I’m sitting in the airport (again) and am on my way to Australia for the first time.  I’ve bought a bottle of Southern Comfort that *should* last me my month and a bit there.  I’m off to see friends old and new – Jess, who I’ve known since school, possibly before, Ruby, former flatmate and marvelous Aussie, Ruby’s extended family who are hopefully putting me up for a bit.  I might bump into David, who I met coming off the last plane and who needs to earn more about Australian TV.  I’m definitely going on the Neighbours tour – hat self respecting fan with two board games and two best of DVDs wouldn’t?  (I really don’t think it matters that I’ve not really seen it in 5 years…)

 

So my songs this week have been prepping for the oncoming country.

The first is from Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, two brilliant musicians I’ve been lucky enough to be taught by.

The Drover’s Boy came up in a lecture I’ve been listening to from La Trobe University about picture books for children and I’ve known it for a long time as this wonderful song. You should also look out for The Outside Track and Dance to your Daddy/The Flaming Drones, actually just get yourself the album. (No video available of The Drover’s Boy so here’s Dance to your Daddy)

 

As I’m also going to Sydney I have to include an ABBA song – it’s Fernando – simply because Muriel’s Wedding is an awesome film and I love the trip to Hibiscus Island where Mariel (as she has renamed herself) and Rhonda become friends.  Ruby and I are off to Fiji later in the year and I fully intend to dress up in ABBA costumes and perform Waterloo before collapsing at the foot of a tree laughing and hoping that life is as good as an ABBA song.  I’m also really tempted to go and try on wedding dresses and pretend I’m marrying Tim Sims, but I’ll rein myself in.

When I get on youtube again I’ll also give you a little bit of Monty Python’s Flying Circus and some The Fast Show that also help sum up what Australia means to me.  Comment below if you want to guess what those clips might be….

 

And here they are: