a good newspaper these days is hard to find...

Does anyone read the Wall Street Journal? I get emails from them occasionally with a selection of recent articles and op-ed pieces. They´re normally REALLY good.

For instance, here´s an article about native Americans that suggests ways in which to improve their economic situations. Seems very relevant for Australian aborigines as well, especially the stuff about law and order. You can´t develop economically if you´re not safe.

And here´s a really interesting article about ethanol. Best quote -

¨...So successful but politically unpopular businesses will be punished for not buying a product that does not exist...¨¨

Incidentally, apparently if you buy the petrol with ethanol in it available in Australia, your fuel consumption goes up because the ethanol has no real effect, so you´re burning more fuel in total. Don´t know how true that is.

Anyway, check out the Wall Street Journal, it´s a good read.

cheers

Harry

Some good news at last...

See here for some positive news in these troubled times.

cheers

Harry

Harry the hater...

There was a french kid staying at my hostel last week. He had red fair and dreadlocks and didn´t really speak English. For some reason I had an overwhelming desire to punch him in the nose. I´m not sure why.

I just found him really, really irritating. Luckily he´s gone now, so I won´t need to worry about it...

Top Ten Rivers in Tasmania - Upper Wilmot River

The Upper Wilmot is possibly the most brutal, difficult and most committing river in Tasmania (in my opinion). The only river that would match it might be the Dove Canyon, which I haven’t personally paddled.

This is an easily accessible river that has only ever been paddled twice, for very good reason.

Where the Lea and the Iris rivers meet at Lake Gairdner, the water is diverted by pipeline through the mountain into the dams of the Forth River. From the Wilmot dam the usually dewatered Wilmot River travels roughly 30km downstream to Spellman’s Bridge.

These 30 km feature numerous long, committing and extremely difficult rapids, most with serious consequences. The rock is very sharp and scratchy and the river is pushy and difficult. The vast majority of these rapids are walled in with extremely high cliffs and are impossible to portage and extremely difficult to scout.

That being said, the huge cliffs and the committing nature give this river a really awesome feel, if you can get onto it you should, it’s amazing.

You need approximately a foot of water going over the dam to paddle this river. From the start the river quickly hits the first gorge. Get through this and keep on pushing to the second gorge, because that’s where you’re going to spend most of the day. The very last rapid in the gorge has a massive boulder in the centre that you need to get to via a dodgy eddy to scout. Below this the river mellows somewhat, although there are still some very good grade 4 rapids and there starts to be a lot of trees starting to grow in the river (it rarely flows after all). The good thing is that there is almost no wood in the main gorge and everything is paddleable.

If you get to do this river, allocate AT LEAST 8 hours on the water, if you get in trouble out there it would be almost impossible to get out and often when you can it’s on the side of the river that is much further away from everything. Take a strong crew and have fun!

(If I’ve talked this river up a bit, it’s because you can’t afford to take it lightly, don’t get on the river at 3 in the afternoon and think you’ll get through, it’s never going to happen, we pushed REALLY hard and still took nearly 7 hours.)

http://www.loungefilms.com.au/kayaker/explore/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=13

The Loungekayaker website seems to have been replaced by some prick´s personal business website, but this used to be a link to some photos on there.

http://www.webspawner.com/users/billshep/wilmotriverwalk.html guide to walking into sections of the gorge

Cheers

Harry

King of the Andes...

I am writing this from an internet cafe in downtown Quito, capitol of Ecuador (where broadband at a cafe averages 80c to $1 per hour). I got in last night after close to 30 hours of travelling (and nearly 23 hours in planes) from Sydney.

First impressions. The weather is really good, we´re up at altitude but it hasn´t effected me too much. It´s quite sunny but not too hot, especially considering we´re sitting on the equator. (Equator - Ecuador, not it´s not a coincidence).

The people are quite friendly, even though not a huge amount of them speak English. Bit of a mix ethnically, from light to dark, but lots and lots of indian heritage quite obvious and most people have dark hair and dark eyes.

Things are cheap, but not consistently so, I`ll have to be careful in Quito that I don´t spend too much money.

The area where I´m staying (the Mariscal) is very touristy and apparently has a very bad rep for crime and violence (according to the Lonely Planet). However, walking around last night there were private security guards and cops everywhere. I saw dozens in a couple of blocks. This morning there were some proper cops hanging around, armed with assault rifles and pump action shotguns! No messing around for those dudes obviously. From what I´ve been told it´s quite safe now, due to a massive crack down (obviously all those cops and security guards), so that´s a bit of a relief.

This is a proper city, with high rise buildings and the like, lots and lots of people in suits. People obviously take care in their appearance.

Anyway, going to the pub tonight to attend a quiz night and hang out with some other travellers. Hopefully onto Tena tomorrow and kayaking! Got a line on a couple of boats, so I´ll need to buy something soon.

Basically, Quito seems really nice, will definitely come back and do some touristing.

Cheers

Harry

Hey Virgin Blue!

What's with airlines and emergency exit rows? I got asked on Monday if I'd like to sit there, which of course I would. I was checking in early, I'm youngish and obviously reasonably fit. Suppose the time came when I actually had to grasp the red handle, open the door, turn it around and throw it outside, I feel reasonably confident that I could.

So why, out of 6 people in my row, were 4 of them 2 couples in their fifties, if not their sixties? I do not believe that most little old ladies have the strength to do what you need to do if you sit in that row. And hubby next to her had a knee brace around his leg as well, don´t see him putting a lot of weight on that leg.

So who´s to blame? I don´t know this, but I think people are selecting the emergency rows when they select their seat online. This immediately seems dodgy to me. You should at least have to pass some rudimentary visual test to sit there. At the least.

Not that it´s just virgin. I was on an airnorth flight once when a granny who was at least 80 was in the emergency exit row. She was moved to another seat but her ancient husband stayed there. Safe? No way

Harry

Riddle me this....

Who stops off on the way home from work and picks up a dozen crispy creme donuts? And walks out of the shop with a child?

The reason I ask is that my hotel at Sydney airport (although to glorify it with the name hotel is far too generous) is next door to a mcdonalds and a krispy creme. And they are both very popular, especially the donuts around about tea time. What's going on there?

As for the hotel, well, it basically consists of a bed, a tiny tv and the world's smallest toilet, apparently designed for a midget. Still, at least it's close to the airport.

Ecuador tomorrow! (after 22 hours flying time).

cheers

Harry