Sunday 15 January 2006

Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

How it can take me forever to pack when everything is all together is beyond me, but it did. We left the house around 10:15 and headed to the community center where Joy volunteers and picked up a computer.

Then on to the airport. In Australia, friends can go to the gate with you! I had coffee with them and met some folks I knew from SIGCSE. On the hour long plane I co-wrote a panel proposal for ITiCSE in Bologna. When I got to the airport I went to put on my sunglasses and had an empty case. After a bit I determined they had fallen out at security in Melbourne. I was able to locate them and get a start on having them brought to Hobart. The Jetstar crew on the next flight to Hobart brought them to the airport and the hotel chauffeur picked them up when he picked up the crew from a VirginBlue flight. Whew!

It is beautiful here. My hotel room (Wrest Point Mountain Side) doesn't have a view nor internet, but wireless is free at the conference right across the street. I am pretty sure I am skipping tomorrow and going on a tour.

The Tasmanians are really friendly.

I met Myles McNally, Mike Goldweber, Joe Bergin and his wife Linda Paquin and we walked to an Indian restaurant called Spice for dinner and to celebrate Miles' birthday. The food was excellent although the restaurant was nearly empty. On the way back Linda and I stopped at a Coles Supermarket for breakfast provisions