I didn’t need an alarm clock to wake me up in the morning, even though I did get some shut eye after all!!! 🙂 People had started arriving along the drove, more en masse, from about 4 am onwards and by about 6 am there was certainly a buzz of activity in the air. I had decided to stay huddled in my sleeping bag until the light started to show on the land, and when it did I readied myself and discovered that I was now completely surrounded by cars and vehicles!!! I took a slow walk down to the entrance by the underpass and I was thankful to find that the food kiosk was open as I hadn’t had any breakfast and I was gagging for a cup of tea!!! So I queued up and got myself a bacon roll, with brown sauce delight, and an Earl Grey Rosey! 🙂

After I’d purchased it I walked over to the picnic bench, positioned above the visitors centre and close to the road, so I could see the Stones as I ate and keep an eye on the underpass entrance. It was lovely sitting there, munching my delight and drinking my cup of rosey, while I watched the world, and its people, going by. Crowds began to gather and I wondered if I would recognise anyone, but I didn’t. Then the gates opened and the gathered began to merge and walk through.

I had half expected that moment to be quite formal, with the assembled being dogmatically led through by the head Druids, but it was quite refreshing to see that there appeared to be none of that hierarchical bollocks on show. There were indeed some at the front… and some at the back…. and some in the middle… just as there were some of everyone else everysomewherelse too!!! Nothing seemed to be rigidly organised and there didn’t seem to be anyone who desired to lead a procession either!!!

It was really quite nice because there was none of that….

“Right, can everyone wearing a white robe please make your way to the front. We shall walk through 2 a breast and in single files…. and don’t worry…. we’re not going to be re-enacting the Biblical story of Noah and his Ark… it’s simply a means by which we can negotiate the underpass in a calm and orderly manner…. and please don’t think (by me explaining it like that) that there are any connotations to Moses, the Red Sea and him setting his People free; any similarities to that story are purely coincidental and not libellous in any way! 🙂 …. Ok, next can we have the bards, drummers and musicians… please do converse with each other and produce a harmony you can all play in Unison to…. it can be awfully irritating when someone is playing out of tune and out of rhythm…. it really can ruin an otherwise wonderful experience for everyone else!!! 🙂 …. And then, yes, can we have the Pagans, the people whom identify as being Pagan (or simply have Pagan sympathises) and anyone else wearing colourful clothing… We really want to be putting on a good show today, and we don’t want anyone letting the side down, so please wear a big smile with your colourful clothing!!!!…. Next up, I say, could we have all the other people whom don’t feel they belong to any of the groups already mentioned…. you may go in together and thus form a group of your own!!!! 🙂 …. And, oh… Of course! I almost forgot! Are there any Christians here? Yes… there is one?…. well, would you be so kind as to follow us up the rear… only figuratively speaking and not literal of course… that would be terrible!!! Sorry!!…. but do feel free to follow us in, my jolly good fellow, and please remember not to leave any dynamite near the stones!!! We’ve had a lot trouble with Christians storing dynamite by our stones in the past and they’ve caused a frightful mess!!! 🙂 Ok…. I think we’re ready and all set to go… so on the count of 3 …. 3!!!! Sorry… my little joke! 🙂 …. off we go!!!” 🙂

….. No, it was more like….

“Hey, Primrose, are you going in yet?”
“No, but you go in and I’ll see you in there. I’ve got to wait for Bear… he’s left one of his shoes in the van and he’s gone back to get it. Bless him… I don’t know how you forget to put on one of your shoes!!!” 🙂

…. because there was an undoubted vibe that formalities didn’t matter and the only thing that did matter was for you to be yourself. And so, seeing as I felt like I fitted into no particular grouping… I felt right at home… as I was just myself… and under those conditions I felt comfortable to join a crowd that didn’t have any particular groupings!!! 🙂

So I went and joined the crowd, of a few hundred or so, and “filed” my way through the gates, then through the underpass and then through the grasslands surrounding the Stones. I happened to be walking behind what appeared to be some of the “lead” Druids and it was nice to listen to them converse with each other and discover how they conversed with each other. There was no “grand” talk and the conversation was very “everyday”, and again, was nothing like I’d half expected.

As we approached the Stones I had the feeling that I wanted to walk around them before I entered the circle and I was…. I’m not sure what…. I was “something” to discover that’s what most of the other people were doing too. So I walked sunwise… with everyone else. It always feels right to do things in 3’s and so I decided I would circle the circle 3 times before I even contemplated the moment I would enter the circle after the 3^rd time. And I was equally “something” to discover that some of the Druids appeared to be doing the same too.

After the completion of all the sunwise walks people had naturally begun gathering within the Stone Circle and were awaiting the Druids to perform their ceremony. Some were playing drums, some were singing, some were cheering…. all were smiling and laughter was never more than a moments breath away from anyone…. or so the vibe appeared to me. However, I didn’t feel like it was the right moment for me to enter the Henge at that point and so I just stayed on the peripheral, during that time, simply touching the Stones and connecting with them somehow. It was amazing to finally touch them, and especially with the feelings of such joy and happiness around.

I’m not sure if I can truly describe what those moments felt like to me. Perhaps, after years of just seeing them from afar, the moment felt much more exaggerated to me, but I most certainly had the sense of the ecclesiastical and a sensation that I cant quite put into words, and I’m sure many others whom have “connected” with the Stones would express the same or a similar sentiment. It’s a something people can only experience for themselves because it’s a sense that is so very subtle and yet reaches every part of your Being, at least that’s how it was for me, but I’m equally sure that every experience is individual and that the most important part of the experience is “touch”. Touching the Stones didn’t make me feel high and “out of this world”; it made me feel grounded and very much part of it.

The Druids began their ceremony, but I still didn’t feel like it was the right time for me to enter the circle, and I also didn’t want to not feel part of it, so I stood by and in line with the Stones, being neither inside nor outside of the Circle!!! 🙂 And the Druids conduct a wonderful service. It’s very jovial, very heartfelt, very human, very Spiritual and, dare I say, very humorous!!! In fact, it’s enough to put a smile on your boat race!!! 🙂

Now, although I was enjoying the service I started to feel that I really wanted and needed to do my own thing, but I was torn because I really didn’t want to leave the service!!! 🙂 ….. and I also felt that leaving it would be a touch disrespectful…. not that anyone would notice or know… it was simply down to my own moral compass…. but then….

*And this is so important because it was a year to the day, and upon my return to Stonehenge on the Vernal Equinox of 2006, that I discovered that I had misheard what the “lead” Druid had said, but I’ll explain more in “Miller and the Stonehenge Adventure – Part V”!!!!! 🙂 *

…. I thought I heard the “lead” Druid say “The people that built Stonehenge didn’t know the world was round…” and I immediately thought “What!!!????” I had Graham Hancocks book “Heavens Mirror” in my car and when I first bought it, a few years before, I was intrigued to read that the Druid alphabet contains 22 letters, with 7 being vowels, and the relationship between  the number 7 and the number 22 is that if you divide 22 by 7 you get 3.142, a number close to Pi you can derive by dividing two simple whole numbers; and Pi is the very number you require in order to calculate the circumference of a circle from its radius!!!  Well, I thought that the people that built Stonehenge did know the world was round and I took that as my cue to jog on!!! 🙂

So the jovial ceremony carried on and I wandered out to the circular ditch surrounding the Henge. I felt like I wanted to try and feel its energies and so I position myself upon it, closed my eyes, put my arms out and began to slowly walk. I cant say that I consciously felt anything, but every time I opened an eye to have a cheeky peek to see if I was actually on track…. and not wandering off into oblivion!!! 🙂 …. I actually was!!!…. and I was somehow following the curve without consciously following the curve…. if that makes sense….. I know…. that seems like a load of bollocks doesn’t it…. much like a bag of balls which are curved!!!! 🙂 …. but it’s the truth anyway….. and I couldn’t give a monkeys toss if you don’t believe me!!! 🙂 “Something” certainly felt like it was guiding me… and then… after about 30 yards….. “something” told me to stop….. and so I did…. and then I put my feet together and just stayed standing there, with my eyes closed and my arms out, for several seconds…. and then….. “something” told me to open my eyes and look down….. so I brought in my arms, opened my eyes and looked down….. and there…. right at the tip of the big toe of my right foot…. was…. a golden ring.

My mind went blank for a few seconds, as I looked down upon it, and then I just had the thought of “What the fuck???” and I bent down to pick it up. As I picked it up, and held it before me, I just thought “What the fuck???” as some intuitions began to “filtrate” me about it. I’m not going to say what those intuitions were here, or maybe ever, but the ring was that of a deep “Indian” gold colour and it had inscriptions on both its outside and in. On the outside was a language that looked like some kind of Sanskrit and on the inside was what looked to me like Latin. The logical thing I wondered was if it was one of those reproduction “Lord of the Rings” accessories; but it just didn’t have that feeling about it. I looked at it in disbelief and then looked around me to see if anyone was watching me. The ceremony sounded like it was winding up inside the Stones and none of the English Heritage “security” guards seemed to be paying me any attention. The sun had risen, the sky was a shade of pale blue and I was on my own, in an experience, with everyone else.

I said a Prayer of thanks, for what, I do not know, and then I thought I’d just continue what I was doing and complete the circle, but it was no good attempting to do it like I was before because now I just kept losing the circular line and walking off of the mound!!! So I just resorted to attempting to “feel the energy” while walking around with my eyes open!!! 🙂

I completed the circle, said another Prayer and then felt it was the right time for me to enter the Circle of Stones at the Henge. People were milling about everywhere, by then, which meant they were no longer crammed into the Circle itself, which also meant there was time and space for me to have a more intimate experience in there. But the thing is…. I cant bloody remember walking in!!!! I sort of remember it, but it wasn’t this “boom… extraordinary experience time!”as I crossed the threshold…. no…. everything felt ever so soft, and ever so delicate and ever so fluid. I must have spent about 30 – 40 minutes in there, just walking by and touching every Stone, feeling their presence and merging with them, and then I just remember sitting by or on one for a while, feeling the sunshine on my face and watching the sky and the world go by. I don’t remember speaking with anyone, or saying a word, but I do remember smiling at people and people smiling back at me; and every smile felt like a blessing. 🙂

After that, with the ring in my pocket, I wandered over to the Heel Stone; by that time there was no one there and so I had it to myself…. and then…. for the first time in my life…. I was able to put my hands on the Heel Stone and say a Prayer. I have no idea why the Heel Stone is so important to me, it just is. It was a real magical moment for me and even after I’d said my Prayer I didn’t want to let go or take my hands off of the Heel Stone, but then some other people began to approach and I knew I’d had my moment and it was time for them to have theirs…. so I wandered over to a solitary Stone, I think on a former outer ring, and sat on it to watch the world and the sky go by once more…. and all I felt was peace.

