The Home Stretch

I finished up filming at Fraser last Tuesday, with two nights camping on the beach. We were able to cover a lot of ground while there, and filled in most of the material I needed for the video. The only flaw was our inability to find Dingos to film. In all his years guiding on the island, this was the first time Patrick had failed to see at least one Dingo. We suspect that the Ministry of Parks is exterminating them quietly, but we are hoping that because it is mating season, they are simply back in the woods away from people doing their thing. But I owe Patrick and Louise a debt of gratitude for putting me up when we weren't on the island, and introducing me to their wonderful part of the world. (See "Sand Down Under" for a look at the project.)

Things weren't quite as rushed after that, so I took an extra day on the drive back to Sydney, spending the night at a backpacker hostel in the surfing mecca of Byron Bay. I took some time to climb to the lighthouse at Cape Byron, the most easterly point on mainland Australia, before making my way down to a little inn in Karuah, just a few hours north of Sydney. The next few days were spent making connections with my DVD production company in Adelaide, and with the media department of the Ministry of Parks, who will be shipping me some of their Dingo footage.

This morning, I discovered that Hillsong Church had a city campus just ten minutes from where I was staying, so I decided to check it out. For the most part, I was glad I went. The music and message were first class, and the atmosphere was very warm and friendly. I still had the feeling though, and my non-churched friends here confirmed it, that vast numbers of people would not be attracted despite the band and smoke and lights. It's great for Christians, I think, but people still need to be exposed to the Gospel in the context of a relationship. To their credit, they provide those opportunities too.

So tomorrow the journey home begins. A 2:00pm flight to LA, arriving the same day at 10:00am (get your head around that), followed by a flight to NYC arriving at 11:00pm, and then a flight to Miami and then Puerto Plata by Tuesday at 3:00.

The trip has been a success, but I can't wait to get home. I missed Shaniah's birthday and Mother's Day, so I've got some making up to do!

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