a few thoughts on Australia

Our australian journey is coming to an end, and there are a few bits of information that I would like to share with you about this country.
First of all, you may have heard that Australia has a new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, a left wing man who speaks fluent Mandarin and has replaced the very conservative John Howard. The day we arrived in Darwin, we saw a live televised retransmission of his apology to the "stolen generation", all these aboriginal children who were taken away from their families to be eductaed in the western ways by missionaries. It was a highly symbolic gesture, a sign that white Australia admitted to their wrongdoings towards the original owners of this land, and it was a step that would have not been concievable during Howard's office, who would deny everything. Most of the people we discussed politics with were very enthused about Rudd's arrival, and hopeful for a better and more equal future for Australia. Time will tell...
And in Australia there is always this great big ghost hovering over the land : the weather. At this time, the southern half of the country is in a state of serious drought, with record heat levels recorded in march, which is meant to be a cooler autumn month, and in some places they haven't seen a drop of rain for months. In some states there are talks of de-salting (not too sure what the right word is... sorry!) sea water to make it fit for human consumption. My friends on French Island depend on the water in their tank which is whatever rainwater they get. When I was there the tank was at its lowest level ever, and the weather was fine and bright with temperatures of 30 to 35 degrees C.... Even tasmania, which is usually a wetter state, was experiencing a drought. Hopefully with all that rain we got on the Overland track things are getting better, but it will take a LOT of water to fill up the tanks and replenish the underground reserves. Water is perecious...