balichti

First stop back on the east coast: Brisbane... again! Just a quick stop this time, to visit the Aitkin family that I met & stayed with back in June. It was wonderful to visit them again - & see how much all of the kids have grown in the last 8mos! (scares me a little, about how much my neice & nephew have probably grown & changed in the last 12mos!)

 

Next stop: Tamworth... again! This time for the Country Music Festival, an annual event that brings people from around the country - and some interational tourists as well - to see their favourite Ausie country music stars & check out the new talent. My dream of being discovered & immediately rushed to fame & fortune was sadly not realized... but there's always next time!

 

I did, however, get my fill of country music; saw Felicity Urquhart, Lee Kernaghan, Missy Higgins, & Kasey Chambers in concert for free; met & befriended some rising stars: Danny Widdicome & Karl Broadie; and just generally had a good time watching (& learning from) the buskers. Some amazing talent up & coming from this part of the world. It's a shame most won't be as well-known & heard in North America.

 

One thing I noticed about Aussie country music compared to back home - they're not afraid to keep singing the older sound with that familiar twang. And it's great! Definitely not adapting to the pop-music culture. Another difference is in the lyrics. While the classic themes of heart-break & country-life are present, the (perhaps) obvious references to the Aussie outback are hard to miss. I bought a few albums, so if you want to have a listen when I get back just let me know.

 

So I've only got a couple of weeks left before a 24-hr flight delivers me back to Toronto. In some ways it feels like I've been gone forever - I've seen & experienced heaps; learned & grown heaps. But the year has also flown by in flashes of memories...

 

Before I get too sentimental about coming home - I've got a few more memories to make... I'll be stopping in Port Macquarie (again! - that's where I met Nick!!) on my way back to Sydney...

B.