. Take your time with this. Please.”

He grabbed my hips and pulled me forward and down, his words nearly a growl. “I’m afraid I’ve reached the point wherein the chances of me dying are far greater if I can’t have you right now as opposed to any other scenario.” He looked up at me and for a second or two I would have sworn it was Loki whose eyes I saw, but then Tom was back where he belonged, expression now pleading. “Will you ride me?”

I nodded, placing one knee on either side of his lap. He didn’t even bother with removing his shorts, instead pushing back the elastic just enough to allow him to reach in and free his cock. When the head of it connected with my wetness we both groaned. I shifted forward so he was poised at my entrance but paused before welcoming him inside, needing assurance that he was certain about taking this step.

“Are you sure this is okay?”

He answered without hesitation, voice thick with desire. “Yes. I’m sure. I want you. I need you. I need to be inside you. Yes.”

I lowered myself onto his cock, relishing in the feel of it stretching me, filling me…of how it melded two separate beings into a combined entity that pulsed with unified power and unequaled pleasure. Tom’s head had lolled back onto the back of the couch, eyes closed, his elegant neck and jawline demanding attention from my tongue as I began to circle my hips. I was careful to avoid the bruised area, licking around and down until I reached the hollow of his collarbone, and the whine such ministrations elicited caused my unhurried gyrating to turn to a forceful, rapid rise and fall. His eyes opened, head lifting off the couch as he reached around to take hold of my ass cheeks, one in each hand, pulling outward.

“Maude. Oh Maude. MAUDE. Don’t stop please don’t stop I love you I love you I love you…” His lips found mine, tongue thrusting into my mouth as I rode him harder until he came, his breath and mine one and the same as his come painted my walls in a continuous gush of warm spurts that I thought might go on forever. His index finger found my clit and I orgasmed instantly, clenching and squeezing around him as if my body was insistent on locking him in place, an idea I thoroughly supported. It wasn’t until he broke the kiss and that I noticed he was panting, and I took his face in my hands, the past minutes eclipsed by a deep-seated concern for his well-being.

“Are you okay? Can you breathe? Do you have any pain? Tom?”

He inhaled, then exhaled, smiling softly. “No pain. Nothing unusual, just the normal effect being incredibly well fucked by my gorgeous wife has on me. I’m fine.” His smile faded, replaced with an expression of concern likely similar to the one he’d seen me wearing seconds before. “How are you? Everything okay?”

I nodded. “Yep. I’m good. Exhausted, but good. And all of a sudden I really, really want salt and vinegar potato chips. Like, bad. They have those here, right? Man…I can almost taste them…wow, this is…”

His smile returned as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, our chests pressed together. “That sounds like it might be a craving. I believe I’m obligated to dress and head out now, in the middle of the night, to track down your snack of choice and bring it home posthaste.”

Though I admittedly salivated at the thought, my body’s need for sleep overrode what was in essence just a ‘want’. “As much as I appreciate your willingness to do so…no. The only place you’re going is back to bed with me. If you’re willing to risk round two, that is.” His left eyebrow rose, a small smirk that for some ridiculous reason made me blush appearing on his face. I rolled my eyes in an effort to distract him from the pink-hued heat that I could feel reaching my cheeks. “I meant round two as in a boxing match. You know, because I punched you? Round of boxing.”

He rubbed the tip of his nose against mine. “Oh goodness me…it appears I’ve got a blushing bride on my hands. Well, technically, on my cock, but…”

I covered my face with my hands as I shook my head. “Do you always have to notice EVERY LITTLE THING Tom? Seriously.”

He pulled my hands away carefully and kissed my forehead. “It’s adorable. Reminds me of the day we met…when we were in Kauai Pasta. You were sipping your soda and I watched the flush spread from your chest up your neck and that’s when you took too big a sip and began to choke.”

My jaw dropped. “Oh my god, you saw that? I was, like, half-joking about you noticing every little thing. Christ in a sidecar.”

Shrugging, he brought my left hand to his lips and placed a kiss in the center of my palm. “In my defense, I was bewitched. Mesmerized by your beauty, your essence…your everything. And I’ve always wondered what you were thinking of in that moment…”

“Oh you have, have you? Allow me to fill you in then. The server had just asked us if we wanted cocktails and I thought hmm, I wonder how that particular compound word came to be and that led me to…your cock, Tom. I was thinking about your cock.”

His brow furrowed, eyes narrowed in disbelief. “No you were not.”

I nodded, lips pressed together, eyes wide. “Oh, but yes I was. And, like, I’ve never STOPPED thinking about it so…you know, here we are.”

He roared with laughter, and I realized that it had been entirely far too long since I’d heard that sound, which made me tear up because that laugh…it was akin to a hymn, at least when it fell upon my ears, and my god, how I’d missed it. How I’d missed him.  When he noticed that not only had I not joined in but was visibly upset he guided my head to rest on his shoulder, one hand wound in my hair and the other rubbing my back as he whispered softly.

“Maude, it’s all right. I understand that you may be sad, or angry…whatever it is you’re feeling, I’m here for you. I’m so very, very sorry I haven’t been. But I am now. I’ll help you through all of it. I know it won’t always be easy, for either of us, but we can do it. Together. Together, there’s nothing we can’t do.”

