Australian Olympians - Welcome Home

Anna Meares - Women's gold medalist - cycling

Morning

What was once
a cape of green 
is now an ocean
swell, capped
by the probing
flesh of Cattle Egrets
as they hunt
for breakfast sans
their Water Buffalo
friends. Without warning,
they rise 
like a snowstorm,
leaving the green canvas
and a solitary 
Whistling Wood Duck
in their wake.

(c) Rob Swales

The experiences you have when you don't have a camera handy. Thank God for words and my English teachers, Messrs Harrington and Rogers at good old Murwillumbah High.

The only fireworks at the Sharkies/Rabittohs game

Kris and I awarded this guy the best player for the bunnies award

Spent last weekend in Sydney with my son Kris. We had an great time that included an amazing Thai meal in an old pub at Alexandria, going to watch the Sharks eat the Bunnies at Cronulla, a pristine Sunday morning run from Coogee almost to Bronte Beach and back (I'd like to say that I 'let' Kris win the run but I had trouble catching sight of him most of the time), sitting in on the movie 'The Sapphires' - based on a true story about four inspirational Aboriginal women and we also managed to watch three games of rugby league on TV as well as the first part of the 'Howzat' series. The gaps were filled in with good food and coffee, conversation and newspapers. And 'The Sapphires' movie blew me away so much that I went and saw it again with Jo on Monday night after she picked me up at the airport.

Again I can't show you all the photos of the above events because they are on my new Android phone and for whatever reason will not transfer over to my iPhotos. Another one of the joys that modern technology loves to share with me.

But I did manage to be a part of the Sydney welcome to more than one hundred of our olympic athletes at a coming home parade at Sydney Town Hall and I have my Libby Trickett and Anna Meares autographed boxing kangaroos flag to prove it.

Silver medal 50 km walk

Lauren Jackson - Bronze medal - women's basketball

This team of truly inspirational human beings had the local crowd pumping to a back drop of Australian Anthems belted out by The Baker Brothers, as they took the time to meander up George Street from Circular Quay, shaking hands, signing shirts, posing for photos and sharing the glory of their olympic moments in the Sydney winter sun before they get back into four years of training to do it all over again in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Libby Trickett - my favourite olympian - so humble

Thankfully, this time, I had my camera and a prime position in front of the red carpet. And an added bonus was Jessica Mauboy, one of the stars of 'The Sapphires', singing the Australian national anthem. It's times like these that I love being an Aussie, especially to be an Aussie with a little understanding of our Aboriginal culture that appreciates the value and beauty of it's heritage for us all.

Jessica Mauboy - all class and talent

Alicia Coutts with her medal collection

And more