Ken Boddie

7 years ago · 2 min. reading time · ~10 ·

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I Come from a Land Down Under

I Come from a Land Down Under

(The Brisbane River and CBD from Kangaroo Point cliffs.)


So what do I do to while away the hours in the infamous penal colony of Australia, the land 'down under', which many of my fellow castaways refer to as the Land of Oz, or simply, Oz?

Well I could say that I

  • live on Ramsay Street (the location of the 'Neighbours' soap opera);
  • go swimming daily on Bondi Beach;
  • go a couple of rounds with my boxing kangaroo in the gym every morning;
  • put 'prawns on the barby' daily for lunch, followed by vegemite sandwiches, and washed down with a tube of Foster's lager;
  • take my camel for a ride into the outback every weekend, accompanied by my pet dingo;
  • cuddle a koala, when I need to lower my blood pressure and prevent the blood from rushing to my head (clue: 'land down under'?); and, of course
  • take my annual vacation in Bali.

Furthermore, since I live on an island, you may expect me to either be related to, have gone to school with, or be good mates with Paul Hogan, Kylie Minogue, Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, etc, etc [apologies to the other 300 members of my extended family, who have either taken over Hollywood or the international music industry, or both, for not mentioning them].

But, of course, If I were to claim the above pursuits, you wouldn't believe me. You all know that these classic Aussie passtimes are all reserved for members of Club Oz, and that, not having been transported here by the British legal system, but having found my own way to the 'Lucky Country' some 28 years ago, I'm still waiting for my membership card to be delivered. My goodness, the postal service is sometimes so slow here.

...............................................................................................................................................

All joking side, however, I do love to take visitors (especially overseas visitors) to see our unique marsupials 'up close and friendly'. There are a couple of parks near where I live in Brisbane, including one of my favourites (Lone Pine Sanctuary), where you can see kangaroos and wallabies (their smaller cousins) in open range enclosures, where you can actually 'cuddle' a koala, watch sheep getting a haircut, sheep dogs going through their paces, participate in a unique lorikeet feeding routine, and become familiar with a myriad of other creatures, great and small, unique to my adopted paradise.

Here are some recent shots I took, while wearing my tour guide hat, introducing overseas family and visitors to some of my marsupial and bird friends.

  

................................................................................................................................................................................

When not analysing consulting issues, or reminiscing about the past, I chase my creative side, the results of which can be seen as selected photographs of my travels on my website at:

http://ken-boddie.squarespace.com 

The author of the above, Ken Boddie, besides being a consulting engineer, is an enthusiastic photographer, rarely leisure-travelling without his Canon, and loves to interact with other like-minded photographers and people with an artistic background.

Ken's three day work week (part time commitment) as a consulting engineer allows him to follow his photography interests, and to plan trips to an ever increasing list of countries and places of scenic beauty and cultural diversity.

""""
#Down Under #Oz #CBD #Down #Brisbane River
Comments

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #38

#39
That would explain, Zack, why so many take beBee for granite. 🤗

Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris

3 years ago #37

#38
:-) You, my friend, are one of the reasons beBee still rocks (in my view, anyway) :-)

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #36

#37
Better get a move on, Zack. I understand she’s 86. Still, I saw her photo when she was in Cannes a couple of years back. She looked old enough ... to be my daughter. 😂🤣😂

Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris

3 years ago #35

#36
I'll see what I can do (I don't promise anything though!) :-)

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #34

#35
Now, Zack, with Sophia Loren, I’d much rather have the opportunity to take a selfie, up close and personal, than have a second or third hand remote and socially distant ‘auto’-graph. 👎

Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris

3 years ago #33

#34
I was hoping we'd do a trade. I know a guy who knows a guy who may be able to get Sophia Loren's autograph. What do you say? :-)

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #32

#33
As it happens I may be able to assist, for a small fee, Zacharias \ud83d\udc1d Voulgaris. ‘Rusty’ is a longtime financial supporter and board member of the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league club, with which I have some connection ... so cross my palm with silver and you never know. 😂🤣😂

Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris

3 years ago #31

And here I thought you could get me an autograph from Russel Crowe! :-)

Ken Boddie

3 years ago #30

After looking through my 140 odd bloggs on this site, I reckon it's time to kick start some oldies and provide some frivolity to brighten up the start of your year.

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #29

#28
Happy to oblige, Joyce \ud83d\udc1d Bowen Brand Ambassador @ beBee.

