Great Audiences

Here are some snaps from the funny morning I had last week with the students at International College of Hotel Management in Adelaide. Dan Edmonds and the staff run one of the leading hospitality colleges in the world and the students are the right kind of people you'd want to employ. Just look at them. Thanks for joining us on the Kick List kids. I hope your ‘placements' around the world are fantastic experiences.


And the Toastmasters at District 73's conference on Saturday were hilarious. I had a great time with you all. How about that AV Desk guy Dominic, hey? What an upstager! Some of you wanted to buy books or CDs. Knock yourself out in the book shop. Whack this link.

I like it here.

It's my birthday Thursday the 8th January.

I'm grateful to God for guiding me all my life in spite of my interest in getting off the track.

Holidays and Health

Being sick for 8 days over Christmas wasn't my idea of a fun holiday.

I'm grateful for a couple of things all the same.

Family that cares is one.

If you're ever in any doubt about how sick you are (or a family member) you can't go wrong calling the 1800 0-22 222 number. It's a free medical help line provided by the government to improve health services and in turn keep people with trivial or uncertain issues out of Emergency rooms at hospitals.

The qualified nurses who respond appear to be carefully screened and the data bank available to them is superb.

I dips me lid to the government for introducing it.

Call Health Direct if you're in doubt about anything.

VIP – One of my oldest customers

For three days in November I was working with arguably the largest franchise company in the country: VIP Home Services.

I've been associated with the company since their headquarters were in the sun room of the house across the road from where I lived back in 1979-80 when they had 6 franchisees. 28 years is along time to have known a client.

I made their first TV commercial.

Over the 3 days coming the management team met to draw up new plans, review relationships and get some fresh approaches to people and purpose and I was privileged to be there.

Congratulations Bill and Rose Vis who have weathered many a storm to still come through with sails fully set. Congratulations to the old stagers, John and Estelle Logan from NZ and the old stalwart, John Jones and Mr and Mrs Faithful – Paul and Wendy Robinson.

Just back from Coff's Harbour

I can recommend Opal Cove Resort.

Hotels and nice locations are everywhere. What makes a hotel or function centre special for me is the people that run it and work in it. Opal Cove has that nice magic touch that makes nothing too hard to ask for. The food is really really good.

The towels could be thicker and the telly could work better but over all it's a beaut place. And of course Coff's Harbour is a choice spot.

I was there for a Business SWAP convention and we had a lot of laughs.

I got to do my favourite thing which is to be a funny motivational speaker – that's what it says on my website anyway.

Thanks SWAPPers and Guests. I'm alive. I'm well. And I feel Great!

Kimba, Iron Knob, Local Government and a Zucchini

Update: Just back from Kimba on Eyre Peninsula (90 minutes West of Whyalla which is 6 hours north west of Adelaide – but only 30 minutes if you fly).

I spoke at the only conference of its kind - it’s the annual meeting of all 11 councils in that vast area. It was a laugh a minute and I was reminded again of the openness and genuineness of country folk. I had such a nice time I mentioned that if it were not so far from my home planet, I’d go there to live.

A couple of pictures:

Left to Right Top
The Whyalla/Iron Knob Road
Les: A citizen of Iron Knob who gave me a Zucchini from his garden in exchange for a Fox Proof Chook House book. I raffled it. The bloke who won it brought it to the dinner as his date.
Les with his tinny watching the traffic. I was his only traffic all day. It was 90º and he had a wood fire on to keep warm.

Left to Right Middle
Kimba scrub
Kimba Emus on the run
Kimba Bushland

Left to Right Bottom
Iron Knob-Whyalla Rail Line
Iron Knob