I lifted my head and leaned back, reaching up to trace his jawline with my right index finger. “I’m not sad, really…and I’m not angry…it’s just…I just…I missed you.” I gestured down to where we remained joined. “I missed this. That’s probably selfish and stupid but you…you’re a part of me and this is when you’re MOST a part of me and…and…I’m very, very sorry too. I wasn’t there for you, either. And you’re right about it not always being easy, because this is the big leagues of fuckery. I’m afraid of closed doors and…hello, night terrors. Sometimes it’s hard to be grateful when you’re overwhelmed by fear, but I know for sure I need to turn my focus toward what’s good, and there really, truly is an astonishing abundance of good, isn’t there? I’m here, you’re here, Prog will be here too soon enough…we are blessed, and it’s true…together, there’s nothing we can’t do. I love you. So much. So, so much. My god, we’re having a baby. It still doesn’t seem real…”

He smiled. “I have a sneaking suspicion that after your appointment tomorrow it will seem very, VERY real. In just a few hours, we’re going to get to see Prog. It’s…it’s…”

My eyes squeezed shut. “You mean my appointment this morning. Yikers, it’s so late it’s early and we haven’t slept and between your jaw and my knuckles we’re going to look like we had a knock-down drag out fight, but yes, WE ARE GOING TO SEE PROG.”

He lifted me by my hips, his semi-soft cock slipping out of me, then shifted me sideways so he could pick me up as he rose off the couch. “Off to bed we go, my love.” He carried me into the bedroom and placed me gently on my preferred half of the mattress, then climbed in behind me. “I love you, Maude Hiddleston. Sleep now. I’ll be right here, watching over you. Over you both.”

And I slept. It was fitful, and there were dreams…bad ones…but each time I woke from one, he was there, one arm around my waist, one leg atop both my own…warm and alive, and in that I found peace. Whenever he stirred, and he did often, I’d press my body backward into him and pull his arm tighter around me, stroking it with my fingertips until he stilled again, hopefully having found a peace of his own. The dawn came and went, the alarm began its electronic bleating at 10 AM, and we staggered to the shower hand in hand…gripping loosely, as I was still hurting, though not as much as I thought I would be. By the time we’d finished washing each other, the excitement in the air around us was palpable. Though I was still anxious about the appointment with Dr. Bresden, this was it, the moment. I patted my belly as I was drying the underside of my boobs.

“Hi in there, Prog. Big day today. Mamma and Daddy get to see you. Feel free to wave and stuff, okay? We love you.” Tom gasped, and I turned to look at him. One hand was over his mouth, and his eyes shone with tears. I tilted my head. “What?”

“I don’t…have you…I don’t think I’ve heard you do that before.”

“I have…but maybe not out loud? I think…probably only in my head. Huh. I really don’t know…”

He knelt before me on the tile, first kissing then addressing my stomach. “Prog, you are indeed loved. We can’t wait to see you, and before you know it you’ll be our here in the world with us, and we can’t wait for that, either. To share our lives with you…you, Mamma and me…our little family.” As he stood he wiped away his tears with the back of his left hand, grinning at me. “So…Mamma, then?”

Shrugging, I shook my head back and forth several times. “What can I say? Looks like my New Orleans is showing. It just sounded…”

“Perfect. It sounds perfect, Mamma.” He said it with a drawl, and I sighed.

“Godammit, Tom. That’s not supposed to be sexy.”

His grin widened. “Why not? You’re sexy, so logically...”

“Shut up with your logic.”

“As you wish, my love. Breakfast here or on the road?”

“On the road. Make it a double.”

He embraced me. “We’re off to view a miracle. What a thing.”

“It is. It so is.”

[fardell24b]

Quinn’s Code - Morgendorffers in the Woods - Conclusion

Quinn’s Code 09: Morgendorffers in the Woods Conclusion

The Morgendorffers were gathered around a fire...

“Then lying there in the darkness, the boy heard a tiny splashing sound. Like waves on a faraway shore. Except, the nearest ocean was a hundred miles away. The boy reached out for his sleeping father... but he was gone. Shaking with fear, the boy stumbled out of the rickety lean-to.”

And that was when he saw it! His father, sitting alone at the campfire. Alone... with a whole case of beer! The selfish old bastard was wasted again.”

 Daria and Quinn stared at their father, bored.

  Later, they stared at their mother, bored.

  “Your turn, Quinn,” Helen said.

 “Finally!” Quinn said.

Quinn's Tale

“In a time not so long ago, there lived this girl...”

 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

1 April 2004

Kelly Wong logged into her Ultima Online account...

  Ultima Online World

Cove Orc Fort

Kelly's avatar appeared in the game world.

 Nothing was out of the usual for the Cove Orc Fort, absolutely nothing. Kelly had no reason to suspect otherwise. Not yet...

 She met with several of her online friends. One whom she expected to be there wasn't there. “Guys? Where's Neornrzeb?” she asked.

 “No idea,” one said.

 “He said he going to be here.”

 “He isn't.”

 Kelly didn't like this; Neornrzeb was the most dependable member of the group. “We'll wait a few more minutes,” she decided.

 “Sure.”

  They waited for five minutes. “OK, that's long enough,” Kelly decided. “Let's just do this.”

 The others reluctantly agreed. Then something happened. A wind blew up, and the walls of the Fort briefly flickered in and out of existence.

 Kelly jumped out of her seat! “What the hell?” she exclaimed. She sat back down.

“What was that?” One of the others asked.

 “No idea,” another said.

 Kelly calmed down. “It's just a glitch,” she said.

 “Are you sure?” the first asked.

 “Yes!” Kelly said.

 Moving together they began to head towards the exit of the fort.

  Outside the Cave Orc Fort

The avatars exited the Cave Orc Fort instance.

 Immediately they were attacked by large rats.

 That was a problem. For one thing, there were not supposed to be Giant Rats near the Cave Orc Fort.

