Australia and New Zealand

We're in New Zealand now, where the people are equally as lovely as the Aussies but the weather leaves something to be desired, as does the hotel room (previously inhabited by a smoker). But it's still great to be here.

Before we left Sydney we went to the wild animal exhibit -- wallabies and koalas and reptiles and spiders. Jenny's and my favorite spot was the butterfly garden, where I fell in love with the Ulysses Butterfly.

The only problem was we couldn't get them on film -- they moved too fast. But they were absolutely magical -- one even landed on Jenny's shoulder for a bit. (For a moment even Jenny held still.)


Then off to Brisbane, where my camera wouldn't upload pictures of my fabulous room and view (but I'll do it as soon as I get back). In the meantime you can read (and see) more about Brisbane at Jenny's blog www.arghink.com.

We arrived in New Zealand where Jenny succumbed to cholera (or whatever evil disease was lurking in Sydney), I spent the night throwing up, and a good time was had by all. We're heading back to the States a little earlier (Sunday night after the conference) since we're both feeling a little wobbly, but let me tell you the Kiwis are as marvelous as the Aussies and next time I get back here I'm going to spend a lot more time.

Australia part 2

So we shopped. And shopped. And then shopped some more. Shopped so much there was no time for koalas, but at least we zoomed by the opera house last night on the way to the Harlequin dinner, and today I have orders to go out by ferry and see the harbour. Plus check out the Japanese book store.
Jenny's got her iPhone with her and is taking better pictures -- head on over to www.arghink.com to see her report.

This is the daytime view from my window -- Darling Harbour is absolutely darling, of course. Today Rosie Richards (Alison Roberts) and Linda Brumley (Marion Lennox) took me on a ferry past the Opera House (iconic) the jails (you'd think if they hauled your ass all the way down to Australia then they might at least given you some open land and not incarcerate you on a freaking island. Might as well have left the poor souls to rot in England.)


I pulled off my socks and shoes and went wading in the Pacific Ocean -- if I'd been bold and brave enough to swim I would have (except I'm not sure if Australia would have recovered from the sight of me in the nude). Then back to the hotel for the magnificent Venetian carnivale cocktail party put on by the truly lovely people of Harlequin Australia


The rest of the conference was entirely fabulous -- great people and wonderful times.
Today Jenny and I go visit koalas and kangaroos before we head up to Brisbane and mix with academia. More later, my darlings!

Australia and all its glory

My darlings, the diva has landed. The two divas. Here's what we looked like before the flight from LA:
Jenny looking calm and collected, Krissie discovering that she hadn't brought the memory card for her camera.
The flight was long and peaceful -- I got a row to myself (sweetly asked the ticket agent) and Jenny got first class because she's such a first class woman, and I watched one Japanese movie and slept the rest of the way. We landed in Auckland at 5 am, got on a plane to Sydney an hour later, and this is what we looked like when we landed:
Nice chauffeur, though.

Met all the lovely RWA (of Australia, not America) people, went out and ate fish and chips and watched the harbor. Then slept for 18 hours.

Today is shopping day and writemyspeeches day and just enjoy this glorious place and the people in it. Tonight we start earning our keep.

More to come.