I stayed there, sitting until an English Heritage “Security” guard approached me and gave me a polite 10 minute notice before the time it was expected that the people whom were there for Spiritual reasons departed and the outlying Stonehenge site became the dominion of paying customers again (with people whom were prepared to pay substantially more buying the “priviledge” of supervised “private” access to the Stone Circle itself, before and after English Heritage’s official Stonehenge opening and closing times). Five minutes later the same “security” guard approached me again and this time gave a more formal five minute warning that the expected departure time was approaching. After the full five minutes the “security” guard again approached and informed me that I was expected to leave and from then on full passive aggressive body language was employed.

It felt so unfortunate that I had to leave, but I acquiesced and walked towards the Henge (which was arguably in my shortest line of passage towards the underpass exit) as I felt the need to enter the Stone Circle once again, simply to say goodbye. As I reached the outer ring mound two more English Heritage “security” guards blocked my path and attempted to prevent my further access. I simply explained that I wished to walk through the Circle one last time while going enroute to the exit and, to be fair to them, they acquiesced to me and I was able to say goodbye to the Stones, as I had wished, and I did exactly as I had promised. As it happened, that made me one of the last people to have been in the Stone Circle that sunrise and I was amongst the last remaining “stragglers” to have frequented the Stonehenge site under the banner of “free” access that day, and I felt honoured to have had the Stone Circle (almost) to myself for a few brief seconds.

I spoke to no one as I left Stonehenge. I felt no need to speak with anyone. I was simply happy to exist in the moment. And as I walked back to my car I felt the ring in my pocket and I thought “What the fuck???!!!”

Lots of Love,

Miller

As I meandered my way along the roads departing Plymouth, and passed Home Park, I was really enjoying listening to the purr of my motor. I hadn’t felt to stick my tunes on yet, as I was in a bit of a contemplation mood… and mode… and state of mind. As the wheels of my chariot… I mean Maestro!!! 🙂 …. rolled across the cobbles… I mean the tarmac!!! 🙂 …. the tickety tickety of my British made engine reminded me of the chitty chitty of another famous British car…. but I was thankful there was no bang bang!!! 🙂 It didn’t matter though because that song came into my head and, for the remainder my journey out of Plymouth I happily…. and most unapologetically!!!!!! 🙂 …. banged out that tune…. with full cockney vocal overtones and with a big smile on my face!!! :-)… and I couldn’t give a fuck who saw me because it made me feel so happy in the moment…. and in my car!!! 🙂

Anyway, this jovial “song and drive” continued until I encountered, and turned onto, the fabled “Devon Expressway”…. counterpart to more mythically named “Atlantic Highway”!!! Well, I say it’s fabled, but I’m sure the naming of these great arterial roads have more to do with the tourist industry than any myths and legends!!! And, personally, I prefer referring to them as the A38 and A39… but today I was on the “Expressway!!!”… so it was on to pass Lee Mill!!! :-)…. then I cracked on my Ash CD and searched for an angel interceptor track!!! 🙂 Cool as!…. and we were back on….. track!!! 🙂

I was really looking forward to the adventure ahead and a great deal of anticipation and excitement was welling up inside of me. Although Stonehenge had been a constant in my life – since the first year of my birth, after passing the Stones while travelling to and from London or Essex, on annual holidays to Cornwall or visiting family in Devon (my Granddad was Devonian and from Canonteign, Dartmoor), and, for as long as I can remember, always looking out for them as we drove along the A303 – but I’d never, ever, been inside the stone circle itself or even touched one of the stones. So I knew that this Vernal equinox was going to be a very special one to me. To be fair, I’d never even consciously marked any equinox or solstice sunrises before and I wondered, beyond wonder, what it was going to be like. And so, as Ash’s Intergalactic Sonic Seven’s CD continued to play on the Maestros stereo my thoughts journeyed along with me. It’s an amazing drive along the West Country roads.

I arrived at Stonehenge in the late evening and after the sun had set on the horizon behind me. I turned into the Drove and slowly made my way driving along the track from the A303. There were a number of small gatherings, fires and vehicles strewn out, indiscriminately, along the Droves edges and I carried on until I found a spot which was away from any other people… and…. luckily… I found a spot which was along the part of the byway by which I always parked when I stopped for short breaks on journeys to and from the West Country or to and from London (and vice-versa…!? 🙂 ). “Nice touch!” I thought, as I parked up.

I got out of my car and approached the fence – which creates a boundary between the land donated to the People (and given from the National Trust to the control of English Heritage) and the land that still remains a free domain for the public to access via Common Law and the County Council of Wiltshire – to view the Stones, in the twilight, from a distance. It was so wonderful to be there and I said a Prayer of gratitude and thanked God that I had made it!!! Then I walked along the rest of the byway and turned right into the A344 and followed the fence along to the Heel Stone. I then stood on the raised turf, by the pathway, so that I could see over the fence and view the Stones from above it. I loved being in that place and I always felt so wonderful being there, giving the Stones my undivided attention and feeling their love and sending them my love as well. It was part of my adult life routine and ritual, and so I continued, by remembering my own family and sending them my love too, and then by saying a Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, by the Heel Stone, as I always did and do.

After a number of minutes, standing there and feeling the world go by, I made my way back to my car. I felt very well as I walked and returned, as I always did and always do, and it was nice to say hello to others who I passed, or whom passed me enroute. I wondered whether I should make the effort and join in with one of the small camp fire gatherings, but then the loner inside of me kicked in and I decided that I wished to experience this whole experience on my own and in my own way. So I just went back to my car, brushed my teeth, put down the passenger seat of my car, said goodnight to the Stones and got in my sleeping bag ready for sleep…

… but then… after half an hour of twisting and turning, sighing and moaning, kicking and stretching… I thought “Fuck this!!!”…. and jumped out of the car, put up the passenger seat, and “laid” down in the back seat… and then… after quarter of an hour of twisting and turning, sighing and moaning, kicking and… stamping!…. I thought “Fuck this!!!”…. and jumped out of my car, put down the backseats, and laid half across the backseats and half across the boot… but then… after 5 minutes of twisting and turning, sighing and moaning, kicking and stretching…. I thought “Fuck this!!!”…. and jumped out of the car, put up the backseats, then put down the passenger seat and got in my sleeping bag…. not so much ready for sleep…. but at least “rest assured” that there was no more comfortable sleeping position available to me!!!! Gor Blimey… what a palaver!!! 🙂

Lots of Love,

Miller

Blimey… even Charles Dickens couldn’t have picture a scene like this!!!! 🙂 … He was more the master of depicting the dark and the dismal of 19th Century Victorian London… whereas this… well this was the light and the vibrancy of a beach in 21st Century Cornwall!!! :-)……. and we weren’t going to let Fagin gate crash the party!!! 🙂

We continued racing along the little paths, leading down the side of the cliff face, and through the bracken and the heather and the long grass, at a quick trot, while pretending the stones along the path weren’t hurting our bare feet as we stomped on them during the descent!!! 🙂 To be fair, with the anticipation of the surf awaiting us it wasn’t that difficult, and even when the path petered out into nothingness we just climbed down the last bit over the rocks!

Claire had decided she wasn’t going in so we left her in the shelter of the cliffs, to sun herself in the wonderful and golden Cornish spring sunshine… and me and Mat… well we made a beeline for the breakers that were still calling out to us to come and have a go!!! 🙂

We raced down the little paths, leading down the side of the “cliff” face, through the braken and the heather, at a quick trot while pretending that the random stones along the track weren’t hurting our plates of meat as we stomped upon them!!! 🙂 To be fair, with the anticipation of the surf… it wasn’t difficult!… and even when the path descended into a nothingness we just clambered down the last bit of “cliff” face and over the last remaining rocks to land… plates first! J … on the tidal golden sands!!! 🙂

Claire had kept pace but had already decided that she wasn’t going in and so we left her to sun herself in… err… the sun!!!… and by the shelter of the cliffs, while me and Mat made a beeline for the sea while being bathed in the suns beautiful rays!!! It was so warm in the sunshine, but the sea had another story to tell…. and it didn’t give a fuck about being warm… it had told that story long enough over the summer… and quite frankly it was as bored as fuck of the “once upon a jolly-bollocks version”…. No, it had its seasonally new rendition to deliver to us…. and this one was called “It’s freeze your bollocks-off time!!!!” 🙂 And not even Jackanory ever had the bollocks to tell that version!!! 🙂

…. and you know what…. while we’re on the subject…. you fucking “continental” types…. you bowl about your Mediterranean beaches…. giving it the large and sunning yourself wearing nothing but your hamster pouches while posing in your Sunkist and ever so well tanned “brown-suit- skin” …. to all the birds who you think want to have a butchers hook at yer… while hoping they may wish to do something else to yer a bit later!!! 🙂 …. as you daintily saunter down, over goldenly soft sand, to the sea shore…. then casually enter the sea to… (and even more casually!!!)… elegantly wade in to waist level… (and without ever needing to contemplate the remote possibility of, perhaps, letting out an uncontrollable little squeak as the seas cold hand reaches up and takes the liberty of “feeling” the intimate and ever so warm reaches of your upper inner thigh and threaten the very existence of your bollock-sack!!!)…. to then wade, ever deeper, and ever more unthreatened, to the far reaches of a depth concurrent and equal to your belly-button…. continuing to then, covertly and discreetly, take a jimmy riddle, using no hands and simply through the material of your hamster pouch….. (so making the sea around you even more seasonally warm for the time of year!!!)….. as you employ your hands to cooly take off your sunglasses, while pretending to look into the distance, and then turn to view your relieved expression in the reflective mirror of your sunglass lense!!!! 🙂

Now…. you try and do all that on a fucking British beach!!!! 🙂 …. when there are gusts of wind that can blow your head off…. upon sands that are filled with shards of shingle, slippery stones and sharp as fuck rocks!!!…. into water that is not only of a temperature just above freezing, but with waves that roll towards you at a level that is above the height of your head…. that the wind just blew off!!! J…. Now, you come and do that in Blighty mate… and we’ll see how big your bollocks are in your hamster pouch!!!! J I’m telling you…. at times like that you don’t piss in the sea to relieve yourself…. you piss in your wetsuit to simply stay alive!!!! 🙂 …..