 “This is not right!” Kelly said. She could see that all of the avatars were losing hit points...

  Within a minute, all the players had been defeated.

  Back in the Cave Orc Fort

The players all respawned.

 “That's not supposed to happen. Those rats were of too high a level,” one said.

 “And there aren't supposed to be giant rats in that area,” Kelly said.

 “Let's try again.”

  Outside the Cave Orc Fort

The avatars exited the Cave Orc Fort instance, again...

 This time the game flickered. Suddenly giant rats appeared again. “Back in the Fort,” Kelly shouted, into the microphone. However, something eldritch appeared alongside the rats.

 Kelly squealed, and closed the client with a quick Alt-F4...

  Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Kelly was even more afraid. What was going wrong? She was still wearing the headset. “Let's play tomorrow,” she told her friends.

 They all agreed.

Unfortunately as the days passed, more uncanny events occurred each time they attempted to play the game. Each day, each guild member dropped off to play other games, or in a few cases stopped gaming altogether.

Finally Kelly was on her own, and looking for others to join the delapidated guild. However the final thing was so horrifying that she could not sleep either that night, or the next.

  Quinn's Tale ends

“...And so she never played Ultima Online again!”

 “I don't get it. If it's all in a computer, how can it be scary? Other than how computers are scary normally, of course?” Jake asked.

 “It's like a horror movie, only more interactive,” Daria said.

 “Kelly was really into that game...” Quinn said.

 “Ok, Daria, your turn,” Helen said.

  Sunday, February 11, 2006

“Daria, Quinn, get up. I need you. Your father's in a sickening mood.”

 “Are they decent, Helen?”

 “Yes, Jake.”

 Helen backed out and Jake put his head and a branch of berries into the tent. “Up and at 'em, ladies! Time to join the forest morning, already in progress. Breakfast is on Mother Nature. Yum! Meet you around the fire in five minutes!” He went.

 Helen came back. “Please, girls. I'm afraid I may hurt him.”

  Later...

“Was that breakfast great, kiddo?” Jake asked.

 “Actually, uh, I'm not a real berry person, Dad. I sort of didn't eat mine. I'm waiting for lunch,” Daria said.

 “Oh, well, you're gonna love my roasted acorns a la Jake!” He paused. “Can you believe the whole continent used to look like this?”

 “It makes me yearn for the past.”

 They came to a fork in the trail. One side has a sign saying DANGER! TRAIL WASHED OUT . “Look at that, Daria: a fork in the trail. If you go one way, you can't go the other.”

 “This is going to depress me, isn't it?”

 “This way over here leads to an entry-level job. A little bit of money in your pocket. Soon, you're wearing a suit and tie every day like all the other faceless saps, living in a boring little house in a bland little town, and doing so well you're in debt up to your disappearing hair! That's where that trail leads, Daria.”

 “I guess that other trail is the one that leads to personal and spiritual satisfaction. That's why they don't want you to take it.”

 “Dammit, Daria! You're brilliant!” Jake said, as he climbed over the sign. He walked down the closed trail...

 “Wait! It was a joke!”

  Helen and Quinn were behind the other two.

“I wish your father would stay where we can see him.”

 “What's Dad so worked up about, anyway?”

 “Oh, Quinn. It's not easy being an adult.”

 “Is he having a mid life crisis?”

 “That is one way of saying it.Iit's hard for you to understand. You're like a fresh new bud, just on the threshold of opening.”

 “Ewww! Mom! You're not going to talk about puberty, are you?”

 “Quinn, everywhere you look you see doors opening. Everywhere your father looks, he sees doors closing. A long corridor of doors slamming shut, and at the very end, there is one open door he must someday enter... and never may he return. I can't go on. Leave me here.”

 “Mom?” Quinn was worried. Helen's eyes were dilated. “Oh no! I knew that those berries were bad!”

 “Go on, Quinn. You're so young, so beautiful. You should lead the tribe into the new century.”

 “Mom! I'm staying with you!”

 “Now go tell Gray Fox I have given my blessing.” Helen passed out.

 “This is not good! Just as well I didn't eat the berries!” Quinn decided for some drastic action. “Daria!”

  “Dad, I don't think this is a good idea,” Daria said as they continued down the washed out trail.

 “It's not cautious, is it, Daria? It's not the sort of thing a responsible family man would do.”

 “Are you feeling okay? You look kind of pale.”

 “Maybe you think we should go be to camp, huh? You go back to camp, Daria! I'm going to see what... who is down this trail. You hear that, old man? I don't care what happens to me Daria! I'm past feeling pain.” He ran into a tree. “Ow! Dammit!”

 They then heard Quinn calling.

 “Come on, Dad. Quinn needs us.”

  “Quinn? What's wrong with Mom?”

 “She ate those berries! She was hallucinating and now she's unconscious. I can't rouse her!”

 “This is serious!” Daria agreed.

 “Helen?”

 Helen then stirred. “Wha...? Oh! Jake, honey, you had us a little worried.”

 “You had us worried, Mom,” Quinn said.

 “No, honey, the tide! I was saying we ought to set sail while the tide's still high.”

 “Oh no!” Quinn said. “What ever was wrong with her Mom before, was still in her system.

 “Sure! If we try to sail at low tide and ran aground, we'd be sitting ducks for Captain Cutless' men,” Jake said. His eyes were just as dialated as those of his wife... “I don't know about you, but I don't want to be skinned alive and thrown to the sharks, right girls? Come on, let's go gather some provisions!”

 “What are we to do? We have no means of contacting the outside world!” Quinn said. She collapsed to her knees, clasped her hands to her chest, and looked up with a pleading expression. “Whatever, or whoever is there. Please help!”

