News from Down-under 2003

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2003 started in very dramatic fashion with bushfires ranging across the Australian Capital Territory, almost surrounding Canberra.  We rushed back from Christmas in Sydney to check on Carole’s townhouse on the city edge. Fortunately the wind was a few degrees off our property and the fires missed our suburb by a mile or so. Not so lucky were several friends amongst the five hundred Canberra families who lost their homes. Up at Mt Stromlo Observatory all the telescopes were lost, the admin. building and most seriously a just finished $4m camera for a new telescope in Chile. Luckily the building in which Carole had her office was untouched and by March the Observatory had re-opened in a mix of surviving buildings and port-a-cabins.  Hopefully new telescopes will be built over the next few years. In Canberra and up at Mt Stromlo it was strange how one building would be lost whilst the next was untouched. One weekend we took a drive through the undulating Namagi National Park that surrounds Canberra, for almost 40 miles everything was burnt-out. Pics

 

Despite all the traumas of the Canberra bush fires life went on.  At the end of January we became Australian citizens at a poignant Canberra ceremony on Australia Day. The air was still heavy with the smell of burnt-out bush and forest; the ACT Chief Minister gave a moving speech whilst the Governor-General shook hands and handed out our citizenship certificates. Pics

 

By April our thoughts were turning to a future in Sydney.  Carole’s contract at Stromlo was coming to an end and after 6 months of waiting I was finally confirmed as Facilities Operations & Maintenance Manager at Sydney Opera House. 2003 was a big year for SOH, our 30^th Birthday, our first ever blockbuster film premier (Matrix III), the finals of Australian Idol and the first of several major refurbishments overseen by our original architect Jorn Utzon.  A secondment to the CSIRO Astrophysics Division led to a one-year appointment for Carole as Project Scientist and Development Manager. Pics

 

During May we found time for a week’s holiday in New Zealand’s north island. We enjoyed some fine walking, relaxing thermal baths and dropped in on my Aunt and Uncle, and long-time friends of Carole’s parents in Auckland.  By June we were actually living together under one roof, 3-years of shuttling between Canberra and Sydney every weekend had come to a timely end. Pics

 

In July, 2000 astronomers descended upon Sydney for the tri-annual International Astronomy Union congress.  For me it was an opportunity to meet some friends from around the world and enjoy the social program.  For Carole and the Sydney-based Astronomy community it was hard work, attending the conference by day and welcoming friends from abroad by night.  Nonetheless we both enjoyed ourselves and the splendid company of Jasper Wall, Carole’s PhD supervisor who stayed with us for the duration.  A highlight was a 3-day trip to the Parkes Radio Telescope and a ride in the famous dish, which amongst other things received the pictures of Neil Armstrong’s famous “one small step”. Pics

 

The Rugby World Cup arrived in October. We went to the Opening Ceremony – big disappointment, too much for the TV cameras, too little for the stadium audience, followed by a fairly uninspiring game between Australia and Argentina.  We next saw Argentina in a cracking game against Romania; 35,000 people proved that Australians will turn up to any good sporting competition.  Mid-tournament we headed to England for a quick tour of friends and relatives – thank you everyone who fed us and gave us a bed.  Apologies to everyone we didn’t get to see, we will return, it’s the only place to get a decent dark beer instead of fizzy Australian lager. Come Rugby Cup Final day I was back at the Opera House whilst Carole watched from Rome airport on yet another trip to Europe.  Holding dual Australian and British nationality caused us a problem as Australia and England competed for the Web Ellis Cup.  At the Opera House we set-up a TV on the Forecourt and 4000 fans watched the game in the rain. Comedians Ray & HG provided their traditional “spoof” commentary live on stage full of humour, attacks on the English and showing no mercy to the referee.  As everyone now knows England won in the last seconds of extra-time; the tension at the House could have been cut with a knife. UK Pics     RWC Pics

 

And that about brings us up-to-date.  2004 promises to be just as eventful, Carole already has trips to Tasmania, Berlin and Canada lined-up, whilst I have the challenge of maintaining a 20^th Century icon.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Love and Best Wishes

Paul & Carole

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