theducks.org

Onslow 2010

Originally uploaded by theducks

We’re up in Onslow, visiting Elizabeth’s parents. It’s HOT and humid, as opposed to Perth, which is just hot. But it’s very pretty out these ways. Follow this photo through to the rest of the set if you want to see more.

Olympic flame at Aberdeen Canada Line station

Originally uploaded by theducks

Our journey home last night included a co-incidental run-in with the Olympic flame!

My photos got picked up and our story is on the Translink blog – The Olympic torch runs through Aberdeen Station

Yay :D

I’ve gone through my flickr photos and made up some collections of my favourite photos that I have taken. I’ve also re-uploaded in full rez any of the smaller ones. Let me know what you think? :)

• Nature Scenes
• Urban Landscapes
• Animals
• People

Around San Francisco

Originally uploaded by theducks

Have uploaded my photos from San Francisco. Had a good time, both being a tourist, and seeing some people I hadn’t seen for a while (including my step sister!)

• California Aquarium
• Alcatraz
• Fisherman’s Wharf
• Mixed photos of San Francisco

Many moons ago, we booked tickets for Canada, leaving Perth 24 June 2009, returning 17 Feb 2010. We couldn’t book them for the exact period of time we wanted.. plans were to stick around for a year, so we thought we’d just change dates.

Well.. erm. We like it here. So we’re going to take the tickets home, clean up some loose ends then head back here again in early/mid March, probably on a return ticket that would have us back in Perth during Christmas 2010/ NY 2011.

Plans for our time in Perth include dinner at Utopia (firstly probably on the 18th), then O-Day on the 19th of Feb. We’re also heading up to Karratha to visit family on the long weekend of Feb 26-Mar 1. I’ve never been there before, so that should be fun.

Not entirely sure where we’re going to be staying while we’re in Perth, since both of our parents are talking about renting out their homes, but eh, that’s part of the excitement :)

Was going through some old digital photos (2002 :P) and came across one of a Qantas 767 with a white tail (instead of a red one). Did some reading up on it. They operated a couple of them after Ansett’s collapse in 2001.

One in particular was frame 27909/591, built in 1995.

Turns out this plane gets around a bit. Since 1995, it has been operated by:

• Lauda Air
• Vietnam Airlines (with Australian registration..)
• back to Lauda
• untitled with US reg
• Kenya Airways (again with Australian reg)
• Qantas
• back to untitled with US reg
• back to Vietnam Airlines (with Vietnam reg)
• Air China
• Varig
• and now with Ethiopian Airlines

I think I’d be worried about hull thickness with the number of times this has been stripped and repainted :P

This is a great video I came across a few months ago, and was recently reminded of.

It occurs to me that this may be of interest to some people. My wife Elizabeth and I are currently in Canada on a working holiday, and have been for the last 6 months. Much like in Australia, I’m currently working in IT for a University, which is a lot of fun and gives me fun toys to play with. Elizabeth was working for a software company, but they’ve moved out of town, so she’s on.. erm.. home duties right now.

If you’re someone from the Internet, or someone I know, and interested in doing a working holiday in either Australia or Canada, feel free to email me – whp@splash.theducks.rog (correct the typo) and I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

The basic process:

• Apply for WHP Visa via http://www.whpcanada.org.au
• Once approved, book plane tickets
• Sell/store/give away all of your stuff
• Tidy up paperwork for things at home (Power bills, car rego, etc)
• Start looking for a job in Canada
• Book initial accommodation
• Make your way to Canada, with proof you have $4000 to support yourself. We weren’t asked, but you might be. We took a C$5000 bank draft from our Australian bank to a Canadian bank plus bank statements
• As soon as you get there, sort out an address to get things posted to
• Apply for Social Insurance Number + Card. This gives a piece of government notarised paper with your address on. They mail out the card in a week or two
• Open bank account
• Get a cellphone account (you can use a Canadian SIM in an unlocked Australian phone)
• Get job, get paid
• Optional steps: Get driver’s licence by passing a knowledge test, then a practical driving test. Easy hints – cyclists are assumed to be insane (and are), and the yellow line down the middle of the road means it’s 50km/hour limit)
• Have fun!

