Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus

Here you can see the effect of wind on the Derwent River this morning. I wanted another shot of the water, but it just wasn’t happening today, so you get this. I thought that this was a startlingly original choice to showcase Hobart in mid-September. Then I clicked through and saw Ben's photo of the tide is coming in to Tahunanui Beach, in Nelson, New Zealand. Obviously the breeze and the water was on a number of people's minds down here at the bottom of the world. I quite like the effect of mine, but I think that I like Ben's better. I'm not too fussed, as there are a lot of great shots on that blog, even granted the tense state of New Zealand/Australia relations that remain 27 years after the underarm incident, and merely months after an even greater scandal.

I think that the reasons that things can get tense between our two great nations is primarily rooted in our similarities: (to quote our former PM) we're at the arse end of the world; we are distant children of the British Empire; the national character has been shaped by the rugged landscape; err, we play cricket and rugby. So we're quite alike. Granted, New Zealanders are a bit like the funny sounding cousin who dresses like a Christian with a dorky haircut and a chip on their shoulder about it , but we love them nonetheless. Australians are just big-hearted like that. We don't begrudge them their love of fesh and chups, or that they reckon the devil's number is "sex sex sex", it's much colder down there you see. We cut them some slack. We know that it can’t be easy forever cast in Australia’s shadow.


[Disclaimer: if you happen to be a disgruntled New Zealander with access to a firearm, please disregard the above commentary. It was the fault of the Welsh. Them and their bloody leeks.]