We smashed into the sea, with the waves smashing into our chests, as we attempted to smash past the breakers to engage with the rollers!!! No fucking about, straight in… bish, bash, bosh…. no prisoners taken!!!! 🙂 As soon as we got passed the surf infantry, we engaged with the rolling cavalry and Mat was off like a rocket and doing all his pretty boy manoeuvres!!! He had all the best equipment…. and no that’s not a euphemism!!!…. he had a wetsuit hat and socks, finns and even “go-faster” gloves!!!…. he looked like he was Johnny English on a secret mission!!!!…. whereas me…. I just had my shortie….. and no, thats not a euphemism either!!! Sort yourself out!!!! 🙂 …. but counted myself lucky that at least it had been a couple of weeks since i’d last cut my toe-nails!!!! J It was bloody freezing me old china plate!!!…. so cold in fact that, forget about my feet…. I couldn’t even feel my elbows!!!! But the sea was in an awesome mood so it didn’t even matter! The waves were crashing in at such a speed and the roar they made was deafening, it felt amazing catching the crest of one and riding it to its completion! 🙂

After that it was back to begin the “smashie and nicey” routine all over again… so I grabbed my shield….. I mean bodyboard!!! 🙂 …. and faced the waves of invading “serfs” 😉 approaching me…. it really did have the feel of battle about it!!! But was the battle Badon or Brunanburh!!! 🙂 ….  And was I Arthur or Athelstan?…. better settle for Alfred at Edington and say no more about it!!!! 🙂 If only kids these days would emulate those A-Star Kings of renown instead of impersonating the X-Men!!!! I know what heroes I’d rather be and it aint the ones drawn by Marvel and waiting in a green room for a stage performance!!!! 🙂

It was wonderful spending time with Mat that morning. I really felt like I was experiencing an element of my childhood again and there was a moment we shared that epitomised the last line written by the writer in the film “Stand By Me”:

“I’ve never had friends like the ones I had when I was 12… Jesus… does anyone?”

I know that line relates to a lot of peoples life experience, and it did to me too, but not at the age of 12 because, by that time, I didn’t have any friends!!!! 🙂 No, for me that line related more to when I was 7 and really experiencing the world with my bestest mates in all of the world and all of its history!!!! 🙂 ….. you can tell I’m already feeling 7 again already hey!!! 🙂 …. because by 12 I just didn’t fit in with people and really didn’t want to be doing some of the things other kids on the manor were doing at that time, and at that age, you cant really pick and choose the “street” activities to join in with… you’re either completely “in” or you’re “out”!!! It was clear that I was out and so I just found myself spending more and more time on my own either cycling, listening to my records or playing with my Scalextric…. what?…. how can that possibly be a euphemism?!!!! 🙂 …. you’ve really got to sort yourself out because it’s clear you’ve got a dirty mind!!! 🙂 …..  I did play football at weekends, but outside of school – and outside of school sports – training on a Friday night and playing on a Sunday were my only “social” interactions with kids my own age. It’s strange because although I didn’t really fit in… it never seemed to be held against me and I was almost always chosen as the Captain for any sports team I ever played for. I seemed to command some kind of respect from my peers… they just didn’t want to be seen walking down the street with me!!! :-)…. and I wasn’t cool enough to have a girlfriend!!! 😦 …. 🙂

But around 7 was when I experienced that kind of adventurous innocence with bestest friends and at the turn of the millennium I happened to write a poem about it and I think I’m going to write it for you here! I’ve never had a title for it before, so I’m going to call it….

“Stand By Me” by Lee D. Miller 🙂

Do you remember the time when you was just a little kiddie?
And you waited for a bell to ring so you could get home for Tom and Jerry!!!

You bundle through the classroom door
Stampede along the corridor
Your jackets on the cloakroom floor
Some bastards treading on it!!!
Outside your Mum has got your sweets
It’s time for all those penny treats!
Look for someone to give beats
Too late! He’s done you first!!!
Sing songs for fun and songs for war
Arms over shoulders in lines of four!
Short verse, repeat, as if by law
And then it’s time for jumping!!!
Look out for all those stupid flids!
Stick fingers up at saucepan lids!
I wish today I was a kid!!!
My time has been and gone!

Get back home and my bros asleep
Shove down me dinner in time to meet
The kids from up and down my street
We know that there’s adventure!!!
Leave my house at just gone four
Forget to shut the bloody door!
I heard my Mum, I know she swore!!!
Now I’m pounding on the pavement!
Chris and Dave are my best mates
We ride our bikes without their brakes!
Then smash into a mans estate!!!
No time to cry, just scarper!!!
Chris and Dave, they wear a Parker
One is blue but one is darker
Me, I am the one that’s smarter
I’ve got a Bomber Jacket!!!
Running-out on the building site
Kids run-out throughout the night
Some prick has brought his brand new kite
Throw stones and it gets hammered!!!
Over the park, not far away
It’s Calamity Jane not Dorris Day!!!
It’s getting dark, the skies gone grey
Your Dad is coming for ya!!!
You say goodbye to all your mates
It’s just gone eight, but it’s not late!
The lights are on and life is great!!!
Cant wait until tomorra!!!

You’re up at dawn and watching telly
Strange rumblings from behind your belly
Your pants are brown and really smelly!!!
Get changed and go to school!!!
Leave your house and leave your road
Then meet your mates and talk in code
You’re laughing at the jokes they told
Then it’s time to get in line
The line leads in and through the door
You turn to see your Mum once more
Then wonder what on Earths in store
And then you’re in assembly!!!
Sing songs and hymns without a care
I’ve almost learnt the whole Lord’s Prayer!
Then teacher gives an awful stare
As someone stinks the hall out!!!
Back in class we learn and play
She’s Calamity Jane not Dorris Day!!!
I know sometimes I lost my way!
But it didn’t happen often

The bell rings loud and it’s play time
We kick a ball and then some swine!
We kiss and chase, commit no crime!!!
But still we hear the whistle!
Back inside we do art work
Get splashed with paint, by some jerk
Miss looks at me like I’m the berk!
Because I didn’t wear an apron!!!
You finish school and your Mum’s livid!
You try and blame the other kid!!!
It makes no difference cos you’re the flid
Because you didn’t wear an apron!!!
It’s off and home, it’s eighty-two
The Mary Rose, and Falkland’s too
Are spoke about, along with you
Because you didn’t wear an apron!!!

Stone fighting with the older kids
Who can do the longest skid?
Shit scared of plants like big triffids
Oh no… who smashed the window?!!!
The witches house is so called
Its roofs its hat and in we crawled
We found a wall on which we scrawled
The names of one and other
We hear some screams and shouts and sound
The bloke who owns the house has found
Us hiding as we hit the ground!
And now it’s time to scarper!!!

We go to play in the Stone Way
I tell the lads I fancy Faye
Dave laughs and is about to say…
Then Chris tells me that he’s kissed her!!!
More fights and add and add the ball
Sometimes we try to play football!!!
Crowds gather cos the bus is full!
Old people loved to watch us!!!
But that was then and this is now
I reminisce and raise my brow
I wonder what and where and how
All the bloody time went!

Christopher and David left Barking for the leafier suburbs of Metropolitan Essex in 1983 and I don’t think I ever got over the loss of their friendship. I’ve certainly never been able to sustain a long term friendship since that time and have just found it easier to be on my own. But that moment with Mat, exchanging a glance, for only the briefest of seconds, while standing just a few yards apart in the breakers of Whitsand Bay, brought back the sensation of all those feelings that my Poem and Stand By Me evoked. I have no idea what Mat was thinking in that moment, because we never spoke about it or ever referred to it. It just felt to me like the beautiful acknowledgement of sharing such an innocent experience… together with a beloved friend… and in moments like that words are never needed… it’s just a blessing to have felt and lived them.

I certainly felt like that moment was a blessing, but for all I know Mat could have been thinking “Miller… you look such a twat!!!” as he stood there in his wetsuit “hoody”…. the fucking twat!!!! 🙂

After our “gay” moment had passed, we continued smashing into and being smashed by the Wonderous Waves of Whitsand…. a pass time that comes highly recommended! 🙂 …. until we both knew that the waves had had enough and it was time to stop picking on them!!! J We wandered up the beach to find Claire and then sat with her for a while as we soaked up the warm rays of sunshine after the cold salt of the sea. Gor blimey… it’s at moment like that when you wonder if you’re ever going to go anywhere else ever again such is the feeling of warmth and contentment…. you simply feel like you don’t ever want to leave that spot! But then the sun goes in and you suddenly realise it’s definitely time to fuck off!!!! 🙂

And thus, and so, we began to fuck off, back up over the rocks and up the path to the road at the top of the cliff whence we once again changed behind the doors of my jam jar! The only difference between the journey coming up (other than the direction!) to the one going down was the fact that there was no need to pretend that I couldn’t feel the sharp stones piecing my feet this time…. because I couldn’t even feel them!!!…. It felt like I was walking on a couple of stumps!!!…. And they were so numb I literally had to keep looking down to see if they were still there!!! Blimey… they say that the wheel is greatest human invention ever, but I tell you what, after mornings like that….. it’s the car heater!!!!! 🙂

We headed back to the Torpoint Ferry, ever so contented and quietly enjoying the scenery whizzing by at 30-40 mph, then we boarded and set sail…. by the use of a chain pulley system… for the shores of a land beginning with Eng! I really enjoy the journey on the Torpoint Ferry and on this occasion, as I looked back to Kernow, I had a feeling it would be a while before I saw her again. Twenty minutes later we landed on Saxon Land and continued on to find our way along the tracks and the trails to arrive back at Mat and Claires place, sitting outside to enjoy the beautiful Spring sunshine once again. Mat offered me a bottle of beer, and I stupidly accepted, because after one… you always want two… and then two’s never enough… but thankfully I stayed off that scenario and managed to force myself to only have a couple of cups of rosey for the rest of the afternoon before I had to mount my steed and head off in a direction opposite to that of the setting sun!

The time had come, my bags were packed and my boot was filled…. and Me, Mat and Claire said our farewells, hugged and kissed…. on the cheeks…. the face cheeks!!! 🙂 … and then I got in my Maestro! “Stonehenge now mate.” I said to myself and to my Maestro, as I put the key into the ignition and my Maestro roared into life. Then I waved at Mat and Claire as I pulled away and disappeared into the distance…. to the beginning of the beginning…. and to a ring of stones that are called…. Stonehenge.