 “Quinn?” However before Daria could interupt Quinn's prayer she could hear Helen's dialtone coming from somewhere. “Rely on Mother's hypocrisy to see us through this crisis.” She found the phone and answered it.

 “Helen, do you have a few minutes to go over these depositions?” It was her boss, Eric Schector.

 “She'll have to call you back.” She dialed 911.

 “Thank goodness!” Quinn said as she got up.

  Later, after a helicopter rescue and Helen and Jake having their stomachs pumped the Morgendorffers were home again.

 On a whim, Daria called Jane. “Yol”

 “What are you doing home?”

 “What are you?”

 “My parents went crazy from eating psychotropic berries, so we were evacuated from the woods and they had their stomachs pumped.”

 “Wow, that's cool. My family was already crazy without any berries, so Trent and I evacuated ourselves to the airport in my aunt's rental car and flew the hell out of there.”

 “Oh. Well, anything else new?”

 “Nah. You?”

 “Nah.”

  Shortly afterwards, Quinn called Cindy. “Hi, Quinn. How was the trip?”

 “Terrible! My parents ate these weird berries, and they ended up having their stomach's pumped!”

 “That's not good. Who's stupid enough to just eat any berries that they find?”

 “My Dad, it seems,” Quinn answered.

 “I hope he learned his lesson.”

 “I hope so, I don't want to lose him. And it cost sixteen thousand dollars for the helicopter ride!”

 “That's exorbitant!”

 “I know!”

[taylorandashley]