Some things to know about banking in Canada as a newcomer

• If your Australian bank card has a Cirrus or Maestro logo on it, you can use it in an Canadian bank machine (they call ATMs ABMs – Automatic Bank Machine). You should assume you will be doing this for about a month, even if you get a job
• Some banks, I’m looking at you HSBC, won’t give you an account if you don’t have a job (or if you didn’t have an account with them in another country).
• Best bet is probably the one your Australian bank drew the draft on. Deposit the bank draft, and some cash withdrawn from your Australian card to cover bank fees
• Most banks will also put a 7 day quarantine on your account for the first month, meaning it takes 7 days for any deposits to be validated
• Most banks in Canada don’t personalise Automated Bank Machine (ABM) cards, so you’ll probably get one of those straight away. As well as some more official looking paperwork with your name + address on them.
• You might even get a few counter cheques, but of course, don’t use them until your draft has cleared, or until you start getting paid and your pay has cleared.
• Once you’ve had a job for about a month, and two pay cheques, there’s a good chance you could apply for a Canadian credit card, which is helpful for paying bills over the phone, etc
• If you’re not sharing a house with a Canadian, you will probably need a cheque book ($30-40) for rent, bill payments etc. In comparison to the Australian BSB/Account details to enable easy peer-to-peer transfers into accounts only, the equivalent numbers for Canadian accounts allow withdrawals, so aren’t used much

Some things about applying for jobs in Canada:

• Canadian employers are required to say “Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority”. My understanding is that generally they mean it.
• So unless you have a pre-arranged job, or a reasonable amount of experience, or prepared to work for minimum wage ($8/hour in BC) maybe this isn’t the place to come.
• For more professionally oriented jobs, instead of addressing selection criteria specifically, you cover it more generally in a cover letter

I’ll update this post as I think of more to include…

A preface.. a week or two ago, Boeing rolled out the first 787-8f. I wasn’t a fan of the livery, and said so on twitter. The twitter rep for Boeing’s Future of Flight noticed this, and invited me down to have a look at it in person, and take the tour of the factory, for free *Squee* :D

So we rented a car, and and her parents and I headed off down there.

Well, back up a second. I rented a Red, 3.5L V6 Dodge Charger. It was a freakin’ awesome car, with only 2400kms on the clock (we did another 380kms). Shame it was raining most of the day. Second hand prices aren’t too bad either. Hmm! :D

I went on the tour in 1999 with my mum, but I didn’t have the plane-nerd background I do now, so I knew this was going to be different. Also, we almost got crashed into in a high speed car chase back in 1999, which fortunately didn’t happen this time. The whole concept of being able to drive to another country for a day trip is cool. Back in 1999, they had a small shop in the middle of a parking lot. They now have a huge exhibition center + store. The exhibition center has all sorts of cool stuff to walk up to and touch and feel, such as a 747 tail, GE90 engine, a 787 carbon fibre re-enforced plastic section 41-43 or so and a 727 cockpit.

The tour starts in the 747 assembly hall, where they were making line number 2 – 6 of the 747-8f. I was reminded once again just how amazingly complex building a plane is. And that building is something else.. it’s huge, and contains a mix of offices and assembly areas and cafeterias. I’d kind of like to work there, much in the same way that as a concept, working in an Apple store would be cool. You then hop back in the bus and go onto the 777/787 production area. Also interesting to see.

All up on the tour, I saw:

• N787EX – First 787 (as well as the next 12 or so in production)
• N7808A – First 747 Dreamlifter
• N747EX – First 747-8f (as well as the next 6 in various stages of production)
• A6-ECX – New 777-300 delivery flight for Emirates
• .. and some other stuff

So I’ve now seen the first 737, 747, 757 and 787. The first 727 is also at the Paine Field Airport, but I didn’t see it. Eventually I’ll see it and the first 707..

All up, good fun. Thanks so much to Sandy for the invite :)