Lots of Love,

Miller

So… we rolls-up to the clifftop, overlooking Whitsand Bay, and the scene was absolutely pukka!!! The sky was blue, the sun was shinning and the waves were “strolling” into the crescent bay in proper “surf-dude-wet-dream” style!!! This was gonna be a good day and we couldn’t wait to get down there and catch a wave!!! Even though it was still early Spring the sun was warming like it was in mid-May and the cold breeze, coming in from the sea, didn’t seem to touch you. As we got changed by the road side, and behind the open doors of my jam jar (or car… whatever your preferences are!!), I couldn’t believe my mince pies as I clocked the sea below me… it was absolutely perfect for body boarding! Really powerful waves… which were not too big and not too small… the Goldie-Locks variety!!!  … were thundering their way towards the tidal sandy beach as if to say “Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough!!!” And even though I only had a shortie wetsuit and the seas were the coldest of the year… I weren’t gonna back down from that kind of “offer”!!! 🙂

It was Me, Mat and Claire. Mat and Claire lived together (across the water in England!!!) as Claire was studying at Plymouth University. I’d been visiting them and the night before (which was Vernal Equinox Eve Eve leading into Vernal Equinox Eve… which now turned out to be this morning!!!  ) we’d been on a night out at the Plymouth Student Union bar… and what a top drawer night it was!!! No, scrub that!!!… it was so good it was on top of the drawers!!! ;-)… Alright, fuck it!!!… lets just say this night was so good it had gone beyond the drawers and reached the level of the mantelpiece!!! Yep… it was one of those type of nights… in all its imbibing glory!!! 🙂

You see… Plymouth Student Union is 24 carrot pukka!!! Its got three levels… the first level is done out like your normal English Pub… playing your usual commercial teeny-bopper music and pulling pints like there’s no tomorrow… a nice introduction and a great way to start proceedings!!!  But then there’s two other levels to move-on up to… one playing your usual club classics and R&B… and one playing your Indie and alternative music!!!… It’s quality and everyone’s catered for… except your mum and dad… just how it should be!!! 🙂

So, after a cheeky few to get warmed up, Claire stayed with her Uni mates in the pub and me and Mat made a bee line for the “Indie Disco” and what an entrance we made!!! Armed with our “almost” full pints – purchased at the bar below – we bowled through the disco door, into the Indie vibe, and confidently took our steps towards the dance floor. Me being a bit more eager, took the lead and just as I took a step down onto the cheap laminated floor area (leading to the dance floor) my foot slipped on my outstretched stride and my heels went over my head as I landed flat on my arse!!!! Mat cracked-up behind me and just as he took a step forward to help me back up… he did exactly the same!!! It was hilarious!!! It was like a scene out of Laurel and Hardy!!! We just sat there like a couple of plonkers laughing our heads off!!! After getting back to our feet, composing ourselves and wiping the pigs ear from our boat races, we congratulated ourselves on our instinctive beer saving abilities after realizing we’d both saved half a pint!!! And then… WHOA… WHEY… two other muppets went arse over tit on the same spot we did!!! It was fucking hilarious!!! The funniest thing ever!!! Did we help them up? Of course not… how could we? We were laughing too much!!! 🙂

And they were laughing too… and after they’d cleaned themselves up and wiped themselves down we proceeded to engage in a merry dialogue upon the Human Beings innate and instinctive abilty at… drink saving!!!  … and then the next bunch of mugs came along and they went up in the air too!!! It was quality!!! In the next few minutes it got to a point where there was a small crowd of us waiting for the next “unsuspecting victims” to suffer the same fate… yeah… the fate of “having a bubble bath!”… until some “responsible adult” came along and mopped up the mess and put one of those yellow hazard signs up… what a killjoy!!! 🙂

So the night continued in the same jovial vein until last orders were called and everyone was booted out… and in the early hours of the Vernal Equinox Eve morning Mat and Claire, being the exceptionally cool people they were, didn’t take me to a burger van or a kebab shop in order to soak up the beer juices and quell the hunger pangs… No!… they took me to this quality “all-night” proper British Café where Fry-ups were the only thing on the menu and at about half past 3 in the morning we had a full English Breakfast with Union Jack mugs for our tea!!! Mate… we’d now reached levels above the mantelpiece and were now in the realms of the mirror on the chimney breast!!! And the reflection was looking sweet… Cheers Ears!!! 🙂

So that was the end of the night before – we went back to the house, had a bit of kip and was up at about ten to head for the Torpoint Ferry and Cornwall’s best south coast surfing beach… Completely off the cuff and on what turned out to be… the most exceptional day for it!!! 🙂

Now, of course, I aint gonna pretend that I’m some kind of “cool-arse” surfer dude… because I’m not… I have surfed a bit, but coming from where I’m from you don’t get much of a chance to surf and I’ve always found it much easier to just carry a body-board in the boot of my car, just in case I might pass a beach – on my travels! – where the conditions are right and I’m able to do so. And unlike the amazing amount of inviting Sunkist sandy beaches that exist around Cornwall and the West Country, the Thames and Essex coastline don’t tend to offer those kind of “invitations”… no… what you tend to get is this uniquely absorbent sludge which squelches up between your toes and appears to have been formed from copious amounts of London turds being released into the river estuary!!! You think twice about paddling let alone swimming!!! 🙂

And far from having the look of someone who’s grown-up by the Cornish seaside, with the salty air blowing through their ample locks… I tend to keep the look of a geezer who’s had to tolerate the whiff of the Sewage Works at Becton drifting by his nostrils every time the breeze blows in the wrong direction!!! And at times like that you really don’t want to be having long hair… the shorter the better!!!… Lovely! 🙂

So… anyway… after taking in the views… and accepting the “offer” of hitting some waves!!! :-)…. we grabbed the body boards and left my beautiful and white Aston Martin… I mean Austin Maestro… (which was now actually a Rover!!!) 🙂 on the grass verge of the “high” way, while we jogged the long way down to the beach… bare foot and all. And the lower we got, the greater was the sound of our expectations!!!

I think Charles Dickens wrote a book about that!!! 🙂

Lots of Love,

Miller

“The Hearts of Men must change before a Kingdom can.”

St. John the Baptist

Well before I start the Ayers Rock thing I gotta tell you about an experience that just happened. I know it’ll be outta sinc, but it was pretty special.

Last night I went out for a meal and a beer, and met this Aussie girl and an English guy, and we spent the night having a chat. We were mainly talking about our experiences of the Aborigines so far, which had been predominately negative. For me, I’ve been around the world and engaged with people from every continent, language barrier or not, and been accepted wherever I’ve gone…. even Yorkshire!!! 😉  But thus far, all my attempts at engaging with Aboriginals have been disheartening. They’ve come across as insular with hearts tempered with hate.

I was wondering whether my intuitional feeling towards them had been affected by the countless negative stories White Australians had been feeding me about them and I had started to create that reality because my approach, perhaps, had been affected when I encountered them. They were a people I was actually beginning to dislike and I didn’t like that. I left the conversation last night hoping that I would have a positive experience with the Aborigines and wanted to understand them better.

Anyway, this afternoon I was about to come to the end of a book, which has been by my side for about 4 years now (Heaven’s Mirror by Graham Hancock, been reading it bit by bit at times it felt right to) and sat in the hostel. My intuition kicked in and something told me to go down to the river in Alice Springs and read it there. So I got straight up and wandered over wearing just my flip-flops and quiksilver swim shorts, while holding the book and a cup of Earl Grey!

Now the River Todd isn’t really a river…. it’s more of a riverbed!!! There’s only water a couple of times a year, and when I got there I saw a group of Aborigines sitting in the middle of it having a beer, so I wandered over and politely asked if I could join them. They were so welcoming and friendly, and we did all the pleasantries and cultural exchanges and started having a real bubble. It was great.

They started telling me their names and I was having trouble trying to remember!!!! They told me that the Aborigines have two names, their Skin name and a Christian one. Then Michael, a shaman, stood up and declared “It hasn’t rained in a long time… I’m gonna make it rain!” With that he started chanting and doing some kind of Aboriginal rain dance…. only because he was so half-cut…. he fell over!!! That didn’t stop him though… he just carried on the dancing horizontally on the floor!!!!…. It was hilarious and everyone cracked-up!!!! They’ve got such a sense of humour these people!!!! 🙂

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I went back into town, grabbed myself a beer and returned to join them. On my return they’d decided to give me an Aboriginal name – Jara Janga (or something like that…… I’m terrible at remembering and pronouncing other languages!!!). They said it meant “of Aboriginal Skin”.

What a bloody compliment!!! They were so good to me, all seemingly wanting my attention at once. When I left they were all saying my name and goodbyes as I walked into the distance, and I was waving my arms off!!! I’m so glad I had this experience, it’s so special! Not only have I worked my right of passage in terms of the white heritage here (Ok…… I know it was only for two weeks!!!), but I’ve also now been accepted by the Aborigines. That’s just so special. I love my life 🙂

Now where was I… Ayers Rock….

Love and Light,

Miller

Supplementary

Throughout the rest of my travels around Australia I investigated further to discover exactly what the skin name the Aborigines gave me meant and to confirm whether they were being genuine, having fun or just genuinely having fun!!!! It turned out to be quite difficult because I was told that there are many dialects around Australia and because Alice Springs is the traditional meeting place, I couldn’t be completely sure which Aboriginal tribe I encountered.

No-one I met had ever heard the phrase Jara Janga, but Brian (who I worked for on the mineral exploration job and who was very well travelled around the outback in Australia) said that he thought that Jiri Jingi was a derogatory term that the Aborigines used for white people, but also that Jara meant “land” in Aboriginal. I thanked Brian for his help but explained that that didn’t help at all!!!! Jara was definitely the first part of the name though, and that was easy to remember. It was the second part that I found hard to pronounce and so remember, but I haven’t been able to confirm either of Brian’s translations anyway!!!! The only meaning I’ve found for Jara in Aboriginal is seagull, and that doesn’t seem right either, but here’s the thing; while researching I had the thought to look into what Jara meant in other languages around the world and this is what I found:

In Hebrew it means “he enlightens, he shines”

In Sanskrit it means “mother”

In Slavic it means “spring”

In Arabic it means “earthern water jug”

In Spanish it means “rockrose”

And overall it’s generally regarded as female or the first female name.

There’s something else too. Apart from Michael, the Shaman that declared the name for me, the only other name that I remember was the name of the lady I was sitting next to, and to whom I enquired about the meaning of the name they’d called me. She repeated that it meant that I was of Aboriginal skin. She was very kind and very sincere, and her name was Mary.

It’s a strange synchronicity because as I was completing my journey following the St. Michael and St. Mary Beltane Sunrise Alignment across Cornwall and England last year I noticed something quite extraordinary. Without planning it, after coming to the end of the Mary current, I walked along the sea front to discover the end of the Michael current and I realised that the time was 5.02pm…. Ten years, to the minute, since I’d set off on my unplanned journey around the world which would end up leading me to mark the Solstices and Equinoxes at Angkor Wat, Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Stonehenge.

The date was 10^th June 2005/2015

You cant make things like that up… at least I cant.

Lots of Love, Lee x

P.S. The St. Mary and St. Michael Alignment (to Dreamer)

P.P.S. After writing this supplementary I began posting pictures and videos on some of the adventures and when I added my flight ticket home to the Moteoka Adventure I noticed that the expiry date for my around the world ticket was 11th June, 2006, and I thought that was odd because I thought that should mean that I left on the day of 11th June and not the day of 10th June as my intuition was informing as I completed the journey along the Mary and Michael Alignment. It seemed about right at the time, but I recalled that I left on a Saturday (because we went to have Pie and Mash during the afternoon before I departed). So I went to check the calendar for 2005 and it turned out I did leave on 11th June!!! I then thought “Oh no… I’ve mugged myself off here!!! How has this happened? My intuition was blatently letting me know something special at the time!!! How could it have been wrong?” But then I remembered that I’d actually crossed the international date line on the way home, living the “same” day twice in LA, and so I’ve been one day out of sinc with the Gregorian Calendar ever since!!! So my own personal 10th June is the 11th… if that makes any sense!!! 🙂

As ever, whenever I appear to have got something wrong I usually discover that there is a very good reason for it, but you can still call me a mug if you want!!! No worries 🙂

So……..  I carried on enjoying the sight of the Big Red Fella, out of the back window of the camper, as he faded into the distance and became a silhouette as the light began to fail. The English couple dropped me off by my hotel and I thanked them….. what a touch!!!

