Lyrics of Latin love ...

I Insanus omnis furere credit ceteros ... Every madman thinks everybody else mad. Due to what the medical profession calls vegemite lunacy, all Aussies are engagingly insane.

L Leve fit, quod bene fertur, onus ... A load that is cheerfully borne becomes light. Rucksack inventory: no pants, no socks, no shampoo, 14 books ... duh.

O O noctes cenaeque deum ... O nights and feasts divine! A Big Mac contains delicious secret sauce; for an extra thirty cents you can feast on a McOz burger - one less patty, no secret sauce, and topped with a bloody beet. ???

V Vento et fluctibus loqui ... To speak to the wind and the waves. Parasurfing at Whitehaven beach: feet secured to modified wake / surf board, firmly grasp steerable parachute, and glide like a wizardly wave-wind-warrior. Soar, splash, repeat. Challenging fun.

E Et scleratis sol oritur ... The sun shines even on the wicked. Last week I enjoyed the sunshine at the Sunshine Cafe overlooking Sunshine beach on the Sunshine coast ... innovative nomenclature be damned.

A Aurora musis amica est ... The Dawn is the friend of the Muses. Brisbane is a friend of the vampires; idyllic 24-hour cafes sprinkled along the winding river.

U Ut sementem feceris, ita metes ... As you have sown, so shall you reap. Aesop's fabled grasshopper sang all summer and was left hungry in winter. Entering my first winter after 18 months of carefree singing, I appreciatively acknowledge the efforts of my industrious ant-like brother Christophe. Sow on Dow Reaper.

S Simia simia est, etiamsi aurea gestet insignia ... An ape is an ape still, though it wear jewels of gold. Accordingly, a monkeyman is still an ignorant simian even though he pilfers Latin adages.

T Tanto brevius omne, quanto felicius tempus ... Time passes more quickly in proportion as you are happy. Only issued a three-month Oz tourist visa, the time passes all too quickly. If denied an extension, I'll happily play catch-me-if-you-can whilst eluding the alien hunters.

R Re opitulandum non verbis ... We should help others by deeds, not words. Late night wandering about Hervey Bay, every hostel full, prepared to crash at bus station ... propieters of Smugglers Rest Backpackers provide bed at a friend's house ... so shines a good deed in a weary world.

A Actum est de republica ... It is all over with the commonwealth. Not quite; the vestigial umbilicus of the empire clings withered but tenacious. The world's funkiest currency remains tarnished by coins featuring the queen's ghastly profile.

L Labitur et labetur in omne volubilis aevum ... It rolls, and rolls, and will for ever roll. The perfect waves of Noosa, perpetually rollin' rollin' rollin' Limp Bizkit-style.

I Ignoranti, quem portum petat, nullus suus ventus est ... For those who don't know which port they're headed to, no wind is favorable. For those seeking pure enchantment, head to the Whitsundays. Three days of sailing, the talcum powdered port of Whitehaven beach, and over 70 isles of wonder.

A Aspera ad virtutem est via ... It is a difficult road that leads to virtue. Fraser Island: largest sand island in the world, 42 pristine freshwater lakes, 75-mile beach, and difficult sand-only roads that would make a bedouin shudder.

Quips from the Critic's Corner: I highly recommend Endless Summer II, the surf documentary by Bruce Brown. In addition to G-Land and Cloudbreak, it features O'ahu, South Africa, and Australia - the beloved triptych of Triton. The movie provides a nice taste of kooky travel adventure: ostrich riding, Parisian motor madness, ascending Table Mountain, dealing with curious lions, a swimming kangaroo, and some stunning footage of Fraser Island ... towed by a Land Rover on 75-mile beach, the Maheno shipwreck, and surfing the world's smallest wave. Grab your popcorn, flagon of Sharkleberry Finn Kool-Aid, push play and enjoy.

Mutum est pictura poema ... A picture is a poem without words. Photographic paeans to paradise, the following images celebrate the beauty of Fraser Island and the Whitsundays.

- vive, vale ... farewell and be happy ... K E V I N