So much going on at the moment ... the world is spinning way, Way, WAY too fast!!!

Hot-off-the-press I now have copies of THE MISSING YEARS: A POW's STORY FROM CHANGI TO HELLFIRE PASS 1942-45 in my hand. From the time the original seed was sown to now is 3.5 years; coincidentally the same amount of time the poor POWs spent as guests of the Japanese. This book is available NOW online, and in the bookstores around Australia in March 2009.

Meanwhile, I'm nearly finished writing Tales from the Tiger's Den. Perhaps one more interview to conduct and write up.

Recently written a couple of features on my Kokoda experience for Australian Traveller and Air Niugini inflight mag. I lost around 17kg training for that (the trek, not the writing of the story!) and have managed to keep it off by swimming about 1 or 2 km most mornings. I could never imagine that I, of all people, would become addicted to swimming laps. But I find it very good for clearing the head.

What have I been reading recently? Singapore Burning by Colin Smith, probably the definitive book on the fall of Singapore. I enjoyed his authoritative research. And some fiction for a change: Tim Winton's Breath, a great summer read as it's centred on surfing (and some slightly off-kilter sex). I've also rediscovered Elmore Leonard, so raided a second-hand bookshop and bought up a whole bunch of his thrillers including The Hunted, 52 Pick-Up and Tishomingo Blues.

Music: I'm gearing up for five days of Bluesfest at Byron Bay at Easter. Otherwise, listening alot to the likes of Wilco, the Frames, Notting Hillbilly's (and Mark Knopfler solo stuff). Going through a real alt-country phase at the moment.

And all the while, I am planning for a move to Chiang Mai, Thailand in May. After 10 years in Oz, I just want to be closer to where I feel truly at home (Southeast Asia) and have what I view as my 'next frontier' (the 'Indochina' region) in my backyard. Sadly that'll mean selling the BMW1200 because it won't be best suited to some of the roads up-country, and there's also the small matter of 60% import duty.

I had an absolute blast riding through the Victorian countryside in late February ... the same weekend the big bushfires started. Some towns I'd ridden through on the Friday didn't exist by the Sunday. Surreal. And sad.