Camping will be so cost efficient

guest star: Written by yours truly: Taylor

This is the story about the events that transpired on November 24, 2017. This really happened to us. I swear. But first let me start out with the bit of a preface: Before Ashley and I came to Australia we decided we really wanted to camp as well as stay in hostels. “This will be so cost efficient”, “camping is fun, and we wont have to stay in hostels and we can have our own space.” So we go online, searching for the best backpacking tents, space conscious and light. Sleeping bags and sleeping pads that can be stored compactly, flashlights, pillows that can be inflated or rolled up tight, anything small we could fit in our bags. I have to mention that these items that can be super compact tend to be much more expensive, but “it’s okay Ashley we’re going to be camping TONS, it’s worth the extra money.” Flash forward 2 months… Ashley is lugging around a 10 pound tent on her back which has not moved since the day we left. My sleeping pad has remained in my bag, taking up space and those damn pillows have yet to be blown up. Ashley comes to me and says “Okay, we’re finally going camping.” She plans it all out we’re going to rent a car and drive there. We sit the night before planning our next day, so excited, oblivious of the horror that is planned for us the next day. The plan was for Ashley to wake up around 7 am in time to pick up our rental car for 8am. We plan to head to bed early as tomorrow is a big day. I wake up to a slight rustle of Ashley who’s alarm did not go off around 7 as planned and instead it is now 755am. The rental car place is approximately a 20 minute walk away. I look at my belongings thrown across the floor as if a tornado has gone through the room and she looks at me and says “SOOOO, you’re not packed.” I reassure her that by the time she gets back I’ll be packed and have breakfast started. We should’ve probably looked at this and gone hmmmm, maybe instead we’re in store for a bit of an interesting day but no, we still looked forward with optimism. We lug our 1 million pounds of luggage (that’s what it feels like I swear) into our 2014 Toyota Yaris (YAY A YARIS) and take off from Newcastle. We stop at Big W for some odds and ends and to Anaconda (the best camping store in the world) before we head out. Ashley has a revelation that she’s forgotten her after bite cream (prescription stuff that has been our SAVIOUR from misquotes thus far) at the hostel. Off we go back to hostel to search the room, its not there. Which surprised me as it honestly looks like cream someone would use for their Hoo Ha and I’m not sure who would want that second hand. We continue on for our 2 hour drive towards Crowdy National Park. We have a nice drive talking when Ashley finally clues in: “Wait, I think we were supposed to turn back there.” I get on the phone to look up and it turns out we had gone past our turn off. The GPS gives us 2 options: 1) continue on this route, it looks like a larger loop but it’s apparently only 7 minutes slower or 2) turn around and go on our original route. Maybe if I we had’ve picked route 1 we would’ve had a different day. We turn around to go on our original route. We turn off into a small little town and follow the GPS towards what looks like a dirt road. It’s okay, our Yaris can handle it. We go down this road, gravel a flying and bumping, Ashley quickly realizes that in order to not do damage to this small car she has to drive about 15 kph. About 7 km into the drive Ashley turns and looks at me. “Oh my god, that’s why that long drive was only 7 minutes longer, this 24 km drive is all backroad.” Well we’re too far in now it doesn’t make sense to turn around now. We’re fine. We travel at an agonizing 15 kph, bumping up and down in the Yaris Ashley evading the HUNDREDS of pot holes and me attempting to not throw up on her from the constant stopping and turning around the stupid pot holes. We finally arrive at the campground after what felt like hours, Yaris all dirty, us hating the stupid roads and cursing that we didn’t turn around earlier as we probably broke everything under the car. Get our campsite and as we’re setting up look up and see wild kangaroos EVERYWHERE. We’re ecstatic. At least 5 we can see just right in front of us. “Oh my god we’re camping with kangaroo’s, how cool!” I quickly get on the phone with mom and brag about these roos running wild right beside us. We get our tent set up and head back to the RIGHT ROAD (the one who should’ve taken originally) towards town. We go to the grocery store and starting getting groceries for the next 3 nights. We needed an “Esky” (Australian for a cooler) and have seen these really cool styrofoam esky’s you can get from the grocery store. We buy that along with sausages, hot dog buns (perfect ones) and other random groceries. We head back to the car load in our groceries Ashley begins to pull out of our spot. *HONK* *BANG* *ASHLEY SCREAMS* We look behind and we’ve collided with an extremely large utility truck. We get out and our left tail light has been smashed out and not a scratch on the truck. I look up and hear a lady scream, the truck is rolling backwards towards us… He jumps in his truck and gets in it in time to throw the brake in and stop it from hitting us and another vehicle. We quickly realize this is going to be 50/50 and he has no damage so he can leave. No information required. (Big mistake we know) After getting in the vehicle Ashley looks at the contract from the rental company and realizes that we need to prove there was another vehicle in order for the amount being taken from us from 398$ to 900$. In order to have that we needed his information so the insurance company could call him and confirm there was 2 vehicles involved. New plan: we’ll go to an auto shop and get them to fix it before we take it back on Monday night. Perfect. First shop: we’re moving, we can’t order parts. Second shop: I don’t have a part and neither do my other 2 shops, you’ll have to call and get it ordered and get them to fix it back in Newcastle before you return it. Done. It’s shortly before 3, we head to the liquor store (clearly we need it). We’ll call the Newcastle shop when we get back to the campsite to order the new part. And find Molson Canadian (SUCCESS) head to the check out. We stand in line and *Smash* a guy drops beers right behind us at our feet. Alright sweet our bad luck is just radiating now. We look beside us and see a white 2 door truck with a utility trailer as the back. No. It can’t be the same guy. We turn around to find a driver. We automatically see about 5 of the exact same vehicle. Ashley waits for the driver, its not our man. We drive through the lot and I hear Ashley yell and lay on the horn. I turn and look and a truck is about a foot away from T-boning us on my side. You’ve got to be kidding me. We drive back to the campground. Turns out the most common vehicle around here is a white 2 door utility truck. Everywhere. We stop back at the store to talk to the lady who yelled at the guy when his truck was rolling. I go in and talk to her. Apparently the man is in there every few days and she will call me with his information the next time he’s in. Okay a win. We get back to our tent and crack open a well deserved beer. Its been a rough day. I call the Newcastle shop to order the part for the car, the deadline to order a part before Monday was at 3pm. It’s now shortly before 4. Sweet. So I guess we’re going through insurance now, we better hope to god get that guys information. I go to check on my sleeping pad which “self inflates” the one I just “Had to have” and “It’s okay to spend a little extra money on it” because “I’ll be using it all the time.” It has only inflated on one half and has no indication that it’s going to get any more blown up. Sweet. Sleeping should be fun. Okay time for some food. Yay. We planned for Australian Beef sausages with fresh hot dog buns and some chips and salsa (fancy I know) Im pulling our food out of the car to put into the esky and take over to the BBQ as I notice a few kanagroos within about 20 feet of me. I see a Joey poking out the pouch of a mom. (ADORABLE, RIGHT?) The joey hasn’t quite got all his fur on him and he looks slightly like a rat but his ears are adorable and his head is poking out in his moms tummy. The cutest thing in the world. I kneel down and stick my hand out towards the group of 3 roo’s and the mom comes towards me. I almost cry into the esky while loading it as this is the cutest thing ever. She comes up to me and Ashley starts snapping pictures. Im petting her as she starts to hop by me. I turn to Ashley to see if she got the picture and I see the mom casually start walking towards our dry food bag. No. She’s not going for that… Ashley quickly goes to pick up the bag and just as she does the Mom reaches in with her paws and grabs our bag of hot dog buns! I yell NOOOOOOOO (im very excited about these buns I kept poking them all afternoon) I lunge toward the bag as the mom has no picked it up in his paws. I attempt to rip it from her paws but she’s stronger than I suspect, there I am, pulling back and forth a bag of hot dog buns, losing to a kangaroo. I scream and pull as the hot dog buns going flying. I scramble attempting to pick them up before she can get them (the little thief) she’s managed to get one and is trying to put it in her mouth, I snatch it away and go NO. Swatting my hand at her. I grab all the buns and the bag and try to run for the picnic table by the BBQ. By this time all the campers have gathered. (oh honey haha look at these helpless Canadian girls fighting with kangaroos) But oh no, we’ve left the esky behind. Have no fear, Ashley gets a second wind and grabs the handle of the cooler and takes off. *SMASH* I turn around to see Ashley holding the handle of the cooler in her hand but the styrofoam and contents of the esky are no longer attached to the handle and are scattered amongst the ground surrounded by ice. I look at Ashley who just says, “I’m going to cry.” The noise of the cooler smashing on the ground has scared off our kangaroo friends. We sheepishly pick up the contents of our old cooler and make our way to the BBQ. At this point we’ve said “You’ve got to be kidding me” or “What the hell kind of day is this?” At least a dozen times, but this time we’ve really had it. We finally clean up the mess and make it over to the picnic table and BBQ. We take out a beer each. A toast: “What a shitty day, here’s to an awesome night.” I take out the sausages, which at this point I’m like yes. Okay something delicious. Perfect. I assumed they were more like hot dogs. And tried to tear off the outer layer which I assumed was plastic like back home. It's not. Turns out they wrap their sausages in “edible collagen” and you don’t have an option to not eat the collagen because it all falls out when the wrapping isn’t on it. I don’t know how to explain this so I can help you understand how unappealing this “sausage” looks like. It was like mince beef, add some water and gelatine and stuffed it into an intestine. The outside was browning but the inside you could squeeze the meat out and it would come out. I’ve now had it. I turn to Ashley: “I’M DONE WITH THIS, TAKE ME TO THE PUB.” Ashley: “But I don’t want to waste the food.” Me: “THEY WERE 4$” Ashley being the intriguing foodie that she is, insisted she try the dog food so she puts it in the bun (i’m sure it was the one I wrangled from Sheila (I decided to name the mom roo) She takes one bite into it and the collagen part goes no where but the meat comes squeezing out the end of it. “NOPE. NOPE, I’M DONE.” Ashley: “Its actually not bad.” I’m hangry. As I type this I sit at a hotel restaurant chomping on garlic bread, Ashley and I exhausted from this day, going over it, like did this really happen. We got lost and ended up on the worst road possible, bumping up and down, damaged our rental car with still an unsure way to fix it, almost got t-boned, disappointed by our camping gear, wrestled a bag of buns from a kangaroo, broke our esky, lost our ice and anyway to cool our things for the next 3 days, wasted food and likely became a vegetarian. We have now gotten back to the campground and have forced ourself into our tent, not allowing ourselves near fire, anything sharp or pointy or near other people, just in case we’re contagious. The moral of the story is don’t lose your after bite cream.

