The Tale is told!

I have left Darwin and the Northern Territory so if you want to see what I am up to go to my new blog:
upthecreektales.blogspot.com

The final weekend in Darwin

The removalists came early in the morning, and my unit was empty by mid morning. Jessie and Rod collected me mid afternoon and I went out to stay with them at Howard Springs.

I enjoyed a short dip in their swimming pool.

Later I was invited to join them at Roger and Jinx's home for a good dinner and far too much red wine!



Sunday lunch was spent with some of my team at Cornucopia Cafe at the Northern Territory Museum and Art Gallery.

I had to have one last order of Eggs Royal (Tasmanian smoked salmon on poached eggs on foccacia bread)

with a glass of red from the Coonawarra,and the Orange and Almond cake was pretty good as well!!!
Then another swim in the pool, aaahhhhh the Territory life I am leaving.....

My Unit

I took a photo last night of my unit, now on the market and then another shot this morning of the front courtyard when there was a nice rainstorm.

Last trip to the Darwin Sailing Club

I had one last trip last night to the Darwin Sailing Club

with Chris, Jayshree and Peter.

My farewell morning tea

It was a great morning tea, with a very witty speech by my Associate Director , Anne Wilson, all in good humour about my work here.
"Thank you for leading the LILL team and for increasing the Team’s profile amongst the academic staff

Thank you for creating an image gallery of the entire library staff

Thank you for mentoring the newer and younger LILLs

Thank you for providing an active social life for the unattached ladies in the team

Thank you for challenging my management skills

Thank you for surfing the net on my behalf and providing me with lots of interesting reading

Thank you for taking on the role of law liaison at such short notice and running with it

Thank you for making sure the printers didn’t get rusty from lack of use

Thank you for Google Scholar

Thank for your contribution to the continued deforestation of the Amazon rainforest

Thank you for all the work you’ve done in Health

Thank you from all of us

Stephen Barnett a man with “big shirts and a big heart.”




I was presented with two very nice suitcases, useful for my trek down to Wodonga.

My own words include these quotes about leaving...
"Don't be dismayed by good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends." Richard Bach
"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch." Garrison Keillor
"All changes are more or less tinged with melancholy, for what we are leaving behind is part of ourselves." Amelia Barr
"If there is anyone here whom I have not insulted, I beg his pardon" [on leaving some friends] Johannes Brahms
I will also be having drinks on the balcony on Friday night

A weekend of floral and fauna delights

Lunch at The Shed

My team had lunch with me today at The Shed.

Times past or have you washed your books today?

In cleaning up my office I came across something I have had for a number of years. Its a Western novel, a genre I have never read. Why I bought it is because its got a bookplate from the "Hygienic Lending Library" in St. Peters, Adelaide. It was last borrowed in 1948 (I hope its not overdue!!) I have always assumed that hygienic libraries came about because of such concerns as tuberculosis etc.

I did a bit of research and found this article in the Medical Journal of Australia from 2001
"Books as carriers of disease In the early years of bacteriology, librarians, microbiologists and public health physicians were much exercised by the question of whether books could transmit infectious diseases."which pointed me back to an evidenced-based review that appeared in 1912 in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association
THE DISINFECTION OF BOOKS

Cup Luncheon

We had a Melbourne Cup Luncheon in the tea room some people wore funny hats and some like Kathy got carried away:

Judith on the left won it!

Peta and Rachel were getting some fresh air.

Friday night at the Darwin Sailing Club.

I enjoyed both Thursday and Friday night at the Darwin Sailing Club. I went with Jayshree and Peter and Chris on the Thursday and on Friday enjoyed a meal with the Anderson's on their final night in Darwin. Glorious sunsets both nights.

We were joined by a possum

Big move soon!

I am about to start a new career move, back to the TAFE library environment at Wodonga Institute's David Mann Library
"The David Mann Library is a shared use library facility between Wodonga TAFE, La Trobe University and The Murray Darling Freshwater Research Centre. You will find the library near Lake Drive between the Wodonga TAFE and the La Trobe University Campus"

I will start at the beginning of December.

Fogg Dam in the afternoon.

I then took a trip out to Fogg Dam on Saturday afternoon, its been quite a while. It was very warm, and not too many others out there, I saw just three other vehicles all tourists.


A lot less water and not as many birds.
Crimson Finches,Double-barred Finches, Egrets, Kites, ducks.
However there was this interesting Darter that remained submerged for most of the time,



There were lots of dragonflies being grabbed on the wing by Rainbow BeeEaters

Saturday morning trip to Parap Market

A trip to Parap Market this morning, to go to the bakery for a croissant and then some well priced fruit and vegetables.





This group of soldiers from 1st Brigade 8th/12 Medium Regiment, Robertson Barracks were part of a relay that was about to pull a two tonne gun carriage 22km around Darwin and suburbs to raise money for sick and injured children at Royal Darwin Hospital!

This busker is quite a character

Morning tea for new parents

Brian and Julie, two members of the Access Services team are new parents. Brian has a baby daughter this week and Julie is flying to China to pick up her adopted son.
There was mountain of food to eat!