After forcing ourselves to stay awake during our first day in Australia (which is basically forcing ourselves to stay awake all night in the uk) by visiting Adelaide’s wonderful indoor market and then having our first visit to ‘The
Wheatie’, a fantastic pub with the most amazing range of beers from South Australia (I learned last time that our impression of Aussies being mostly Fosters drinkers was completely wrong, and that their taste in beers was equally as good as our Real Ales in Britain!) most of the jet lag had gone by Friday, which meant a very relaxed set up for The English Ale festival.
We arrived at the hall in Mylor, a town named after the Cornish village of the same name with a fascinating history, got out of the car and had that first moment of true realisation that I was not in England anymore. The sweet smell of Eucalyptus in the air, and the sound of the Gallars as they swooped across the playing field opposite the venue where later on Saturday night there would be the burning of the Wicker Man. I can’t help it, I find those moments so exciting and I always just take a some time to breathe in the differences.
The hall was perfect and soon we were setting up the chairs, tables, and the
gear for the concert. I’d brought my new travelling guitar with me for his first outing and was really looking forward to the concert the next night. I did my sound check and then Spiral Dance did theirs, all was well, sounded great, and so we locked up the hall and headed back to get an earlyish night.
On the way back I asked Nick (Spiral Dance’s guitar player) if there were many kangaroos in the area. He said he often saw them and they were particularly active at that time of night. Not two turns later one hopped out into the road ahead of us. It stopped and was lit up in the headlights at the side of the road. A truly beautiful being, and one of my most favourite animals. I remember seeing them on my last visit and finding their energy to be very similar to our European Deer. I never saw a wild Roo that close last time, so that was a real treat, and it was only day two of our trip!
So the scene was set for my first gig of the tour at the English Ale festival. More on that in the next blog! Xx
I think you are right that the energy of roos and deer is very similar. We have Old Man Roo to stand beside the Stag in the North of our local wheel of the year.
I can’t believe you and Ceri are so close to us (relatively, since we are over here in WA!) and we can’t be there to meet you. I’m sure my fellow Aussies will make sure you get all the warm hospitality we’d have loved to have shown you! XXX
It looks like you are having a lot of fun. Such a great experience to be in a whole different country in a different hemisphere ; )
Have a great time.