Sat. 28th April. Madeleine's Year 12 'Formal'. Brisbane Girls' Grammar School.

Pre- formal drinks to be held at our place for Madeleine's close group of friends and their dates. The 'Formal' itself was held at the Brisbane Convention Centre for all 225 grade 12 girls and their partners. It was to have a Parisian theme!

The pre-formal organisers & Madeleine.



The belle of the ball.



Jake and George were on bar duty & did a great job.




The girls were gorgeous. We've known some of them since they were 5 years old.



Madeleine & friends line up next to our pool.

22nd April '07. Seven Years in Tibet

Up to the Maleny house to cut the grass, kill the weeds, admire the view. Things are certainly growing a lot more slowly now the days are getting shorter and it's a little cooler.

From the end of the road there is a view over the Glasshouse Mountains. There was a huge thundercloud over the Gold Coast and great view of the way up Mt. Beerwah.




In the evening I watched the DVD of 'Seven Years in Tibet', with Brad Pitt playing Heinrich Harrer, which I'd picked up in Pilgrims Bookshop in Kathmandu. I'd seen the movie when it first came out but having been to Lhasa it was profoundly moving. I started feeling desperately sad for Tibet and it's people in a way I never had before. They are most certainly still suffering under the Chinese - as China goes from strength to strength. Yet we in the west kow-tow to the Chinese because there is much money to be made. I wonder if the Olympics will allow us to see the true China or if it will remain a propoganda exercise.
Watch 'Seven years in Tibet' and also 'Kundun' if you have a chance, and don't go to the Olympics.
There are 2 books I've read recently that are worth a look at. 'Tibet, Tibet' by Patrick French is a good recent look from the point of view of someone who was a Tibetophile, who then travelled there and has had a change of perspective - more realistic. The other is 'The Story of Tibet' Conversations with the Dalai Lama by Thomas Laird.
In the latest Rolling Stone magazine there is a good article, which is even a little disturbing, about Tibet and it's future. Have a look at;
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/13247913/the_end_of_tibet

Latest Reading - Sven Hedin

There's a second-hand bookshop in Maleny run by a very nice old man. I spend hours browsing there. Recently I came across a real find. It's a 2 volume edition of Sven Hedin's 'TRANS-HIMALAYA. Discoveries and Adventures in Tibet'. This is a classic which is much quoted in the mountaineering literature. It's also very readable and he got to a few places, such as Shigatse, which I visited last year. This book was published in 1909! It's 98 years old! It was also a snip at 66 aussie dollars.

Much reading about Tibet and the mountains going on in preparation for the 2nd visit in September this year.

Easter 07 - Easter Sunday

On the Sunday we went to Conondale, about 15 km. from Maleny, to their 34th Annual Rodeo. This was very 'country', very 'Man from Snowy River' but a good day out. George & Jake bitterly disappointed there were no serious injuries.
Now back in Brisbane and work in the morning.

Easter 07 - to Maleny

Paula, Madeleine, George, Jake & myself to the house at Maleny for the long Easter weekend. The major plan was to work in the garden, but dinner at the Maleny Pub on Friday. This was the evening view from the back deck looking up towards Noosa.


















This little beauty and her smaller mate were on a web on our deck. They are 'Golden Orb' spiders and not venomous. The female is about 9 cm. overall and a body of about 3 cm.

Dalai Lama - the new Steve Irwin?

Hard to believe but I just booked my ticket to see and hear the Dalai Lama at Australia Zoo on 13th June. His tour of Australia was fully booked out then I got to hear he was talking at Steve Irwin's place.
Our Maleny house is literally 8 minutes drive up the hill from there so the game is on.
Armed with my new 75 - 300 mm. zoom lens for the Canon Eos I should get some good snaps. Will get them posted.

The Family 'Crozier'

Some recent photos of the family.

Jake (14), myself & George(15)
Madeleine (17), Paula (25 she says) & Nicola (19)

Major plans - 4th tour of 'Nam and once again, in the footsteps of Mallory

This year is BIG!

Vietnam in June for eating, drinking, shopping with Paula, Madeleine & Jake.

September - back to the RONGBUK.

My cousin Phil (who wasn't there last time) WILL be there and we plan to get to the top of Lhakpa Ri, 7045 m.

Lhasa and the Tibetan plateau beckon again. Plenty of training to be done.

Maleny weekends - the blog continues!

So here I am, MONTHS after starting a blog and nothing added.
However, prompted by the excellent blog of my friend Alan in Seattle (Dirtbagger) and my old mate Tom in Devon, I have decided to 'bat on'.
I was also prompted by an article in the Australian last week about the 'demise of the blog'. When it's unfashionable it's time for me to jump aboard!

So, having become clean shaven in Kathmandu, Christmas came & went.

It is now getting cooler in sunny Queensland and Paula & I have just been to our house up in the hills and planted 7 trees and about 25 other plants. We now look forward to seeing our frangipani, poinsianna & fig trees spurting skyward