Farm life

This visit to the farm is unlike any others to date. On previous visits we have enjoyed the serenity and beauty of the natural landscape, the calm felt being around the sheep and cattle have got in and worked wherever there was the need. A little while ago we made the decision to put the farm on the market and we have recently had an offer made that we have decided to accept. Retaining the farm, regardless of how much we love it, without living on site is not viable. The running costs, and workload during sporadic visits have seen us reassess the impact on how we live and work. Perhaps if we were able to consider retirement and could move here permanently things would be different, but we can't and therein lies the challenge. A decision has been made and now we need to follow through. This has seen the focus for our Christmas visit become the packing up and disposal of a houseful of furniture, bits and pieces and memories. It is a bitter sweet experience. Most times when you pack up your home and sell up it is in order to relocate to another property. As such, the sadness is tinged with excitement as you plan where you will move on to and the packing is balanced with unpacking. Without this valve I am struggling a little. It is an immense task, there is a limited timeframe in which to work and the way forward is not clear. That said, this is not a one man job, as such my ability to help makes a difference. The challenge is balancing disposal of items while deciding what should be retained, then working out the logistics of getting those items home to Brisbane. We are working on one car load of items for retention. As such the packing process is one step short of ruthless. For someone like me who takes pleasure in the history of items this is a hard one, but it is balanced by the fact that the bulk of memories tied up in the farm belong to someone else. As such I am able to take a step back and do what is required - for the most part. Little clues suggest that I am finding the process emotional. The need to trap and dispose of a feral cat and her kittens is doing my head in. The logic of knowing the impact she inflicts on the environment is hard to balance when so far she hunts pests like rabbits and starlings to feed her family. I am yet to see the justification of the need to dispose of the cats. Perhaps now that I no longer need to be a "farm girl" I am taking a step back from what can sometimes see justification of tough decision making processes a necessity of life. As for the final farm clearance - this is scheduled to take place 18 January 2014. A time for new beginnings with a family of five children getting set to move in. For me, the thought that we have access to a beautiful 1870 Georgian heritage listed farm house for a holiday base and a guaranteed support for return visits will see me able to walk away smiling. I would not like to think that our leaving the farm equates to our leaving this small community. 27.12.13

Old English flowers

I discovered a little bunch of colour in the bush today - nestled beside some old logs, just near the properties dump were growing snapdragons and fox gloves. For this city girl, who has never even seen foxgloves before this was quite unexpected. As for how they ended up where they were, I have no idea. They did look sort of out of place though, unlike the little bush orchids. Suffice to say I now have a bunch of snapdragons and foxgloves in a jar on the windowsill of the farm house. A little bit of English countryside comes to Tassie in time for Christmas. 24.12.13

Hobart here we come!

We left the farm early Sunday morning so that we could arrive in Hobart for a visit to the Salamanca markets bright and early. Beat the crowds, find a car park etc. Only problem was the markets are held on Saturdays! Oops. Slight miscalculation of dates. Luckily for me the Tastes of Tasmania festival is on as is the end of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race sponsored by Rolex. While we didn't get to see Wild Oats cross the line in first place for the second up year in a row, we have seen her in the dock, alongside Loyal, Wild Thing and Nikata as well as seeing Brindabella and many of the smaller boats cross the line. Yesterday we walked along Salamanca Place, then headed up and around Battery Point and down again, and by a fluke found a secluded little section of coastline adjacent to the finish line just near the officials hut. As each boat crosses the line the hooter goes off as the boats cross between two yellow buoys. We sat on the rocks protected from the wind by the shrubbery and both got the worst case of sunburnt faces we have had in ages. Incredible given I was wearing a winter coat, long sleeved shirt and jeans. It was freezing in the wind. I now look like a red panda sporting a red face and nose and white eyelets. Battery point was well worth a look with some lovely stone cottages and unique buildings. Obviously both history and money abound in this area. The queue for coffee at the bakery suggests that it is also a trendy place to be seen on a Sunday....or that the coffee is good. Unfortunately the Tastes festival leaves a lot to be desired. Huge crowds and long lines. Food seems expensive and in small proportions. Entertainment for children falls short of the standard I have come to expect at home and as such is disappointing. That said, there is a good audience for the twilight screening of the Sound of Music. A classic at any age. There are also the usual selection of buskers and street performers. My favourites so far are the Verandahcoots. One girl plays honky tonk piano, the other plays her wash board. Sometimes they have a guy on accordion to accompany them, at others not. For perseverance they win hands down. For boppy little routines they are are a crowd favourite. Late afternoon update - when the girls only play they go by the moniker "Ragdolls". 30.12.13

