Hello I am back

LOL Well, since I have just finished the latest book, that was a bit fresh in my mind.

Katherine

Shiny, huh? So they ate greasy food then? LOL Sorry, I couldn't help myself!

Gem I will leave the CROPolite alone, because I just *know* that Noreen will want to go that route! ROTFL

LOL

Katherine

Thanks Norma - yes it was !! God Bless Gwen

Gemini you are right in saying that it is a sense of awe to see parts of ones own country - yet when you mentioned places like Hudson Bat and the Great Lakes and the history etc of these and other places I get goose pimples having seen all the places you mentioned. The history of North America is facinating and was well learned in our schools of my time ( cannot vouch for that now ! ) and ,you see, you have so much history as does Europe and the middle east.

Our history is only 217 years old - the first settlement was made in 1788 although Captain Cook discovered it in 1770 so there is not much to see in old buildings etc - the oldest is usually around the 1830's except for a few slab huts and such. One really cannot follow any of the explorers tracks either - except for coastal exploration - because the centre is all desert with no roads etc and a number of the explorers who set out to explore these areas perished.

I think the little bit of history that affected me most was that one Dirk Hartog first discovered Western Australia and tacked a pewter plate to a tree to tell he had been there and William Dampier also discovered the west coast in 1688 but obviously took one look at the barren land and gave any idea of colonisation away - I can now understand why !! However it amazes me that one hundred years passed before the British decided that Australia might not be so bad after all,since Captain Cook had discovered the east coast. So you can see even at school there was not much Australian history to learn - but we knew of all the facinating places to see overseas and that is why , no matter where you go, you will always find some Aussie tourists . Maybe it is because we live on an island that everyone has a great desire to " go overseas" God Bless Gwen

Thank you Cher - it is good to back with you all God Bless Gwen

Laura J. think positive - start saving - there is an open door waiting for you here on the Gold Coast God Bless Gwen

Ladies just get your transport brooms, vacume cleaners,transporters etc organised and do not take too long - I am waiting God Bless Gwen

Ahh... the old "Grass is always greener..." bit huh? ;o) Yes, I can imagine most people wanting to see other countries regardless what the people living there think of the place. It's always interesting to have a look around (whether it be at the scenery ... my personal favorite..., or old buildings, artworks, etc) someplace you've never been.

Gemini