The photo at the top is an Australian Paperbark or Melaleuca. They are a part of the Myrtle Family and common to Eastern Australia and in particular Queensland. They grow in swamps, on flood plains, near rivers and estuaries. This tree is not relevant to the story. I just wanted to put up a photo of something Australian and thought you might like to know what it was. They are also found in New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea.

As I was editing the next chapter I realised some of you may not understand some of the words and terms I have used. Below is a glossary to read before you begin, though I'm sure you will understand most of the ones I've chosen to highlight here. If you don't understand something please ask. I will be very happy to explain it.

Bucks - Dollars - That'll be sixty bucks thanks.

Chicks - women - I'm sure that term is common world-wide. Hot chicks. Old chicks.

Station - Cattle/Sheep Station - In America they are called ranches. The largest station in Australia is Anna Creek Station, which has an area of 23,677 square kilometres (9,142 sq mi; 5,851,000 acres) which is slightly larger than Israel.

Pissed - Drunk - Are you trying to get me pissed? Are you trying to get me drunk?

Pissed off - Angry - I'm so pissed off. I'm so angry.

Gobies/Gob/Head - oral sex on a man. Gob is also another word for mouth.

Get the ball rolling - To start something - a conversation or task. I'm sure Australians aren't the only people who use this term.

Till - Cash register

Queenslander - in this case it is a style of home as shown in the photo here and at the top of the next chapter entitled Launch.

You can have a low set Queenslander or a high set. The house above is highset. You can walk underneath it. Queenslanders are houses built from timber and set on wooden stumps that have tin hoods. The metal hoods divide the stump from the house. This is to prevent white ants/termites from getting into the timber and eating the home. As well as stopping white ants they are raised on stumps to help keep the snakes out and to prevent the house from flooding in the wet season but mainly to create air flow, which keeps the home cool. They are common to Queensland which is a state of Australia.

A Queenslander is also a resident of the state of Queensland or a Maroon's Rugby League footy fan. For those that don't know, Rugby League is a football code played in nearly every Commonwealth country. Maroon is the colour of the Queensland state jersey so the team are also called The Maroon's. The team is made up of professional grade footballers who are original Queenslanders. They are nicknamed Toads. The reason for this is because Queensland is full of Cane Toads. Ugly creatures with poisonous pouches on their backs. They are an introduced species which have caused a lot of problems to our native wildlife. Snakes and birds eat them and die from the poison. However, the Australian Kookaburra has worked out if they flip the toad over and eat it from the stomach they avoid the poisonous sack. Clever birds.

Copyright for this image belongs to Vanessa Mcdonald.

To go further the New South Wales Rugby League team wear a blue jersey and are called The Blues. New South Wales is another Australian state. Their nickname is Cockroaches. And just so you know Toads eat Cockroaches. ☺

Sorry New South Welshmen we are the better team. Hahaha

For those of you who have never met an Australian, I'm proud to say we are mostly an easy going bunch of people. We'll talk to you about anything. Often conversations will begin about the state of the world and end with, 'how's your bum for grubs?' Aussie speak for, have your intestinal worms been treated and are you feeling better now? Haha what I'm really saying is if you want to talk about your bodily functions we'll most likely oblige you.

If we have troubles in the family we're not ashamed to talk to others about it. We are opened and honest. Not much is kept secret. We talk openly because often others are having the same troubles and a burden shared is a burden halved. We can be loud mouthed and we certainly aren't afraid to tell you, you're being an idiot, if the need arises.

Australians are known to like a drink but to be honest I think the Brits, Scots and Irish might have it over us in that area, even though we seem to wear the tag. Hey I've been to the UK. You guys spend a lot of time down the pub. Hahaha.

We can be crass and we have a wicked sense of humour. Often it is gutter talk. We are also generous caring folk who would much prefer to sit around yacking with our family and friends.

I know what you're going to ask. ;) What is yacking?

Talking.

We love to talk. And now it's time for me to shut up and let you get on with the next chapter. Thanks again for taking a chance on Bell Ringer.