The language mysteries continued this week. The sports reporter said, "They got their gurensey numbers this evening." Guernsey numbers?? Although we found out that guernsey is an old Australian slang word for a sports jersey, it is now used to mean "winning approval, as in making the team."

Manly Beach

We lived in Manly Australia back in 1994-95, just up the hill from this beach. While visiting Sydney this month, we ferried over to see what changes have occurred there. The results: a little updating, but the sand, sun and surf remain extraordinary. (If someone claims Bondi Beach is better, agree with them ... please.)

News & Notes

• Dan has a paper accepted for the North American Paleontological Convention regarding fossils that he and his able field assistant Tomoko found in Illinois.

• Friend Ken Burr has a new book out: Coming Out, Coming Home. Find it at Amazon, naturally, and check the reviews on Ken's home page.

  

  Ken Burr

• We returned to Sydney for a long weekend to see Shirley Goldrei and Alan Fekete. Sydney is a great city! We enjoyed the restaurants especially Chez Fekete.

  

  Chef with blue shirt; red emperor with herbs and lemon

  
  Also high on the list of "must dos" in Sydney were the art shows, especially the Archibald Prize for Portraiture at the Art Gallery of NSW and the Yayoi Kusama Show at the MCA. And we returned to our old haunts, including our favorite pub, Jacksons on George.

  

  Julie Enjoys A James Squires Golden Ale

• We met Hugh and Alison Barrett, and their boys James and Thomas, through mutual Seattle friends Hellmut and Marcy Golde. The Barretts took on the task of making us feel welcome in Perth, right down to the Aussie BBQ, and plugging us into the Perth arts community. Mission Accomplished!!

• Cape Leeuwin, named for a Dutch ship that passed by in 1622, is the southwest corner of Australia, where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean. This encounter is often dramatic, though unlike our last visit, this time both oceans were on their best behavior. We stopped by as part of a return trip to the Margaret River wine country.

  

  Cape Leeuwin

  Based on a word-of-mouth recommendation we went to the small Knee Deep Winery for lunch. We were surprised to get the last table on a Thursday so late in the season. Then we found out that they had just received a glowing review in the western Australian weekend magazine. The review was correct, if a little understated in our opinion! Terrific lunch!

  

• Fall is in the air in Perth, so it is time to head back to the Northern Hemisphere and the promise of another summer. We leave in a few days for Nicosia, Cyprus. Stay tuned.