[holisticpassport]

The Path to Perth.

I’m actually being semi decent about posting weekly updates! It helps when the events that are happening are positive because I want to share as opposed to dreading writing about negative things that I don’t want to remind myself about. Let’s start with work!

I started work at Five66 Café on Flinders Street (the main street downtown across from the central train station). It’s a cute little café ran by an Indian family that’s conveniently located in front of a tour group departure meetup point, so I meet people from all over the world every shift! The 6am wakeup time was brutal the first week but my body is finally used to it… too used to it because now I wake up every day at 6am instead of just the 3 days I need to. Oh well. I kind of do a bit of everything there, but focus on the coffees. I was doing a pretty crap job my first day, but woman I work with took the time to show me how to properly froth milk for each type of coffee so I feel much better about it now. Only thing is the pay is SO low. Like illegally low that I can make the same amount of money in half the time at my waitress job. I work hard and put in the hours if I feel valued as an employee, and making $13 an hour (when the minimum is supposed to be $20), I’m not sure I can stay at it for very long-- will be searching for something else. My waitress gig is going well though. Feel like I can handle the fast paced work now, and I love the girls I work with! Wish I could get more hours there. They’re closed this week for renovations, but I’m getting some cocktail training today so that should be fun.

Life at the hostel is pretty good. The staff are getting to know me, the social vibe is awesome, there’s always stuff to do every night at the basement bar, a movie room to chill out in, and all of my roomies have been quiet and respectful. I was on a top bunk for a week right next to the door, so every time it opened the light from the hall would wake me up. I haven’t been getting a lot of deep sleep. I’ve felt it too because I’m on the verge of being sick, but that’s also because I haven’t been eating healthy, started drinking again because I’m in that social vibe, and being really active. I’ll work on getting my health back in check this week.

Over the weekend, I worked Wednesday through Sunday 10-12 hours each day and the military guy I met at the pub crawl came back to town so we could attend White Night together (a cultural/art festival that goes from 7am to 7pm with the whole downtown area participating). I certainly regretted staying out until 4am with work at 7am, but still had a lot of fun. And as far as the guy goes, nothing could come from it because he was moving to Cairns (hella far North), but people come into your life for a reason. A friend of mine said the people we meet are mirrors; they show the most present/relevant part of ourselves right now. I think I met him because I’ve finally begun to enjoy who I am and in turn found someone who equally enjoyed those parts about me that I used to think were crazy like being obsessed with Harry Potter, eating raw cookie dough, and aspiring to live a life like Alexander Supertramp (aka Into the Wild guy). If nothing else, I have memories of Spanish dancing, making a pact to make the next 10 years of our lives the best yet, and 5am tram rides talking about politics, open relationships, and playing guitar for each other. White Night consisted of going back to the creepy hospital bar (which I finally learned is called The Croft Institute), watching a live swing band and dancers perform, eating drunken sushi, and observing a light show on the walls of Finders Station.

On Monday night, the hostel was hosting bingo karaoke (karaoke songs on the sheets and when he plays them, if you knew the lyrics you could sing it to get a free shot). Well you all know me and singing…. So that was a fun night. But went to bed at midnight because I had an early rise for some adventures the next day at 8am with a group of 4 other people to the Grampians National Park. It’s about a three-hour drive west of Melbourne, and it was the most perfect temperature, clear day we could have asked for. We stopped off at Boruka viewing cliff, The Balconies, and McKenzie Waterfalls. This was by far the most beautiful place I’ve probably ever seen in my life. I wish we could have stayed for a sunset. I will hopefully get back there again before I leave AU.

Speaking of leaving AU, because I’m embracing this whole living week by week thing, my mind is swirling with ideas of where to go next and what to ultimately do. I’m really aiming for farm work (as I made a connection with a girl on that trip), and can make the money I need in order to be able to go back to Europe this summer. I also don’t want to stay at this café job which will cut my money down in half, and I can’t afford to stay at this hostel anymore. So need to make some moves! I could wait it out another month and do the prawn ship thing, but I don’t know if that offer is still on the table.

On Wednesday I went out to Leonard’s House of Love (no, it’s not what you think). It’s a quirky hipster dive bar off a main street with cheap beers, and I chatted with a girl from work after cocktail training. We talked everything and anything (I’m sensing a common theme with politics when I start drinking… I must be passionate about it or something). Then I went to my old host’s house for dinner to see the kids again since I didn’t them before I moved out, and it was lovely.  

