A Lot of Croc
2 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by 
Skyring
from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, November 11, 2004
Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, November 11, 2004
Every girl who comes to the Northern Territory wants to find a lover to lick the unfamiliar red dust from her body...
Hmmmm. Lotsa luck, honey!
Hmmmm. Lotsa luck, honey!
this book made a little trip today and had a lovely bridge release. pictures to follow.
This was part of the fun I had at the Australian Bookcrossing Convention.
I performed my bridge mission alone. I should have taken skyring along.
This was part of the fun I had at the Australian Bookcrossing Convention.
I performed my bridge mission alone. I should have taken skyring along.
Many things stirred me to learn how to get photographs up into journal entries. One of them was a rather amazing trip that the famous skyring (from here on referred to as tfsr) made with rubyjules bookcrossing journal.I had help from tqd, brdgrl, texaswren and several others. Like many things it is easy once you know how.
Even the dog can do it now.
The real trick was getting the card reader that you can see in this photograph.
As I type this, the computer is in exactly the same spot. However, the dog is not helping tonight.
And also the digital camera gods were unkind to me in Sydney and the card reader does not read the cards from the new camera I was *forced* to buy, so I have had to start all over again
This is the flashmob mob at the Opera House. See the forum for more details.Tfsr is the bloke in the bookcrossing hat, bookcrossing top, and with bookcrossing carry bag. There is a market for pants Ron. Are you listening Ron?
It was just before this that I got the book from tfsr.
I am inspired by tfsr to take his book on an adventure.So I set off to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
My first release was a book from the Megi53 M bag.
Here is a photograph of that release. It is on the stairs that lead to the footpath to the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The book is called "Kyle at 200mph".
The cars, on the bridge run off road behind me when I was taking this piccy were probably only doing 50-80mph.
In the distance one can see the Opera House, the site of the flashmob release earlier that day. One wonders if the Japanese tourists are still scratching their heads.
The second release was a book from a friend from Adelaide given to me for Bxing purposes.It is called Fling.
As you can see I did not fling it from the bridge. Rather I left it on the walkway on the southern end. It was gone an hour later. See later for a possible reason.
You can see one of the Sydney Harbour ferries. These are a major form of public transport in the harbour city.
The third book was The Twylight Tower, from one of the MarciNYC m bags.It is under the rope at the bottom left of the picture.
On the tower in the distance, near the shed and crane apparatus you can see several people. These are bridgeclimbers. More later.
It was very windy. Upon my return to the hotel I was told by quizzical that the wind on the harbour had reached 80kph. Indeed the Fling book was last seen being blown along the footpath after release. Hence the last release, above, under the rope.And this. This book is Tanamara. Given to me by a friend for release.
I strolled along and noticed several security guards and cameras. I was waiting to be challenged but never was.I pretended to be a tourist.
opera house stuff
Journal Entry 10 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Here is a picture of servalan a few moments later.
Journal Entry 11 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, November 17, 2004
'Scuse me for butting in here, but I have to say this about newk and what he's doing with this book.You ROCK!
I'd like to say that I never met a more heartbroken man than newk when he announced that his camera had suffered a "system error" after being run over by a jumbo jet or something, but it wouldn't be true. He was every bit as thrilled I was to be in the company of so many wonderful Bookcrossers, and you couldn't have cut the smile from his face with a chainsaw. One way or another he was going to find another camera or repair the one he had by gently joggling the sensitive electronic parts back into alignment with a crowbar.
It was a wonderful weekend, and I treasure the moments I spent with newk and his irrepressible sense of humour.
Before setting off on the bridge trek - which I am very sorry I missed - we released a few books around a moderately ugly fountain outside Starbucks at Circular Quay. I'd already released a book under a cormorant's wing, but newk had to go one better and test out the ziploc releasing bags.
Here he is holding it for the cameras before letting it go into the water. And the next shot we set up with perfect timing to catch the book at the instant it was dropped.