I bowled into the hotel grounds, leaving the bike outside reception and in full view of the bar, so that when Liam came along he was bound to clock it, and then I went off for some munch…… baked beans on toast were the order of the day!!!!! What would I do without that wonderful cuisine?!!!!

So after refuelling and having a shower I headed down to the bar for a cheeky couple, just to be social and because I had arranged to meet Liam and buy him a couple of beers too, but when I got there, he was nowhere to be seen and the bike remained where I had left it. I spotted the women I was sitting next to on the plane from Sydney, so I went across and sat with them. They were with a Scottish woman, who was quite lively and jolly, and as soon as I sat down I caught that look from her…….. you know what look guys……. that look you get from a bird that lasts about ½ a second too long and when you catch it…….. you know……… you’re in business!!!! 😉

When the English women left I stayed talking with her and we got onto the subject of the Rock, and I started talking about the amazing day I’d just had…. and then she suddenly stopped me in mid-sentence with this totally judgmental expression on her face and said “What…. you’ve been up there?” ….”Yeah, I did… because it felt right to…..have you?” I replied. Then she said in this totally judgemental voice “No…. because the Aborigines have asked me not to”.

Now it wasn’t just what she said…it was the tone of voice she used, the body language and the manner in which she said it…. it was that complete judgemental “I’m morally superior to the rest of the world” attitude and it really got my goat………. I was sitting next to an extreme white liberal!!!!!! AAAARRRGGGGHHHH !!!!!!!!!!!….. So me being me…. I decided to challenge her….

“So when did the Aborigines ask you not to go up there?” I asked. “What ?” she replied…“Have you ever spoken to an Aborigine about going up there?” I rephrased my question “No…. it says so on the sign there”…. ahh right I thought….no effort to try and communicate with these people…. just read the shit you’re told to believe!!! So I went onto explain that I had spoken with an Aborigine about going up there, that very morning… namely Luke, and he hadn’t expressed he found it offensive in any way…

*But anyway…. offence is just a perspective….. what’s offensive to one person, may not be to another…. it just depends on your own personal view on reality……. so why restrict your own personal experience of life based on the perspective of someone else…. the answer is you shouldn’t….. you should just follow your own heart and experience the things it feels right for you to experience and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. In fact, since I’ve been in Australia, I haven’t had a conversation with one Aborigine who has indicated that they have a problem with me going up the Rock…. not one….. but I’m continually told by westerners that that’s the case!!!!! Maybe I’ve just met the Aborigines who don’t give a fuck!!!!*

……and so I continued to explain that my reasons for going up there were spiritual (that’s why I was there for the Spring Equinox) and I had positive intentions, and as long as you treat the rock with respect and don’t damage it in anyway…. then I didn’t believe there should be a problem with anyone going up there. She said “But it is being damaged…. There’s a black line up the side of it where people walk and I think it’s disgusting!!!”

Oh….. the faint black line…. yes, there is as it happens…. but its got nothing to do with the rock being damaged or mistreated in anyway….. you see… the Big Red Fella is in fact….. wait for this ladies and gentleman, cos you might find it a bit of a shock… and if the information hadn’t crossed my path and I hadn’t asked the right questions, I wouldn’t have believed it myself!!!………. BLACK!!!!!

I know, I know….. I saw this picture a guy called Grant had of it on the screen save of his computer. I asked why it was black and he told me that that was its true colour and that he had taken the picture after there was some heavy rain. Apparently the Rock has metallic mineral properties and when it reacts with the air it oxidises and turns red…. Just like rust on a car!!! When it rains all the composite gets washed off!!!! So the trail is just where people are exposing the true face of the Big Black Fella!!!!

Anyway, after an awkward silence I made a couple of jokes and we moved on, then I saw Chris turn up and so I went and joined him and a bunch of the other resort workers. He introduced me to everyone and I sat next to this beautiful girl called Vici. She was half white and half pacific islander and exuded a wonderfully positive energy. She immediately offered to buy me a drink (along with everyone else… I wasn’t that lucky!!) and went to the bar. Chris immediately saw the look on my face and said….”Don’t go there buddy…. you aint seen her boyfriend”…. Fuck it… I could wish couldn’t I!!!! 🙂

Anyway, after about an hour or so of chatting with Vici, Chris, and a couple of others, everyone was going back to the workers accommodation to party and they invited me along. On the way there Vici was trying to convince me to go for a job there, saying they always need people, and I was thinking about it. Then we got into workers area…. and oh my god…. its massive…. like another town…. only this town is like a holiday camp and every house has a mandatory spreading of empty beer cans and bottles….. Where were the full ones!!!!!!!!!!!

We eventually tracked down the party and Chris was trying to make me aware of where we were because it was like a maze, with everywhere looking the same. We cracked open a couple of beers and then Vici returned with her boyfriend. Chris turned to me and gave me this all knowing look and said… ”You see!”. And, Oh My God…. could I see!!!!!

Now the first thought that any guy has when he see’s Vici and her Norwegian boyfriend together is…..”HOW THE FUCK DID THAT HAPPEN?!!!”. This thought is closely followed by an equally disbelieving thought…”YOU LUCKY BASTARD!!!!” The geezer was your usual build for a Viking, with a skinhead and a goat beard that only grew from the middle of his chin!!!!! He had piercing on his eyebrows, nose, lips, ears and tongue!!!! Nowhere was left untouched or unpierced…. at least as far as I could see!!!! And it was supplemented by strategically positioned tattoos on his head and arms!!!!! …..Bloody hell………women are still an enigma to me!!!! What can you do??? But he turned out to be quite a cool guy…. oh well.

After a while I met other people and got invited to the staff night club, so went with the flow and checked it out. It wasn’t too bad in there, but by about 2.30 am I was ready to go and got directions back to my hotel. Now, I happened to ask someone, who was already very drunk, for directions and when someone who’s drunk gives you directions…. they’re quite hard to follow and I was having trouble…. and it comes to a point where you start looking stupid if you keep asking for them to be repeated, and so I just left it as…. ”Right… I go that way do I?” and headed off into the distance….. and what a distance it was!!!!!!

I was walking around in circles, not knowing where the fuck I was, for about an hour…. I swear…. it was like A Nightmare on Elm Street!!! Whatever direction I walked in…I ended up back in the same place and there was no one about!!!! And I tell you what….I’d just accepted the fact that I’d probably be walking around in circles till dawn, when I saw a car driving towards me in the distance. I flagged it down and the geezer in the car recognised me……apparently I’d been talking to him in the club (I had no idea who he was!!!). They’d all seen that I’d left and were concerned about if I’d get back OK!!! Well obviously fucking not!!!!!!! 🙂

I goes “Bud…you gotta help me…. I’ve got absolutely no idea where I am!” and then I told him the name of my hotel and he goes ”Oh…its just over there”. ……Shit….. Fuck …. Bollocks…. Wanker…. just behind this row of trees was my bed!!!!!!! I was 50 yards from home and I’d been walking past it for the past hour!!!!! But if I hadn’t have been told I would never have known….. I was totally lost, and even though he told me where it was …. it still didn’t look right!!!! I thanked him and found my way back and was in bed by 4am….. what a day!!!!

I woke up at 8.30am… and weren’t feeling too bad, so got me act together as I knew I had to sort a way out of this place or get a job. So I brushed meself up and headed to reception to ask about work. When I got there I asked if I could see the human resources guy. The bird said he was busy in the office (just behind reception), but to fill in this application form. I did so and handed it back. Then she goes that she couldn’t accept it….. I was like…. ”Why?”….. “Because you havent filled in a contact phone number”!!!! I was like…. What the fuck… I’m HERE!!!!! So I asked “Cant you just go into the office and tell him I’m here and interested in work?”….she replied ”No that’s not our policy…. you need a contact number so we can contact you”….. WHAT?????…. I’M FUCKING HERE NOW YOU TWAT!!!…. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing…. this is a place which is constantly crying out for people to work there and she was behaving like some kind of jobsworth robot!!! “Cant I just have a quick word with the guy?’ I said, “No…. put your number down and he’ll phone you”….. So I wrote down my number and just as I did a bloke, who also worked on reception, passed by and whispered in my ear “You’re making a mistake…. you really don’t want to work here”…. and then he slipped off!!! I was getting the picture!!!!

So I walked out and was set on finding the best way out of here to Kings Canyon, and clocked the resort car hire place. I walked in and asked the girl working there “What was the price for the cheapest car to hire for the day as I’m trying to weigh up the costs with that compared to a bus or tour”…… (Oh my God….. that fake smile again and eyes that have nothing behind!!!!).

“So you want our smallest car then sir” she said….”Well if it’s the cheapest…. then yes….but I actually just want a price” I replied…. “What day do you want it for” she continued….”No…it doesn’t matter…I just want a price…any day…. just you’re cheapest price” I answered, already seeing that this was starting to become difficult!!! “Well, where do you want to go” she said, “It doesn’t matter, just give me the cheapest price of your cheapest car with unlimited milage for one day” I said, trying to make my enquiry as bullet-proof as possible!!!…..”I’m sorry sir, by law we have to know where you wish to take the car” she replied in a computer monotone!!!!…… ”But I just want a price…. ok then…. Alice Springs” I said, becoming exasperated!!! “I’m afraid I cant help you then” she declared…. ”What… Why?” I said in confusion……. ”We don’t allow our cars to go to Alice Springs”……. AAARRRGGGHHH FOR FUCKS SAKE…. was she having some kind of bubble bath or what?!!!!!

“Look… please help me……. cant you just give me a price for a day…. any price….. it doesn’t even have to be the right one” I said, almost throwing in the towel….. ”Well where do you want to go?” she said in all seriousness!!!!

AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I was ready to slap her!!!!!! But just in the nick of time I saw a leaflet with all their prices for their different classes of cars…. and right at the top was their smallest model for $77 per day….. UUURRREEEIIKKKAAAA!!!!! So I says, pointing to the leaflet….. ”So that’s the price of your smallest car for the day is it?”…….. “No” she said “It doesn’t include surcharges and taxes”…. Blimey!!!…“OK, then” I said, managing to still keep my composure…. “So including surcharges and taxes…. What’s the price of your smallest car for a day?” I said. She punched a few buttons on the keyboard and then said “$114”.