 **Update 2 days later** I quit the café because it was already bumming me out and the pay just wasn’t worth it. In doing so, it gave me the whole week off because of renovations at the restaurant. I had some time to organize my bags, get rid of stuff, grab a coffee/go for a swim with a friend, and really think about my next moves. Because I’ve done so much in and around the surrounding area of Melbourne except Wilsons Prom, I feel like I’ve seen what I wanted to and gotten what I needed out of my time here. There’s just been a gnawing feeling that it’s time to move on and begin elsewhere. I thought about going up to Sydney to see some friends, do some sight-seeing and try to find farm work up there. I was about to book a flight/care rental, but intuition said that specific place wasn’t right. But I did still need to go somewhere else. I woke up this morning and received an offer for farm work in Shepparton, but the pay was even more abysmal than the café! Then I ran across a posting on a Facebook page for people new Melbourne, and there was a hippy bus leaving on Tuesday for a 4 week trip to Perth (Western Australia). My stomach began fluttering with butterflies and I knew that was it. I wrote to them to see if they had any more seats available, they did, and I booked my spot. I’ve really been embracing the impulsive Aries side of me because the battle with the practical Taurus side of me was getting old and everyone has an opinion, but in the end it’s my life. A lot of people don’t listen to their intuition and just TRUST that everything is going to work out how it’s supposed to. I don’t think I’ve ever been genuinely happier in my life now that I’m past all the bullshit and it’s because I’ve put an emphasis on relying upon myself for happiness; my newest motto is “if you aren’t absolutely obsessed with your life, then change it”.  Ironically I’m financially the poorest I’ve ever been, but money is just money. Some are enslaved by it and others believe our government is going to fall apart any second so it wont matter anyway (Or just wishful thinking so I don’t have to pay back student loans. It’s good to dream.) Today, I’m buying a tent and sleeping bag, selling a ton of clothes, and also getting ready for my final trip tomorrow… to Wilsons Prom!

[ericfruits]

The lessons from Canada’s attempts to curb its house-price boom

IN MATTERS of finance, if not climate, Canada is usually temperate. It was barely moved by the economic storms that blew the roof off America and Europe in 2008-09. Its banks were steady, it was argued, in part because they were shielded from the ferocious competition for market share that pushed banks elsewhere into hazardous loans. For all that, in its housing market Canada has lately become a place of extremes.

Household debt has climbed to almost 170% of post-tax income. House prices rose by 20% in the year to April. Looked at relative to rents, they have deviated from their long-run average by more than any other big country The Economist covers in its global house-price index. In Toronto, one of two cities, along with Vancouver, where the boom has been concentrated, rental yields are barely above the cost of borrowing, even though interest rates are at record lows. In its twice-yearly health-check on the financial system, published this month, the Bank of Canada concluded that “extrapolative expectations” are a feature of the market. In other words, people are buying because they hope, or fear, that prices will keep rising.

Canada is not alone. House prices also look high relative to rents in Australia, where a few cities, notably Sydney and Melbourne, are booming. Prices in some American cities, such as Seattle and San Francisco, have been rising much faster than the national market, which looks reasonably priced.

Common to all these cities are buyers from emerging markets, notably China, who have helped to drive a wedge between the price of homes and the local fundamentals of incomes and rental payments. They are willing to pay above the odds to secure a safe place for their savings. Though fairly small in number, their presence is enough to inflate bubbles.

Canada’s housing market thus opens a window on a tragic flaw in the global economy. In only a few decades China has mastered the manufacture of high-quality goods. But it takes far longer to be able to manufacture safe stores of value. Instead, their affluent citizens seek out rich-country assets, including houses. This fundamental mismatch limits the ability of policymakers to stop bubbles from inflating.

Raising interest rates, which stand at just 0.5% in Canada, might seem the obvious answer. The economy is recovering and this week the Bank of Canada’s deputy governor has hinted that rates might climb. But several rises in succession might be needed to cool the housing market and that would probably send the economy into recession.

The authorities have instead attempted to deal with the problem at its source. Last summer Vancouver imposed a 15% tax on foreigners’ house purchases. The city’s property market has since cooled. But one effect of this extra tax has been to shift housing demand to other places, such as nearby Victoria, and to Toronto, where house-price inflation is above 30%. The province of Ontario imposed a similar tax in April, prompting fears of a price surge in Montreal. To improve the supply of rental properties, Ontario has also permitted cities to slap a tax on vacant homes. That will help, but it will not solve the problem. There are tentative signs that prices in Vancouver are reviving, suggesting that the tax there has only deterred foreign buyers temporarily. In any event, some foreign owners hope to settle in Canada soon, and so will be entitled to claim a rebate.

There is no fail-safe administrative tool for curbing house-price booms. The best course is to insure against the fallout from a house-price bust. Canada has been more active in this than most countries. People with mortgages above 80% of the value of the home on which it is secured are obliged to pay for insurance against default. The underwriting standards on such mortgages have been steadily tightened. Canada’s biggest banks have some protection against potential storms. They are highly profitable and exceed international benchmarks for capital (see article).