Journal Entry 12 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, November 17, 2004
As you can see, the delay on my camera missed the book falling.
Journal Entry 13 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Here is a picture of newk and servalan. Newk is holding with the Kiwis' Cheat Book. The rules are that if you so much as touch the book, you have to make a journal entry, but you aren't allowed to actually read it.Newk was fiddling with his camera - as he so often was - and wondering who to give the book to next.
Indeed here is one of the guards (as mentioned before the interruptions). The bloke in yellow. I think they are now pretty common on the bridge. For obvious reasons. It would seem that stopping enthusiastic bookcrossers is not part of their brief.But this photograph was taken for another reason. Look at 12 o'clock. See the bridgeclimbers? You may need to click on the piccy to make it bigger.
Again, more later.
GOLLY THERE HAS BEEN AN INTERRUPTION TO MY STORY.
I hope this does not muck up my bridge release entry...says non competitive newk.
But, indeed I did smile all weekend. It is wonderful to be immature, especially in a foreign city.
stop press: I have just received this from tfsr:
"Oh, mate, but that is one awesome bridge photo! You've caught the inticate
textured steel lattice beautifully, and lined it up nicely with the guard
fence and overhead wires."
Possibly I can now forgive him for interrupting! :)
Looking back over the bridge one sees several lanes of traffic. On the other side there run electric trains. Their wires can be seen.Now look up. There are two platforms on the pylon. On one you can see a climber.
Again it is necessary to enlarge the photograph.
Geez I am being distracted from my quest (don't tell anyone but I want to win the November Bridge release challenge) Here is a photograph to prove that books do indeed float when carefully placed in two bookcrossing release bags.
This book was still going around and around a few hours later by the way.
Ron, I know you have other things on your mind at the moment but if you ever want me to endorse the release bags let me know.
skyring release
I must also give tfsr credit for inspiring me to release in water. He has had a famous catch that travelled internationally after being released into, and found in, a pond. Click above link.
A book called The Map that Changed the World came to me by ray. I was the end reader. I thought this would be a fitting release spot.I wanted to show bookcrossing the size of the harbour. This is a ridgy didge bulk carrier.
Also the activity on the harbour. There are little water taxis buzzing around. The ferries. And sail boats. Although I did notice that most of the latter were motoring this particular day.
There is a little island that you may be able to see. Look three diamonds above the book. Fort Denison (aka pinchgut). Long ago was a prison. On second thoughts it may just have been a fort. I'll look into it. I think you can still go there as a tourist. I certainly did many years ago with mum and dad newk.
There is a bit more to go with this story. BUT Mrs newk wants my "desk".I AM getting to the point. But it may have to wait a day or two.
I approached one of the security guards, half expecting to be nabbed as "that bloke we have seen on the cameras littering the bridge".
I explained that I had a book that was given to me by a friend and I wanted to show it the world.
Would he mind holding it and letting me take a photograph?
Not bloody likely BUT he would photograph me.
Here is the result. It needs a bit of tweaking. Tfsr is working on it.
I was getting near to the end of my trek. The north side of the bridge loomed.I needed to release THIS book soon.
An oppportunity arose thus.
Journal Entry 20 by newk at BCAUS Release Frenzy 2004 in Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, November 18, 2004
Released on Saturday, November 13, 2004 at about 1:00:00 AM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at BCAUS Release Frenzy 2004 in Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia.RELEASE NOTES:
On the bridge. As part of the BOB challenge.
The book would not stay in its perch in the closed rubbish chute, so I resorted to this. Another use for the plastic release bags.
As with the above piccy the Opera House can be seen in the background.
It is not really a great part of one of Australia's most recognised constructions. It would benefit from a bit of a tidy up.
The release of this book in the litter chute is not meant to insult tfsr's taste in books. In fact I rather wish I had one of the trashy books that I was handing out at the convention. That would have been very appropriate. Succulent put an rabck of a similar book into the recycling "so the recycling men could catch it"! Yeah sure.