“Well, thanks very much…. that’s all I wanted!” and I stormed out of there a quickly as possible!!!!!! Oh my God…. the bird was blatantly a muppet…. but the worst thing was that throughout the entire conversation she talked to me as If I was the muppet!!!!!! It was like a scene from Monty Python!!!! I swear… I had to get out of this place!!!!!!

So I went to the tourist office and to cut a long story short I booked on a tour that included Kings Canyon on the way to Alice Springs. Liam’s bike was still by reception…. so I just left it there and chilled out for the rest of the day. I never got a call from Human resources though….I didn’t switch my phone on!!!!! 🙂

In the evening I popped down to the bar and saw Vici having a beer. She beckoned me over and I told her (and the group of 4 others who were gathered around) about the events of my day and everyone was cracking up!!!! Vici couldn’t believe that they were being such arse wipes about the job situation…. especially cos they were so understaffed.

The topic went onto Ayers Rock, and it turned out that even though Vici had been at the resort for 3 months, she hadn’t gone up the Rock. An Aussie guy, who was there, and who apparently had been up a number of times, asked…. quite non-judgementally…. Why she hadn’t gone up there? Vici replied wonderfully and the way she answered exemplified how her physical beauty was a reflection the beauty she held within……she answered…. in an equally non-judgemental tone…. “Because I choose not to.”

And that’s it in a nutshell….. that’s what this life’s all about….. personal choice. Everyone smiled and had complete respect for her. How was it possible for you not to? Beautiful.

I got on to talking about the bike, which was still standing outside reception, and Vici said….. ”Oh My God…. you’re the tourist Liam gave his bike to?!!!!”… I goes “Yeah…. but how did you know about it?”. She went onto tell me that they were good friends and a couple of days ago Liam had come back saying that he’d just done a crazy thing…. he’d just given his bike away to a tourist he didn’t even know!!!!! When she told him that he was mad he said…. “Its ok…. my Karma will bring it back to me!”.

I said “I owe the geezer a few of beers…. is he quite spiritual then?” . Vici said “Yeah” and I gave her my email to give to him. She said she’ll keep it too and she’d take the bike back to him!!! So it looked as if he was right about his karma after all!!!!

With that I said my goodbyes and headed off to bed. I had an early start in the morning and I had to be up for ……   The Kings Canyon Adventure! 🙂

Love and Light,

Miller

P.S. Oh….. and on the subject of how long the Aborigines have been the keepers of the Rock for. Well, I met a man in Darwin who I asked that question to and his answer resonated with me:”Since the beginning of time” he said. And that’s what I believe to be the truth. Since the beginning of dream time.

Bloody hell…….I’m gonna have to cut these mails down to size cos I cant keep up with all the wonders I’m experiencing and the sorted people I’ve met!!!!! I’m having such a pukka time. Will briefly let you know the journey from Ayers Rock so far……. Kings Canyon….. Alice Springs……. Coober Pede…… Kangaroo Island…. Adelaide….. pukka job working out in the outback doing mineral exploration, driving 4×4 and quad bike for 15 days (that’s all to come baby!!!!)…….. Perth…..the Pinnacles….. Monkey Mia…. Coral Bay….. Canyons/National Parks/Waterfalls/Water Holes I cant even remember the name of……. sleeping out on 80 mile Beach….. and am presently in Broome…… heading to Darwin…. you know what I’m saying…. it just took me 5 minutes to write that!!!!!!

Reading back over my last mail, I realise I was getting a bit deep into stuff, but all the things I talked about were the thoughts I was having as I was walking around the Rock, and I think it’s important for me to remember those exact thoughts cos I know there’s a truth there. On this trip I’ve been talking to many people about these matters and trying to understand the different perspectives and where they originate from. All of what I’ve discovered is from what people have told me (and how I’ve felt when they’ve told me), in their own words, because I know that there’s one thing which is more important and powerful than the actual facts of any issue…….. and that’s people’s perception of the facts (the British Labour Government know that all too well).

So I’m gonna continue just talking to people to see where they’re coming from…….. and keep my eye out for those extreme white liberals!!!! (I’m calling them white cos in my experience they invariably are!!!!). They do get on my thropney bits!!!! At least with an extreme right fascist you know what you’re getting….. a ship and anchor who wants to control you and withstrict your rights……. they’re more overt in their principles. But you’re average extreme white liberal……. well…. they talk about your freedom yet simultaneously restrict your right to free will if it opposes their doctrine on reality….. they’re hypocrites and covert in their principles and I bloody hate them!!!!!….. Oh my God…. there’s still hate in my heart….. I’ve still got some work to do!!!!! 🙂

Aaaannnnyyyway…….. if this spiritual malarkeys “not your bag baby”, then skip this next bit cos it’s about to get a whole lot deeper. I’ll put a line under the end of it so you know where the fun begins again!!!!….. That’s if you’re still interested….. no offence taken if you’re not.

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So…….something told me to go up towards the cave. It was my higher self…

* Just quickly…. you’ve got 7 main chakras….. 3 of the physical self and 3 of the higher(spiritual) self, with your heart chakra balancing in between. That’s why you should always follow your heart, wherever it takes you, without fear and tredipidation, because it knows what its doings and will always take you on the right path because its the place where you can best interpret all of what’s being communicated to you.*

…. So I followed my heart and reached the cave. It didn’t feel right to enter it, so I just looked in and then sat a couple of yards from its entrance, taking in the beautiful views that surrounded me. Now the thing is…. around Ayers Rock its really green, with trees and shrubs up to about 15 feet tall…. very suprising, but the most pleasant of suprises!!!!!

As I sat there I just had the feeling to lay back and close my eyes, so I followed the intuition and felt very comfortable. It’s very difficult for me to explain what happened next….. I haven’t the words or vocabulary to describe exactly what I felt. Infact, I’m not entirely sure if the words exist….

As I lay there, I slipped into what, at first, seemed to be a doze, but then felt completely different to that state of being. For the next half-hour to 40 minutes or so, for what must have been 3-4 minute spells at a time, I slipped into an awareness I’ve never experienced before. I had an awareness that only my thoughts existed and I’d lost touch/sense with my physical body and couldn’t hear or feel anything around me. It felt like only my consciousness existed, surrounded by nothingness….. yet….. paradoxically….. by everythingness. It felt like a place where two polarities simultaneously existed in the same place….. where my individual consciousness was away from, yet part of, a greater consciousness….. I haven’t the words or maybe the understanding to take that description of that any further….. I just know that it happened.

….. When I came to, I sat up and reached for an orange from my bag. I started to peel and eat it (carefully putting all the peel and pips in my bag), at peace, taking in the stunning views. I didn’t think…. “Oh man…. I just had the most amazing experience”…… I just thought…”Well that was interesting”….. and got up to continue my walk.

* When I was out working in the outback, I was in bed with Coldplays X and Y playing on my walkman, and trying to think of a way I could word that experience. When I eventually concluded how I could express it in words, my attention went to the music and I heard the lyric “And the hardest part“…… then the music stopped for was about 3 seconds ( in that time I was reaching out trying to locate my walkman in the complete darkness)….. then it started again…….”was letting go“….. then it stopped again, for what was to be another 3 odd seconds (now you count three seconds in your head…. its a bloody long time when you’re shitting yourself!!!!!! It was pitch black and I thought someone or something was in the room!!!!!)…….. then it started again……… “not taking part“……..and then it continued throughout the rest of the song uninterrupted. By the end of the song I had found my torch and put the song back to the beginning and played it through to see if it would stop again in the same place (maybe because of dirt or a scratch)……. but it was fine. I know it was a message and what a message……

“And the hardest part was letting go not taking part”

It’s pretty easy to go through life participating in a consensus reality, getting home from work and escaping into the TV, blaming everything and everyone else for the state of the world and the circumstances you live in. What’s hard is to let go of the security blanket of everything you give value to or feel you need, taking responsibility for every aspect of your life and the world around you, empowering yourself by knowing that you are all powerful, that you can create anything you want and you only have yourself to blame if you interpret an event that happens as being negative in your own reality.

The ironic things is that when you eventually find the courage to let go of everything you hold dear to you, you discover a security surpassing anything you could possibly imagine.*

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So…. as I continued on my walk around the base of the Rock I really started enjoying the beautiful day. I’d reached the side of the Rock that was in the sunshine and I still couldn’t take me eyes off the Big Red Fella!!! I reached the start of the walk up it by about 11 and it was open.  🙂

I’d been looking at pictures of Ayers Rock since I was a saucepan lid and I was looking forward to the challenge of getting up there, wondering what it would be like….how it would look……how it may feel….. but the fact was I WAS THERE!!!!!…. I could touch it!!!!!……….. I could feel it!!!!!……..I couldn’t bloody Adam and Eve it!!!!!! I’m up for it!!!! I’m having it!!!!! I’m bloody LOVING IT!!!!!! 🙂

So I sank some water, refilled all my bottles at the water tank and banged into the ascent…..and my God its steep!!! The first 4 hundred yards or so has a chain to assist you, which annoyingly sags at knee level doing wonders for your coal sack!!!… but I improvised, lifting it and pulling myself up, covering the ground really quickly in short 50 yard stints (I much prefer attacking something fast in short bursts with a minute or so’s rest in between rather than a slow long haul with long rests…. that’s no fun and feels like you’re going nowhere….very disheartening). I was enjoying it and bathing in the praises of the fellow assenters who I was leaving in my wake…. it was doing wonders for my ego…. Oh my God…. I’ve still got an ego!!!!! I’ve still got some work to do on that too!!!!! 😉

*Well actually, an ego’s not such a bad thing to have as long as it doesn’t get out of control and start to control you!!!!!! And Kylie Minogue suddenly coming into my head singing “Hand on your Heart” as I began my ascent wasn’t a bad thing either…. I sang along with her!!! 🙂 ….. in my head (Of course!!! 🙂 ) and not out loud…. not because of my ego…… but because I was climbing so fast I could only just catch my breathe!!! She was great motivation though and that song really connected me with those days dreaming of Being at Ayers Rock…. although… to be honest…. she could have also been the reason for me struggling to catch my breathe!!! 🙂 *

I got to the top around midday (probably the worse time possible in terms of heat!!!…. but hey….. I’m an Englishman……. wouldn’t have been cricket not to have reached there at any other moment!!!!!!)….. and its truly amazing up there. It’s not flat at all, but a series of deep “V” crevasses, anything up to 50 ft deep lying at parallels across the Big Red Fella.

