>is, unfortunately, not confined to the northern hemisphere. Even here in the land of sun – granted it’s still winter, but almost in the throws of spring – the pesky common cold lingers, waiting to take hold and manifest in to the deadliest of common illnesses…man flu (ok, so its an exaggeration). Three weeks I’ve put up with my oldest of friends here at the hostel. No sooner I think I’ve given it the slip it rears its ugly head and is persistent in sharing in my stalled travelling life down under.

Before someone says it, yes, I’ve been eating my greens and 5 fruit a week (that’s right isn’t it? I mean, 5 fruit a day seems a little extravagent for a ‘backpacker’ albeit an employed one? And if you include wine as a form of processed fruit then I easily make the 5 and more). Perhaps its my hops and yeast based friend on the weekends (and I might as well admit sometimes during the week) that keeps both it (the cold) and I living in harmony to the tune of last years UK dance hits.

Solace is sought in that I’m not the only one to suffer here. It’s been doing the rounds and I’m not the only one who has struck it lucky more than once (shame it’s not the lotto that strikes me down. Not that I’m down. Caffine has been my friend in propping me up, along with strepsils and cheap Ibuprofen).

Sickness woes over, I thought I’d write something for August. I’ve been a bit slack in updating the blog lately. I did hire a car the other day for a pleasent drive to Clarendon. I say pleasent, I couldn’t see 5 meters in front of me for density of fog at first. Nonetheless when it cleared it revealed a lush green rolling landscape. It won’t last long. When spring kicks in so will the barroness that is synonymous with Australia. I was most perturbed when driving in the dense fog that I could not find my fog lights. When I relayed my troubles to friends at work they informed me that few cars made in Australia do have fog lights because this ‘phenomenen’ is apparently rare. I wonder if the lack of this feature makes cars cheaper to buy? That said, most cars don’t seem to have indicators in the UK, so perhaps it all balances out in the end. The majority of cars here have them and use them. There are a few which might not have upgraded to having full indicators, but, as a friend likes to comment, they have ‘confirmicators’ which at least provides some reassurance they have them and know how to use them – if not when to!