In case you haven't heard the story: an Adelaide Bxer rescued several kg of very very trashy books from the rubbish. I was assigned to register some of them (newk having very little shame).
In fact, as tfsr records right at the top of the entries, this book was worth three of "those" books.
My job here nearly done I took a couple more tourist snaps. You can see the zig zag course of a tourist thrill boat; the scurry of a small water taxi; a couple of Australia's naval fleet and a far better view of pinchgut.And some very expensive North Shore real estate.
And I just remember that tfsr solicited "those" books. Said something like "they are just what I am looking for"
Fort Denison Information
So I set off back across the bridge. The Croc book was still in place. As was the photographer guard. It is just possible that The Map That Changed The World is visible in this photograph, level with the near car, having been blown back across the footpath. However I did not notice it at the time.
A train can be seen as can even more intrepid bridgeclimbers.
This was taken to show the climbing outfit. Grey outfit. Earpiece to listen to your guide. No jewellery. All climbers are attached to a guard wire.When I did the climb a few years ago this bit was the scariest. You climb up from under the road level between lanes of traffic. Spooky. Apparently it is the part where the pikers pike.
Tanamara was gone from the ropes. The guards were still keeping a watchful eye. The bridgeclimbing was carrying on all around us. But wait: to be continued
During the intermission, a short word from our sponsors (just kidding...about the sponsorship bit)
bridgeclimb info
This is an amazing experience that I would heartily recommend to all visitors to Sydney.
bridgeclimb info
This is an amazing experience that I would heartily recommend to all visitors to Sydney.
But what happened to the Twylight Tower? I hear you ask.Well this is it:
*A PHOTOGRAPHED CATCH*
I got there just after this bloke found the book. He was studying it intensely.
If you look directly above him you can see.... I don't need to tell you.
If you think that the Bridgeclimbing Company is on a winner you are dead right.
I had to hurry away. I was only just going to make the quiz night. He kept reading and eventually moved off with the book and headed North, away from me.This is just before he left.
The Fling was gone.But Kyle was still there. Blown into this position.
Sadly five days have passed and I have not heard any more of these books.Indeed only one of the dozens of books that I released during the convention has been journalled.
BUT I did make the quiz night.
Sorry about the amateur red eye reduction fushy.
I'll have a go at the dog later.
Journal Entry 30 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, November 18, 2004
Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, November 18, 2004
I see that the dog no longer has red eyes. Newk was inspired. He could talk of nothing but bridges during the whole weekend we were together in Sydney. Bridges.
And books.
There's some play on words there that I could make about crossing bridges and Bookcrossing, but I haven't quite got it quite right just yet. It will come to me.
Newk was also king of the ziploc bag, finding new ways to use them. He wrapped a book up in two of them and tossed it into a fountain, as you can see above. He used them to hang books off the pointed fingers of a statue. And he used the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a backdrop when he "spiked" a book.
Journal Entry 31 by Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, November 18, 2004
Skyring from Reid, Australian Capital Territory Australia on Thursday, November 18, 2004
That awful shot by the security guard bothered me. I wouldn't call newk pretty, not in comparison to some of the gorgeous Bookcrossers he shared my weekend with - are you listening FuShMuSh? you're gorgeous! - but he deserves better than being a stark silhouette in a poorly-framed shot of a fantastic scene.I massaged this a bit and though the sky is faded from its hard sapphire, you can see newk's features as he smiles reassuringly at the security guard. Getting tossed out of a nightclub is one thing, being ejected from a bridge something more serious.
Stop press: Mrs newk objects so much to the bed being used as the computer desk that she left the marital bed last night!
That particular use of the bed is banned forever. (As was the faithful mutt long ago)
That particular use of the bed is banned forever. (As was the faithful mutt long ago)
