Holiday Weekend in Australia

We seem to get a few extra holidays this time of year. In addition to Good Friday and Easter Monday, there is also Easter Saturday, Anzac Day on Tuesday, and then next weekend we have Monday off as an additional public holiday “in recognition that Anzac Day and Easter Monday both fall on Monday 25^th April”. So I’m not sure if that means next year when it doesn’t fall on Easter Monday, we don’t get it? In any event, I’m happy enough to have days off anytime! That just means more exploring time for me.

So today, being Good Friday, I did my laundry, caught a mouse, cooked a chicken, and took a hike to the top of Anzac Hill, fitting since Anzac Day is coming up. There is a large memorial up there, freshly painted white, so I may have to take another hike up there on Anzac Day to see what type of ceremony will be going on. For those who don’t know, Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand to honor the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in Turkey during the first World War. It also more broadly commemorates all those who died and served in military operations for these countries. So it sounds like it is kind of like Remembrance Day in Canada.

I had wanted to take a hike at King’s Canyon, but didn’t manage to get a chance to make plans with any of my new co-workers at the main building before the holidays, as I spent such minimal time in the office since I started. The hike I want to do is 6kms which is a bit too long to do alone in such rugged territory. The hike is along the canyon rim, so lots of chance for accidents! And I promised my mother I wouldn’t go alone, heh heh. Yes, I am 44 years old and still listen to my mother on occasion.

So for the rest of the holiday weekend, I reckon there will be more local hikes, some reading, some telly watching, mouse catching, and some drowsy napping on the sofa. The weather is just gorgeous this time of year, with the temperatures in the teens in the morning, the mid to high twenties in the afternoons, and about 8C-10C at night. Perfect weather for sleeping, although I do keep the air conditioner on above my bed as well, as the white noise blocks out the night roamers on the street close to my bedroom window. Many of the local Aborigines live in the town camps on the outskirts of town, and seem to roam at all hours of the day and night into and out of town. There is one just a kilometre or so from my street, as I am on the very edge of town. One morning I heard voices at about 5am on a weeknight and so got up to look, and saw four teenage girls strolling along, chatting and carrying on. Clearly no one cared if they were out at all hours or not.

Happy Holidays everyone!