identity

G'day. Me name's Wombat Wol, an' I've been having a bittuva discussion with the bloke who runs this site. Just t' confuse yz all 'is name is actually David, but 'e's been usin' my name a lot 'cos I look over 'is shoulder sometimes when 'e's writin'. 'E's also been findin' some funny little toys that 'e'll probly tell y about sometime. Anyways, what we'll try t' do is separate us a bit, 'an put me logo at th' top of the post when I'm me. But yer never know, sometimes I think I'm him, an' sometimes 'e thinks 'e's me. OK?

I've been around a bit an' spent some time out in th' desert. Wonderful place that. Well, it's not really "desert" like the Sahara - more like "arid". Y' c'n walk fer hundreds of miles in a straight line without bumpin' into, or trippin' over anybody. Y' c'n see the horizon all the ways round, and the mind expands t' fill the space. The silence of the night is so profound y' c'n hear the earth breathe, an' the stars are so bright y' c'n touch 'em. Space and Time take on a different meaning in th' desert, thousands, perhaps millions, of years without much change. City folk tend t' ferget their yesterdays in the rush n bustle, an' keep trippin' over the minute hand of their clocks.

There aren't any newfangled gadjets t' take away yr self reliance, so y' better not get into trouble 'cos there aint nobody around to help - or if there are, they're probly several days away. The only silicon chips out that way are flecks of rock, and the most powerful computer ever developed sits about six inches above yer collarbone. Not too much in the way of electricity either .. well .. unless y' count a helluva lot of solar power, but that goes away at night. Nights an' early mornings are the best time. Bit coolish, but.

Lots of people think that the Aussie desert is boring, mostly 'cos they scoot through it in their cars, or fly over it. But if y' get out 'n' walk in it, each grain is different - an' the subtle little plants an' flowers hide away, sometimes fer years, until they feel a speck of rain. Then they burst up out of the ground like a multicoloured carpet. The little buggers are quick off th' mark, as well. Grow, flower, set seed; all in a couple of weeks. Real survivors, them seeds. Can hide in the sands fer tens of years if need be, then pop up full of life and colour when they feel a bit of moisture.

But don't get the idea that the outback is all dry n flat. In a country roughly the size of the US of A, there's a lot of variation. I'll see if I c'n find some photos, later.
Cheerio,
Wombat Wol.