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #28

#26
guess there’s no solution to your marsupial need, Lisa \ud83d\udc1d Gallagher, but to hop on a plane and come on over. 🤗

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #27

#27
Thanks for the “young” Ian Weinberg. I’ll remember that next time my joints start to act up. 🤣

Joyce 🐝 Bowen Brand Ambassador @ beBee

6 years ago #26

It was always a childhood dream of mine to visit down under. If I ever do, put your tour hat on.

Ian Weinberg

6 years ago #25

I note that you posted this even before I embarked on my beBee experiment Ken Boddie Heartening to see how you've matured into a fine young man

Lisa Gallagher

6 years ago #24

#20
I would have never seen this if it didn't pop up on facebook. Using multiple networks to share really does make a difference. I want to hold a marsupial. Love the pics!

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #23

#23
Ah Paul Walters. You and I have been down this ambassadorial WD before, Pak Paul. They couldn’t keep me in the manner to which I would love to be accustomed, nor could they sppreciate my ambivalent sense of humour.

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #22

#23
You and I have been down this ambassadorial WD before, Pak Paul. They couldn’t keep me in the manner to which I would love to be accustomed, nor eould they sppreciate my smbivalebg

Paul Walters

6 years ago #21

Ken Boddie get thee to Canberra. The are making you and an Ambassador!

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #20

#21
hey, Kevin, I see “you speak-a my language”. 👍

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #19

Thanks for sharing this oldie, , and cranking it back into circulation, albeit for a microsecond or two. 😂.

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #18

#18
I take it you're a Men at Work fan, Kevin?

Louise Smith

7 years ago #17

#16
Yes it did. A few of my clients have citizenship issues so it's not something I naturally think to take lightly. Congratulations on being an Aussie!

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #16

Sorry my poetic license fooled you Louise. I've held an Aussie passport since 1991 but, as you know, that doesnt necessarily get me entry into Club Oz. There was a time when I held a UK, NZ and Aussie passport, to hedge my bets, to be see to be sure, but I'm now true blue Ocka - at least till you hear my accent, which fools everybody, including those of similar Scots heritage. I'm always considered to be from somewhere else. Fall out from being a citizen of the world in my youth (back when Adam was a lad). 🙁

Louise Smith

7 years ago #15

#13
sigh ! big sigh ! Really Ken Boddie why didn't you just overstay your visa like a lot of other UK visitors?

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #14

Kevin Pashuk https://youtu.be/S4Jnx6stHb0 #9

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #13

Hi Louise Smith. I'm sure that the main reason my Club Oz card has been delayed is that someone has leaked that I hate the taste of Vegemite!?! #12

Louise Smith

7 years ago #12

#1
I never travel OS without a small jar of it ! Confessssions of an Original Vegemite Kid!

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #11

Thanks thanks thanks Louise Smith#10 😀

Louise Smith

7 years ago #10

Nice nice nice post Ken Boddie !

Kevin Pashuk

7 years ago #9

#8
'Chunder' - Word of the day... and it means exactly what it sounds like. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chunder

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #8

Incidentally, Kevin Pashuk, since you are a Men at Work fan, you may wish to know that "My wife glows, but I don't plunder" and that, after a few beers, I have been known to 'chunder'. 😝

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #7

Thanks for the thumbs up, Pascal. 👍 Glad you enjoyed it. #4

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #6

As for the crocodile wrestling, Dean, I try and not get too close. Their rough hides play havoc with my delicate skin and their breath smells. #3 😃 🐊

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #5

Begs the question, was the documentary banished by us or them? Incidentally not so many of the 'criminals' who came across on the first fleet, and subsequent penal shipments, were hardened criminals. Some were sent here only for stealing a loaf of bread, their crime really being poverty. #3

Pascal Derrien

7 years ago #4

Kool article mate :-)

Dean Owen

7 years ago #3

You mean you are not a professional crocodile wrestler? I am disappointed. There was an excellent BBC drama "Banished" last year about the Brits sending all their hardened criminals to Australia in the 18th Century.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #2

I have a confession to make, Kevin. I hate Vegemite! #1 🍞 😝

Kevin Pashuk

7 years ago #1

Oz is certainly on my bucket list Ken Boddie... You title is a line from the Men at Work song (https://youtu.be/8jHXu86O01w) that almost had me convinced to move there except for the line about 'Vegemite sandwiches'. Great post and photos.

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