Damienc

When I began journalism back in the day, I served an apprenticeship on the Melbourne Age newspaper. As a newly minted University graduate, you entered the system as a 4th year cadet and became a graded journalist at the end of one year. Cadets tend to be moved around to far flung parts of the newspaper. Police rounds, courts and so on. I was fortunate to spend time writing sport. Cricket,…

If I ever write an autobiography it will be mandatory to include the chapter, the day I arm wrestled a chocolate mousse. It’s a sexy little desert that chocolate mousse. All light and fluffy and melt in your mouth. Well it’s French so d’accord. Everyone I know seems to have a recipe for chocolate Mousse. And I’m sure they are all excellent in their own way. But like everything in life, you…

Port Douglas in far North Queensland has plenty to offer above and below the surface. Deep down under the surface, there is a thing called the Great Barrier Reef. Only one of the ten great, natural wonders of the world. So not to be trifled with. You can’t come to PD and not go for a dive on the Great Barrier Reef. Especially, if you are a certified scuba diver like me. But, easier said than…

Australia is such a baffling, idiosyncratic country, I barely know where to begin. The reality is when Australia is not overwhelming you with awe inspiring, spectacular scenery, it’s devising many and varied ways to kill you. Some of those ways you can imagine and some you can’t. If it’s so eccentric and contradictory to someone like me, born in Australia, overseas visitors coming here for the…

Australia is such a weird, eccentric country and that is seriously understating it. I know I’ve said it before but I’ll never get tired of saying it. Down under is right. Upside down I think you mean. As someone born and bred here I still struggle to get my head around some of my country’s bizarre characteristics. And Australians are so blasé about all of that bizarreness. For example,…

Glenn Maxwell is an Australian sportsman, an athlete who deserves words to be said about him. Many words. At the moment, I don’t have any. I went to my locked cabinet of superlatives and discovered I’d run out. I need to go to the shop and buy some. Brilliant, audacious, courageous, inspiring aren’t close to describing what he did the other day in Mumbai India. Glenn Maxwell you say. Who is…