Strong foundations

Even so, a further tightening of such macroprudential measures would be wise, not because it would do much to slow the rise in house prices but as insurance against their eventual fall. The demand from emerging markets for safe assets will not soon diminish. Recent history shows that big run-ups in property prices often reverse suddenly. Better to batten down the hatches now in case the weather turns bad.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline "Maple grief"

http://ift.tt/2swL0Ae

[expomahal-blog]

Greater Western Sydney & Blue Mountains Retirement Village Expo 2019 at Australia(Penrith) 2019-September

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Southampton Boat Show 2019 at United Kingdom(Southampton) 2019-September

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[clearspantents]

Contents

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[sweetlifetownsville]

Hinchinbrook Island resort could be reborn as tourist glamping destination

Updated May 16, 2018 06:31:01

Photo: The pristine Cape Richards on Hinchinbrook Island off the north Queensland coast. (ABC News) Related Story: Hinchinbrook's tourism dreams still in tatters after GFC and cyclone Map: Cardwell 4849 A crumbling island eco-resort off the coast of north Queensland that has sat in ruins for the best part of a decade could soon be brought back to life, if a West Australian businessman has his way.

Photo: The rundown resort building was destroyed by fire in August 2015. (Audience submitted: Yvonne Winter) Since its closure in 2010, the largely forgotten resort site on Hinchinbrook Island has almost been consumed back into the natural environment. It was the only accommodation on the national park island, but over the past eight years has been smashed by Cyclone Yasi, looted by vandals and destroyed by fire. But WA businessman Adam Tree wants to turn the resort site into an international glamping drawcard and has entered into negotiations with the Queensland Government. Mr Tree said he was inspired to rebuild the eco-resort after first visiting four years ago. "I fell in love with the place and it didn't matter how dilapidated it was, it's just incredible this island and what it has to offer the world and I just can't believe no-one had taken it up," he said. "Every time I come back here it's more and more degraded. Somebody has to take control of it, somebody has to step up. "There are so many things here that I could see when I first walked in from WA that I said, 'This is me, I don't need any more'."

Photo: Gutted remains of the Hinchinbrook island eco-resort administration building and pool. (ABC News) Mr Tree has a background as an electrician and currently owns a company supplying products to the mining and resources industry. He said he planned to rebuild the site for glamping-style tents that could be packed away in the event of a cyclone. "Nothing is set is stone but there are a number of different glamping style options. You've got bell tents, Springbok tents that are from South Africa, you've got other Canadian-style tents," he said. "We want to bring it back and rehabilitate the area because it's clearly in a state that it shouldn't be, and hopefully build it to be a world-class eco-resort." Mr Tree has entered into a contract with FTI Consulting, which has handled the resort lease since former owner Williams Corporation collapsed in 2013.

Photo: The beach closest to the former eco-resort on Hinchinbrook Island. (ABC News: Josh Bavas) Island encumbered with past debt But acquiring the lease means also dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars of incumbrances owed to state and local governments from previous owners. Mr Tree said it should not be up to new owners to pay for someone else's debts.

Photo: Adam Tree said he hoped the old debts would be waived. (ABC News: Josh Bavas) "We're looking at this [the lease] has a rates and levy incumbrance for the past 10 years of nearly $800,000," he said. "So not only is it $800,000 but we've got to rehabilitate this area. "If we kept getting treated like a business that has to pay for someone else's problems and debts and legacies, then we can't move forward on some of the innovative things we'd like to do." A Department of Natural Resources Mines and Energy spokesman said Mr Tree's request to waive the fees was being considered. "The department supports responsible and sustainable development on Hinchinbrook Island," the spokesman said. Of the 20 resorts operating on perpetual leases over state land, five are currently in rental arrears. 'We need a tourism boost' Cassowary Coast Councillor Glenn Raleigh said they were also open to discussions with Mr Tree. "We're certainly welcoming a lot of investors to the region at the moment. We're hopeful a new player in the region wants to do great things," he said.

Photo: Councillor Raleigh said Cardwell would benefit from a tourism boost if the plan went ahead. (ABC News: Josh Bavas) "We're certainly supportive of those people as long as they can give us the details and that everything falls into line with legislation and planning instruments that we have in place." Councillor Raleigh said the nearby town of Cardwell needed a tourism boost. "Having the island back to its operation again is very important to the town for employment opportunities and also for the attraction of tourists, not only from domestic markets but from international markets as well." Margaret Moorhouse from the Alliance to Save Hinchinbrook said while she respected Mr Tree's plans to restore the site she would rather see it returned to national park. "We want the island returned to its natural state which would mean no more lessees on that lease," she said. "The proposals that Adam Tree has made are certainly of a very different character to a previous developer, so in one way we are pleased that's the case. "He has said he would keep what he's calling the retreat within the bounds of this area, so like everybody else, we live in hopes of that respect." Topics:activism-and-lobbying,government-and-politics,local-government,travel-and-tourism,lifestyle-and-leisure,people,human-interest,rural-tourism,rural,cardwell-4849,townsville-4810,brisbane-4000,qld,australia,cairns-4870 First posted May 16, 2018 05:45:18 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-16/hinchinbrook-island-resort-rebirth-plan-glamping-tourism-qld/9762956

[t-baba]

Under Sky

One pager for a tent hire business called ‘Under Sky’ – glamping rentals in Australia. Nice animated effects with the clouds, and slick navigation menu. Love this clean one page website.

Unforgettable outdoor events, weddings and festivals. Bespoke services including Sperry Tent hire and glamping accommodation in Melbourne, Victoria.

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by Michael via One Page Mania http://ift.tt/2HVJCLb

[onepagemania]

One pager for a tent hire business called 'Under Sky' #glamping #onepage #design One pager for a tent hire business called 'Under Sky' - glamping rentals in Australia. Nice animated effects with the clouds, and slick navigation menu. Love this clean one page website. Unforgettable outdoor events, weddings and festivals. Bespoke services including Sperry Tent hire and glamping accommodation in Melbourne, Victoria.