What's in a name

The great travel author Bill Bryson notes in his book Down Under that when the Australians get hold of name that they like, and suits them, they tend to use it in abundance. This custom is attributed to the former governor of the colony, a Scotsman named Lachlan Macquarie. Bryson notes among Macquarie's achievements the building of the Great Western Highway through the Blue Mountains and the popularisation of Australia as a name. But above all else, he cites Macquarie's effort to name everything on a continent after himself, as his crowning achievement.

Bryson notes, and I can confirm, that you can hardly turn 360 degrees in Australia without noticing something named after this great Scotsman. The very well known Macquarie Bank, Port Macquarie, Macquarie Island, the Macquarie River are just a few places on the map. I thought this was worth noting, particularly because of the holiday apartments I have been staying in for the past five days, and which I leave tomorrow morning. You've guessed it: Macquarie Lodge.

What a great way to be remembered.

So, my first week in the land down under is almost at an end. Happy to say the jetlag hardly hit me at all after my massive sleep in on the first night I was here. So far most of the time has been spent in this beautiful little town called Noosa. This really is the perfect life.

The days have been spent mostly at the beach jumping into some massive waves and getting half of the Pacific Ocean up my nose when I was swept under. The evenings have involved copious amounts of James Boag's finest, some awesome food cooked up by Miss D, and a few good meals out, mostly at Bistro C - a stunning little eating spot on the beach. As I sit on our balcony overlooking the pool area, and look up towards the palm trees, I can confirm that this place is truly awesome and merits everything all the tourist publications say about it.

Today has been spent mostly reading a bit more of Bryson, and also about a third of Robert Peston's book Who Runs Britain? I'm not keen on Peston when he is on the television news, but his writing is okay. The first part of his book covers the world of private equity and was interesting but not enthralling, maybe because a lot of it describes how PE works (I knew a lot about this already given my line of work). Peston is a good writer, as I said, but when he appears on the TV he just seems very full of himself. In fact, part of me is surprised that the BBC has not sacked Peston, as some of his commentary (and blogging) can be inflammatory to the markets and companies which he covers. He has become almost an icon of the credit crunch, and if you ask me when the journalist becomes the meta-story then he needs to be removed. However so many people tell me they like Peston because he "explains everything so clearly". That he does, and does well, but that doesn't make him a good television journalist, just a good interpreter. And sorry to sound big headed, smug, condescending (etc, etc...) but what Peston explains is not rocket science, he just does it with a very loud-mouth confidence. I always though Evan Davies was far better viewing, he didn't have the mellow arrogance of Peston.

Nevertheless, his book is good reading, and I would recommend it.

Back to Flaxton tomorrow, to Brisbane later in the week and then to Melbourne after that. Let the travelling continue apace.

Travelling and holidays are great fun, the only downside is missing on family occasions. Today is my nephew Jacob's fifth birthday.

Happy birthday wee man, hope you have a good one.