Happy Millennium from Australia!
Hey Ho, Y2K didn't go.
January 1, 2000
 G'day.
Yow, another balloon just popped in the morning heat here
in Cairns. Not too good for the fuzzy head. On T.V., the millennium
rolls in around the world; drums and dancing in India, the
Queen's torch not lighting the fuse in London. Here the lights
still shine, air conditioning works, the green frogs and magpies
sound Y2K compliant and so is Bill the Dog who is busy chasing
birds. Troubles with AOL the last few days, but what's new
millennium with that!
On the last day of the 20th century, swimming
through schools of striped and coloured fish, floating above
pink, blue, and yellow coral made a  perfect
ending to 1999. Story coming once our underwater pictures
are processed.
Our hosts at Cairns
Bed and Breakfast, Nora and Bernie Hollis, invited us
to spend New Years with them and their friends and relations.
After a brief look at the T.V. for the pictures of the Sydney
fireworks, we partied in the New Millennium in their tropical
back yard.The Aussies lived up to their party reputations.
We pulled poppers, small half balls that, when you pulled
a string, banged like a Christmas cracker and shot steamers
all over the yard. Another long tube sprayed large confetti
over the table and floor. People talked, danced to the millennium
countdown on the radio, blew on paper horns and banged clackers.
Two pairs of sunglasses in the shape of the year 2000 made
the rounds. A huge bonfire blazed beside the river. Nora passed
around plates of pizza and corned beef in a soft pastry case.
The Australians eat potatoes this way as well, calling them
scallops though no real shellfish live inside the crust. Though
if you walk down to the local take away, you can buy the real
fresh thing for 60 cents a scallop.
 The
countdown came for the New Year, everyone absorbed in the
start of a large back yard fireworks display. On the horizon,
red, blue and green blossoms bloomed from a barge sitting
of the shore in Cairns. Our own display began. A Catherine
wheel came loose and whizzed around the yard, golden fizz
zigzagged by the bonfire and coloured balls whizzed up above
our heads as we all kissed and shouted in the New Year. Only
about half an hour later did anyone realize that the lights
still worked and the electric fans still hummed. So much for
the Y2K survivalists and end of the world doomsayers. No worries.
Too easy.
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