It was hot and bloody windy so I decided to seek some shelter and went exploring for a suitable place. I was suprised to discover outcrops of trees up there and headed towards them, but the shade wasn’t enough from the sun, so I looked further and found a rock I could fit underneath. So I crawled under and was in cool shady bliss!!! 🙂

I got myself comfortable and had a doze (yes….. a doze….. nothing more!!!) for a couple of hours and rested up. Around 3 o’clock I got up and wandered back to the peak of the Big Red Fella. A couple were just leaving for their descent and I looked around and realised I had the entire top of the rock to myself!!!!!! It was amazing and magical. I found a spot to sit down and enjoy the views and experience and I was suddenly in an awe of acknowledgment for my body and what it had allowed me to do (and experience) so far that day…. I’d been out on the beer the night before…. had a few hours sleep….. cycled for hours…. walked for hours and had an extremely intensive climb in outrageous temperatures….. and……. I felt fine…… it was wonderful…. and in that moment I fully appreciated the freedom of experience my body allows me. It allows me to fulfil my dreams in the way I wish to dream and I love it for that. 🙂

After about 40 or 45 minutes of Being (and noticing another group of rocks in the distance and wondering what they were) some more people started arriving up there, so I figured that was my cue to depart and so off I went on the descent, running in places, using my downward momentum to get me up the other side of each “V” cut. I was having so much fun and glad I had some North Face shoes which just stuck like glue with every point of contact, meaning I could pretty much trot all the way down, receiving the odd ego boost again!!!!! It was really funny, 30 yards from the bottom there was a group of Japanese girls beginning on the way up watching me as I was trotting down. I heard a collective “wow” as I smiled, said hello and went past them!!!!!! Then as I reached the bottom, I didn’t break stride and just jumped straight on my bike (which was there waiting for me) and sped off into the distance!!!! Now that must’ve looked cool……. and if it didn’t……. it certainly felt that way!!!!!! 🙂

I cycled out to the cultural centre and had a butchers hook around, aswell as treating myself to some ice-cream (any ice cream you want body…… you deserve it……. and lucky enough, my body’s favourite ice-cream was exactly the same as mine!!!!!!! :-)……… I’m such a wanker..…. but I’m enjoying myself!!!!). Then I cycled out to the sunset viewing area. It was a bit cloudy, so the colours only shone briefly, but were still magical and I was even more glad that Luke had closed the path that morning, so allowing me to experience the full beauty of the sunrise. Cheers mate. 🙂

After, I thought I’d be cheeky and try and hitch, with the bike, back to the resort. Couldn’t really be arsed to cycle that distance again, but felt ok to if had to. I clocked a couple, with a VW Camper Van, who seemed cool and went over to them to ask if they’d give me a lift back to the resort…. and as it turned out they were English and they were cool!!!! Sorted!!! 🙂

So I jumped in the back of their camper, with the bike, and we headed back to the resort, with me taking in the wonderful sight of Uluru/Ayers Rock/The Rock…….. The Big Red Fella, at dusk, through the back window as we left it in the distance.

I knew I’d probably never go up there again. I knew that I had no intention of ever going up there again. I knew that today was my day, a special day, and I’d learnt a lot from the experience.

Love and Light,

Miller

So…………. I immediately cycled over to the ranger and asked about the path to the top. He said that he had to close it because of the wind, but he’ll probably open it again by 9. I said “Do you reckon I could get to the sunrise spot in time”…. “Probably not on that” he answered. Then…. putting my cunning plan into action;-)….. “Could you give me a lift?” I asked cheekily. “Yeah..… no worries. I’m going that way anyway. Throw your bike on.”

Now, the ranger was a cool guy, his name was Luke, he’d worked in the National Park for 4 years and………….. he was Aboriginal!!!! He looked half Aborigine to me. His skin was that of an afro-carribean, a bit lighter then your average Aborigine whose skin complexion is very dark, and his features were a bit softer, but still blatantly Aboriginal. We had a good chat en-route and I enjoyed his company for that brief period of time. He dropped me off and I was very grateful.

I’d made it for sunrise!!!!!!…….. Along with a million other tourists!!!!!! But I was still glad to be there and I found a comfortable spot to watch………and what a sight it was!!!! The colours were beautiful and as I stood there I was so glad I was standing there witnessing it rather then on top as I had planned……… then it hit me and I had a massive smile on my face……. an Aborigine had stopped me from climbing the Rock and I had enjoyed the company of an Aborigine for part of the sunrise!!!!!!!! How’s that for reality responding to your thoughts!!!!! I love the way the Universe works!!!!!!

The other thing that was wonderful, was that after about 15 minutes everyone scarpered and I was left there by myself (apart from some people who looked to be taking ‘professional” pictures. They stayed for another 15 minutes or so). I stayed, and enjoyed the tranquillity of the moment, until about half seven, at which point I departed and cycled right around the Rock on the road, back around to the start of the path on the other side. It was fantastic…. I couldn’t keep my eyes off it the whole way round!!!!

When I got back to the gate, I read another notice which really disturbed me. It was a sign saying something along the lines of “The indigenous people warn that people have died on the path to the top of Uluru and it is very dangerous. We care about you and are concerned for you’re well being and as the OWNERS (?????!!!!!!) of Uluru ask that you do not climb the path as it is a sacred site to us”. What????!!!!! So first we have creation of fear….. then we have (in my opinion) false sentiment….. and then we have an anti-spiritual diabolical liberty!!!! Who told them they were the OWNERS?!!!!!

The way I see things THE ONLY THING A MAN CAN OWN IS SOMETHING THATS BEEN CREATED BY THE HAND OF MAN!!!!! (or woman…. dont you oppress me!!!…. I want to be called Loretta 😉 ). I know practically all the land across this planet is owned by someone, but that doesn’t mean its right…… and it most definitely isn’t right if it’s such a special place which is important to everyone….. even if they dont realise it.

The fact is the Aborigines claim The Rock as their own on the presumption that they’re the first people there and have been there for 40,000 years. Now…. how exactly do they know they were the first people there???? In fact…. the only reason they know they’ve been there 40,000 years is probably because some white guys told them they were!!!!…….. No?……. Well how many Aboriginal archaeologists with carbon dating equipment do you know of??!!!…. Gor Blimey!!!!……. I’ll retract my statement if you can show any contrary evidence…… but at the end of the day….. who says the white guys are right anyway?!!!!!! No one can say for sure.

The fact is there’s a massive guilt trip being fed to White Australians by extreme white liberals, who seem to think that the only way to overcome the injustices suffered by the native Aboriginal people is to give them whatever they ask for. This has meant that vast areas of the continent of Australasia is rented by the Australian Government, with the monies being collected by Aboriginal communities. The Aboriginal communities then rent more land to farmers….. fantastic you might think….. this’ll mean the Aborigines have financial freedom and can live with dignity however they choose to.

NO!!!!!….. Because the extreme white liberals dont think that’s enough…. on top of that they give the Aborigines each individual state benefits, which are in excess of the benefits that white Australians are entitled to, so creating a lack of need to be self-sufficient, and thus dependency, in the Aboriginal communities and the creation of more injustice, this time towards the White Australians who feel that they are being unfairly treated by the system. On the one hand the Aborigines seem to learn that the Australia owes them a living, and on the other the White Australians think that they pay their taxes just so the Aborigines can get go and get pissed…… and it’s all creating such massive divisions between the two communities.

And, as I read that sign, all this went through my mind…. and I thought “You know what… I bet an Aborigine didn’t even write this…. I bet it was worded by an extreme white liberal fulfilling their own personal agenda”. Yes, of course, I could be wrong…. I dont know that for a fact…. but what I do know for a fact is that you cant heal an injustice by creating more injustices!!! And no person of this generation is responsible for the horrific treatment that the Aboriginal peoples have endured…. you’re only responsible for the consequences of your own actions…….. so lighten up you Germans.…. its all gravy….. and you Japanese….. you Spanish…. Portuguese…… Russian…. Chinese …. American … BRITISH, in fact every nation under the bloody sun because they’ve all been responsible for some kind of atrocity at some point in their histories…. AND WE’RE NOT RESPONSIBLE!!!

The point is – the Aboriginal Australians are not responsible for the decisions which give them their entitlement…… and the European Australians are not responsible for the atrocities of the past, and yet it is with this that the extreme white liberals are dividing the two communities and giving themselves a job!!!! (Well……. someone’s gotta social engineer them back together!!! 😦 )

So, I began to walk around the Rock, along the path by its foot, which is about 8 miles. I decided to walk around the Rock the opposite way to which I had cycled, and as I walked I looked upon the Rock with awe and inspiration. I started thinking about the name of the Rock. When I looked upon it as Uluru…. it became like a magical place to me….. it was almost as if it was a person, and then when I thought about it as Ayers Rock…. it seemed solid to me and I was taken aback by its physical presence. Both names invoked a different experience in the way I viewed it.

But, when it comes to the name, you can feel the pressure being exerted to call it Uluru (probably originating from the same extreme white liberals) and it disturbs me. It’s like… if you call it Ayers Rock then you’re frowned upon in some kind of judgemental tirade and I dont find that to be acceptable. I know it as Ayers Rock because that’s how I first heard it called and that sounds like a propa name for a place to me. And Uluru…. well, that makes the place sound like a friend…. your best friend :-).

But the thing is it doesn’t matter what you call it!!!! They’re only words to describe a place…. a very significant and special place….. and the only thing that matters is that you recognise that fact!!!! If you’re caught up in a debate over the right or wrong thing to call a place, then you’re hooked up in the lies of division!!!!

And so extreme white liberals….. if you wanna play the race game and try and brain wash me into using only the terminology YOU deem correct…… LETS PLAY……

A black guy came along and named The Rock (I’m only referring to it as the Rock cos its quicker to type!!!! ;-))…… Uluru…….. And a white guy came along and named The Rock…. Ayers Rock….. now……. being a white guy myself I can only see it as being right under race rules to call it what the White guy said….. I wouldn’t want to offend those white people….. they’ve got loads of power and have got the biggest guns……. I dont wanna be messing with em!!!!…. Especially after the Aborigines said that I was of Aboriginal skin!!!!!….. My God……. If the white guys found that out they’d string me up for being a turn-coat!!!…… I cant be risking that…… AYERS ROCK!!!…. AYERS ROCK!!!!!….. AYERS ROCK!!!!

Well…. it’s all BOLLOCKS innit. They’re just trying to divide people with all this bull shit. There is no them and us, there is only us, and its not about being on one side of the fence or the other, its about realising that there’s not a fence at all!!!!!

As I continued, about half way round, I saw a steep slope up the side of the rock leading to what looked like a cave. All I can say is that I was drawn to it…. so I followed my heart and climbed the 150 or so feet up the side of The Rock.

Once there, I went onto having an experience I’ve never had before……

Love and Light,

Miller

So……. I’m off the plane, collecting my luggage and being delivered to my hotel/dorm. Now, Ayers Rock resort is about 15 odd miles from the Rock itself and is a collection of about 5 hotels, a camp site and small shopping centre. It’s got its own school, hospital and police station. It’s basically like a small town, spread over a large area, built by a travel agent!!!!! So, as you may well guess, there’re plenty of places to work there.

