Hmmm....obviously I need to visit the Pub more often - I've just stumbled upon this thread - and what an interesting read it's been! A few confirmations and a few surprises too.
Well, I'm Ryan (Ryan-ocerous -> Rhino), 60s child, born in Sri Lanka, grew up in Henley Beach area, now married with a couple of boys, aged 12 and 9, living in a mostly self-made mud brick mansion on a patch of land surrounded by farms a few kilometres outside Oakbank in the beautiful Adelaide Hills. I stumbled upon this site in 2005, probably through Railpage, where I had already been lurking for some years (a few of you probably realised I was
that Rhino). My interests, with regard to this forum, are mainly in infrastructure, but also in anything that makes Adelaide and South Australia (already a great place) a better place. I love our old heritage buildings, but don't necessarily agree about which buildings should be heritage listed, and I think Grenfell St is a great example of how heritage and modern design can co-exist.
I love living in South Australia - I love having 4 distinct seasons every year - just when I'm really sick of the heat, along comes Autumn, followed by winter, and just when I'm getting really sick of the cold and rain, along comes Spring - it's fantastic.
I am a cartographer by profession, have been all my working life, and I'm one of those lucky people who always knew what I wanted to do career-wise. My career has taken me all over this state, doing field verification with a 4WD and a workmate, staying in pubs, meeting locals, it's been a fantastic job. Leisure-wise I love all rucsac sports (hiking, canoeing, especially rock climbing) and most of our holidays are camping holidays - it's great to hook the camper trailer on to the back of the 4WD and head off, occasionally with canoes and rock climbing gear too. South Australia has some fantastic destinations. I also love being at home, working on my house, working in my shed, having a beer sitting by a campfire when mates drop in. I'm a greeny too, but at the same time I'm fascinated with the idea of pulling ore out of the ground - go figure.
Well, it's been great getting to know you guys through this thread - keep up the good work, I enjoy your different points of view, helps me get a more balanced view of things (no, I don't read the comments on Adelaide Now!)