Ready for more Aussie wizarding? :D


For those who guessed that in the last chapter I was the glum Muggle on the mobile phone getting on the Airport bus - you are correct! On August 7th 1998 I flew back into Sydney, where I was living at the time, from a visit home to Adelaide. I planned to go straight from the airport to the bus station in the city. I bought new ski gloves in Adelaide because I was going on a ski trip to Canberra!


We circled the airport three times before landing very roughly and we were herded off the plane but our baggage never arrived. As soon as we landed, the baggage handlers were called off the job because of the dangerous winds. My lovely brand new ski gloves, all the underwear I owned and my winterweight gear was all trapped, on the plane. I had my hairbrush, my purse and my mobile phone and that was pretty much it. I hung around the airport for ages waiting for my luggage with an airport full of people in the same boat. I had landed mid afternoon and my snowbus was leaving at 7:30pm. I couldn't get on the snowbus without my luggage.


I was on the phone to my friend when I got on the Skybus I couldn't go to the snow without my luggage. I went back in the morning to collect it. I was unimpressed to find out that it was wet. They'd taken it out and left it underneath the plane when they'd stopped work. To this day I wonder why they couldn't have brought that much with them when they stopped work and just whacked it on a carousel!


I found the unused ski gloves on a cleanout recently ... The funny thing was, on the plane with me, and therefore as stranded as I was, was one of the stars of my current favourite TV Show. We were hanging about in the same airport for hours, waiting for our luggage. So I was a bit the giggly fangirl - I never had the gumption to go up to him though! If I'd had the nerve I would have had him sign my serviette! ROFLOL


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But anyway, I have included, as a focus of this chapter, some of my favourite parts of Muggle New South Wales. The best ever tourist attraction in Sydney is The Chinese Garden of Friendship. It's not the biggest or the most splendid of the tourist haunts but it really is as peaceful as Harry finds it. The place is imbuded with magic, for sure. I made up the guidebook though. It does have one, but I don't remember reading about Lotus Flowers in it! The Garden does have a Lotus pavillion though!


The other is Wollemi, which is a National Park. Now I haven't specifically spent time in Wollemi, altough I have been in the general area, but NSW has some absolutely breathtaking National Parks. I chose Wollemi because it's the largest and therefore better suited to Quidditch but there are some National Parks, even in the middle of Sydney's suburbs that are just beautiful and oases of calm and reflection in a busy city. Lane Cove National Park is my personal favourite but you just can't hide an entire Quidditch pitch that close to the Muggles. The Blue Mountains National Park is also a favourite of mine, but once again too close to the Muggles, it's too popular with the tourists.


And yes - Narguns are real! ;) I didn't make them up, they are borrowed from The Dreaming. Don't worry, you'll find out more about The Dreaming :D .


And I think that is really enough waffle from me! If you recognise it, can find it on a map, or it's a Nargun - I borrowed it from somewhere - if you don't recognise it, I made it up!