wallaby.australia [1Nov04 - 22Nov04]

As there are many photos taken during this reservist, thus loading may take a while, do be patient. And in the mean time, you might as well read the description i've prepared ...

:p

This is my first reservist and first overseas reservist - Ex Wallaby in Australia.

Over there, we slept in tentages and safari beds (wallaby055 onwards) and bathed using manual pulley shower bags (wallaby070 onwards). Everyday, we would be awake at ard 5am by the irritating chirping birds, moving vehicles, the sun's rays and the commandos!! (argh!) (those who are there would know why)

In the day at the main camp, we would have lessons in stuffy tentages and some PT where we would see flattened toads along the roads (wallaby085). Then at night, we would have some drinks at the monopolised canteen (wallaby076 onwards) with the infamous "SUPER DOG"!!! (wallaby080) (yucks .. the sound if it makes me wanna puke .. lol)

There are two batches - one batch that stays in the main and one that goes outfield .. and I am the "suay" one that was outfield (darn!). My appt ... I am the proud VC (Vehicle Commander) of the Great Bronco! (wallaby012) with my fantastic driver (wallaby015) and mates (wallaby028). For those who don't know ... as a VC, I have to standup hatch-opened during movement (wallaby040) ... that's why I became like charcoal!!! And I would also have free "sand therapy" from the cloud of sand that's lifted by the previous vehicle (wallaby037) (laugh .. you just laugh ... ).

During outfield, we did a lot of setting and and tearing down, which is the most "shiong" (tiring) part, especially during the summer heat that reached 40 degrees! Although it is very tough while we were outfield, but we still had some jokes and laughter (right guys?) Anyway, there were several exercises and each duration differed, the longest being 5 days 4 nights outfield ... only after the many hard and sweaty days in outfield, did we realise the goodness of the tentages and safari beds. (hey you, who think that safari beds are a torture ... "mai4 hiam2" - dun complain)

Scenery wise .. as you can see, I've taken quite a lot of good scenery photos, but on the other side, there is nothing more than the mountains, the trees and the sand. A very deserted place actually. However that is also where we saw live wild kangaroos and wallabies in their most natural habitat. And yes, the sky ... the cloudless sky of different shades of blue. Most days, the sky is so clear that the sky filled with star glitters like diamonds. Anyway, my camera not that "powder-ful" ... cannot capture its magnificence. However I was able to take some shots of the stars using an infra-red binoculars (wallaby033) .. cool eh!

There I've made many new friends (wallaby 108 onwards) who stayed in the same tentage and also learnt many new things from them as well as during the exercise.

Finally R&R arrived! the last 3 days of the 3 weeks there. Then it was another 1 1/2 to 2 hours bus ride out to town, back to civilisation. Went to several places like the Shopping Fair (biggest shopping centre there), Coles, Target, K-mart, Subway, Red Rooster ... etc. Other than the shopping centre, the roads are practically empty and lifeless. We had to walk several streets just to grab a meal. We also went to the Heritage Village (wallaby136) where we saw Rockhampton several hundreds of years ago. We rode on horse carriages and sat on horses (wallaby132).

So long for a description huh ... hehe. Anyway ENJOY!

(N.B. CLICK ON PHOTO TO VIEW LARGER VERSION OF THE PHOTO)