Now, when I got to Sydney, there were a couple of Irish guys at the hostel who’d just got a job a Ayers Rock and I wondered, on the airport connection bus, if I’d bump into them. Seeing the layout and size of the resort, the odds looked pretty slim…. or so I thought!!!!

After I checked in, I walked towards my dorm, and who was directly in my path…. Chris, one of the Irish guys…. I’d met him immediately!!!! After a few “Good to see ya bro” exchanges, I noticed how down he was. I was like…. “Bud, what’s up?”…. he goes “Ahh…. dont ask….. I’ve already been almost sacked today”….. “What for?”…… I asked. “FOR NOT SMILING ENOUGH!!!!! How can you smile when its 40 degrees here and they wont let you use the pool cos you’re staff. It’s shit….I’ve had enough, there’s nothing to do here”.

I cracked up!!!! …. “Mate, you gotta get outta here” I said…… “Tell me about it” Chris replied. Without even realizing it, the poor bleeder was doing a fantastic impersonation of Marvin – the robot from Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy!!!! 🙂

And it was true!!!! I’d already noticed at check-in how all the staff seemed to be putting on proper Californian fake smiles. Gor blimey….. it was like something out of the stepford wives…. Bloody freaky!!!

So I dumps me stuff and heads off with the intention of sorting out a way of getting to Ayers Rock for sunrise the next morning……..on the Spring Equinox for the Southern Hemisphere. I went to the tour office to check out the possibilities of getting an early bus there, and my God…… the bird on the desk was freaking me out. She was answering all my questions with that exaggerated fake smile, and I could see in her eyes what she was thinking…..

“Fucking tourist…. I don’t want to answer your questions anymore…. I’ve had enough…. day in day out answering the same bloody questions (sometimes twice to the same bloody person!!!!)…. I’m better than this…. I’ve got a life you know…. at least I had one before I came here….. it’s hell…. if only you knew the torment I’m going through!”

……. “Yes Sir…. and the sunrise tour is $50”………. What the fuck!!!!! $50 dollars for basically a lift to the Rock!!!!! No matter how you dress it up with a fancy name, it’s a mini-bus service!!!! What a liberty!!! I thought there’d be a proper bus service, but by the looks of it, the resort has got a protected monopoly on all public service transport there and prices start at $50!!!!!!!

I wasn’t having that! “Where can I hire a bike?” I demanded….. “I don’t know Sir”….. fake smile, fake answer….. “Yes you do…. you’re just not telling me” I retorted……. with a fake smile:-). With that I headed for the road in pursuit of a bicycle….and guess what happened……

Just as I left the hotel grounds and hit the road, I saw this guy on a bike riding towards me. I thought “Diamond…. he’ll be able to let me know where to get a bike”. So I flagged him down. I said “Excuse me bud, where can I hire a bike from?”. He said “Don’t know”. I was a bit confused and asked “Well, where did you get this from then?” and he goes “Its mine…I live here”. I was like “Oh…well do you know where I can get one from then?”

He then suddenly got off his bike and said “Here you go…… take mine”. I couldn’t adam and eve it “What…. are you having some kind of bubble bath?” I said……. he said “What?”….. “Are you joking?” I continued….. “No, take it, it’s yours” and he handed me his bike!!!! “Bro…you cant be serious” I said (without any McEnroe connotations) “How much do you want for it?” …….. “Nothing” he said…… “Well at least let me get you some beers” I offered….. “Yeah, that’s cool” and then he started to walk off!!!! I shouted after him “Well when? where?”…… “Err…. tomorrow night, you’re in this hotel right”….. “Yeah” I responded and continued “I’ll see you tomorrow night then …… Oh bud….. What’s your name?” I hollered after him. “Liam!” he hollered back. “Thanks… I’m Lee…. nice to meet you!!!!” With that I cycled off to the shopping centre to have a butchers hook around!!!

I swear…. That’s exactly what happened! 🙂

Now, another strange phenomenon which keeps presenting itself to me since I’ve arrived in Australia, is that random people keep making random comments and asking if I live here. As I was paying for my groceries at the check out, the guy asked me that out of the blue again!!! I must be radiating something! 🙂

Anyway I gets back, has a cheeky swim in the pool (see Chris and rubbed in the fact !…. He smiled!!!!) and then went to cook meself a bit of grub. While I was eating I thought it’ll be a good idea to go and find out how to get out of here and get to Alice Springs the day after tomorrow. So I finished me munch and headed back to the centre and found the tourist office. There was an old German guy serving at the desk. He was very helpful and looked thoroughly miserable….. not a fake smile in sight…. it was so refreshing!!!!!

After I had got some info, I started looking at some postcards and one of the girls, who also worked there, came up to me and whispered -in a nudge nudge wink wink style – “Have you got a pass for the National Park?” (to get into the National Park you have to buy a three day pass costing $25). I said “I’m gonna get one on the gate tomorrow morning”. She goes “Here take this…but don’t tell anyone”. She gave me a pass with a day still to run on it – 21st September 2005 – that some tourist had handed in to her. “Do you want anything for it?” I enquired. “Oh no….. I’d get the sack if anyone found out I’d even given it to you…keep it to yourself”…… “Thanks so much….have a wonderful day” I responded. I would’ve stayed to chat her up…. but she wasn’t my type… shame. 😉

So, within a few hours of arriving at Ayers Rock I’d met Chris (and Stuart), sorted out my transport and gained free entry to the park…..Fan-fucking-tastic!!!!! And I’d also seen the prices for bike hire….. $40 per 24hr period!!!!! Liberty takers everywhere!!!! Its really not cricket!!!! Not the way the Australians play it anyway!!!! (ahhhh…. I’m so glad I have the freedom to make that kind of dig after the recent Ashes series…. it doesn’t happen that often…… once every couple of decades infact!!!!)

After a shower and dinner, I went for a cheeky beer…… and true to form…. it turned into a cheeky 4!!! I had a good night, but was in bed by 12pm. So much for an early night….I had to be up by 4am!!!!!

So, sleeps in a bit and am on the road by 5am, actually looking forward to my 15 mile ride. I had 1 hour and 37 minutes to get to the top of Ayers Rock and witness the Equinox Sunrise. It was really chilly at that time in the morning, but the sky and air was crystal clear and there was a lot of light from the moon. As I cycled along, completely undisturbed, I could see the silhouette of the Rock in the distance….it was beautiful. Every now and then a car would fly by and I’d turn me torch on to let it know I was there, and as I motored along, I really had the sensation that Ayers Rock wasn’t getting any closer!!!! It felt like I was in a gym, on an exercise bike with a picture of it in front of me!!!!! And then, to make matters worse, about 45 minutes into the ride (because of the way the road goes) I was cycling past it!!!!! How disheartening was that!!!! The road bears right, goes past it and then chucks a left!!! I really wasn’t happy, but the views I had of the rock as the night turned into dawn were spectacular and awe inspiring…. it was truly magnificent.

Its really pathetic as well though…. the day before, the fake smile bird was warning me not to cycle there before sunrise because of the dangers from the wildlife “Its our policy to advise people to refrain from entering the park before 6am due to the dangers from wildlife” were her actual words. What the fuck?…… What gonna happen?… Are a gang of Kangeroos gonna be on the street corner waiting to mug me?!!!!!

FUCK OFF WITH YOUR CREATION OF FEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you think Captain Scott was worrying about all the gansta penguins waiting for him in Antartica!!!!!! No!!!!! So if I wanna take a risk…. It’s my one to take…. if indeed there even is a risk. No doubt the wildlife would be more scared of me on me Raleigh steed wielding me Wilkinson Torch!!!!!! 🙂

Now, another thing you should know, is that since I arrived in Oz and told people I wanted to go to Ayers Rock, many Australians have said that the Aborigines wont let you go up there. Others have said that they prefer you not to go up there because it’s a sacred site to them. That made me feel INCREDULOUS!!!!! What right has any group of people to deny another group of people the right of access to any part of this planet, especially if it’s a land formation and doubly especially if it’s a spiritual place! No right whatsoever!!!! What matters is the intent of the individual and their reasons for wishing to be there. Anything else is tantamount to racism, and if a people deny access on those grounds then their not enlightened and there is no reason to respect their false sentiments to spirituality. They may as well be Catholic!!!!! Spiritual sites around this planet are there for the greater good of all humanity and not the exclusive acquisition of a few members who claim to have been there first. Access is important for anyone on a spiritual journey and even those who may not be aware of the fact.

The closest comparison I can make is that of Glastonbury Tor. That is an extremely spiritual place and is sacred to me and millions of others. I’m an Englishman and it happens to be in England, but I wouldn’t dream to think that that would give me the right to make constraints on who could or could not go up there. Everyone has a right to climb Glastonbury Tor, no matter who they are, what their beliefs are, what their race is or where they’re from – whether for touristical or spiritual reasons. The only thing that I have a right to be concerned about is if those individuals respect the Tor while they’re up there and do not consciously damage it in any way.

I’ve been up Glastonbury Tor in the region of 50–60 times and every time I’ve had a different experience in terms of atmosphere, weather, cloud formations and the people I’ve met. It’s a very special place. One time I when I went up there, there was a bunch of about 15 Peruvians in full national dress!!!!! How the fuck did they get there!!!! Thank God they weren’t playing the pan-pipes!!!!!!! 🙂

So, with all that in mind, as I’m approaching the Rock, I’m thinking “If an Aborigine tries to stop me going up there to experience the sunrise on the Southern Hemisphere Spring Equinox, then I’m gonna ask him to join me….. how fantastic would that be!!!! And if he happens to reject my wonderful invitation and attempts to jab me with a spear:-)…… then I’m gonna stand me ground and explain the situation in no uncertain terms!!!!!!!”

Anyway, I arrived at the base of the Rock, by the start of the pathway up there, at about 6am. 24 carrot Pukka…. I’m bang on schedule!!!! But, it was really windy, and then I saw the gate was closed and a sign above it read – “Due to weather conditions the path is closed at present”…… OH FUCK!!!!!! SHIT!!!!! BLOODY HELL!!!!!BUSTED!!!!

I was momentarily gutted!!!! It went through my mind to jump over the fence and walk up there anyway……but I take calculated risks, I never take stupid ones, and looking up there I knew that if its windy down here it could be ten times as severe up there and I didn’t know the path or the terrain, and anyhow….. there didn’t look like there would be much to hold onto if you really got caught by a gust.

So, I didn’t know what to do, time was getting on and I didn’t figure that I could get to the best spot to witness the sunrise from the ground (it was the other side of the Rock…. about 4 miles away). I thought “Mate…. What’s going on?”. Then I looked around and saw, about 150 yards away, a ranger emptying some bins.

And just like Baldrick…… I had a cunning plan….

Love and Light,

Miller