Designer homewares in Hobart

Huon Pine

Tuesday saw us heading off on The Lady Franklin II for a day cruise up the Gordon River. We were on the upper deck with direct access to the Captain. Very posh! We initially headed out towards the coast and through Hell's Gates saw Bonnett Island with its little lighthouse and a second larger island complete with its own larger lighthouse. Salmon and trout farming is a core local industry and we went out within viewing distance to see both the holding pens for the fingerlings and larger fish and the feeding technique. Basically fish pellets are mixed with water and a little boat with a fire hose style attachment sprays plumes of water into the holding pens. Whatever they are doing works if the smoked Petuna Salmon we had at lunch is anything to go by. It was delicious. The cruise included morning and afternoon tea as well as lunch, so by the end of the day had tasted lots of Tasmania's local produce - from beer and wine, to King Island cheeses, smoked salmon and wallaby, trout, and cookies. Unbelievable though it may seem the food was not the best part of the day. Once we turned away from the coast and headed back to the river system the boat slowed from cursing speed to a speed where it hardly made a ripple on the water. I guess this is to ensure minimal environmental impact, but it actually made for wonderful viewing of the vegetation and ensured some great photographic opportunity as we moved further up the River system and into sheltered stretches if the river. Although overcast, the reflected views of the trees onto the river were incredibly beautiful. Part way in we stopped at the Heritage Walk, everyone disembarked, walked a lap of the raised boardwalk through the forest and returned to the dock. Seeing the vegetation up close was interesting. From the boat too we went close to the bank at one point so that the captain could point out a Huon Pine. This is what the Gordon and Franklin World Heritage area is famous for. These trees are no longer able to be milled, but such is their value as timber that there are still seemingly large supplies stockpiled locally. Apparently this timber is unique in that it is nearly impervious to rot, even after years in water so as trees die naturally and fall they still end up in the river system. Floaters are up for grabs and can be collected. There are a number of local businesses that rely on the timber trade - either raw product or turned items from sale. Needless to say, like any hand crafted items, prices reflect the time taken to source stock and make items. Leatherwood, sassafras, King Billy and Huon Pine are all timbers used. 17.12.13

The Wall, Tasmania

The highlight of the trip across to Strahan (other than an echidna tally of three) had to be a visit to The Wall. This incredible place must be one of the best kept secrets in Tasmania. Frank had heard of it from one of his brothers who stopped in on a visit to Tasmania. The feedback must have been good as one minute we were driving along the road and the next we had veered off and were finding a place to park. This place is almost indescribable. A labour of love, self funded by a local wood sculptor named Greg Duncan The Wall is both a personal testament to an artists' skill yet also depicts a personal view of the history and environment of this unique island. Made up of a series of carved wooden panels 3 metres high by 1 metre wide, the panels joined make up a scene almost 100 metres in length. The panels run back to back down a long enclosed hallway. The space itself is awe inspiring and a lot of thought has been put into this purpose built space. The carved timber panels take pride of place running up the centre of the building. The walls themselves will, over time, hold customised display panels. Some of these have been installed, others are yet to be erected. The interesting thing for me was to see that the art on display here is very much a work in progress. While many of the panels are completed with detailed carving and textured images, many of the panels are part carved and some are yet to be begun. As a learning tool this makes for great viewing as at different points you are able to see the artists' rough sketches, more detailed drawings, rough carved sections and detailed carving int he middle of unstated panels. It is incredibly interesting to see this work in progress. For me, perhaps even more interesting than seeing what this will be an another 10 years time. I'm only guessing at time frames, but the level of detail in the carving suggests it is far from finished. Panels depict early settlers, people working clearing forests, farmers, draught horses, dogs, children, native flora and fauna. Stories depicted range from settlement to environmental impact. From now extinct animals such as the Tasmanian Tiger, to those under threat like the orange bellied parrot. The bounty for Tasmanian Tiger pelts as documented is heart breaking yet the artistic talent required to carve the record is inspiring. A long list of names and dates shows the human impact on the native population of this animal. The rest of the centre is set out around a reception area, massive fire place and lounge area and a mezzanine displaying work by the artists' son, also a wood carver, and the artists' sister, who paints. There are also numerous examples of carved items that until closer inspection look like a pair of leather gloves draped on a shovel, or a coat and hat hanging on a rack. The timber screams out to be touched, but it is clear that this is not an option. The smell of the space however almost makes up for it with timber scents everywhere. It is easy to get a feel for Greg Duncan. His views on unruly children as visitors and vehement demands for no photography suggest an artistic temperament. That said, I can understand his concern for copyright - that was before I read an appeal from him, stuck to the door, that detailed a list of injuries he has received from disgruntled visitors - fractured eye socket included. It truly is an amazing place to visit and I hope long term plans include capacity for coffee and cake added to the alcohol currently on offer. Our morning visit was not the right time to take up the offer of local spirits, the honey tasted however was enough to encourage us to buy a block to take with us. Almost like creamed honey, but solid, this tasted sweeter than chocolate but with a similar texture. Heavenly! Coffee would go a long way to making The Walls commercially viable, but I wonder whether this is what the artist wants. It really is a labour of love. My thought at present is that some people would think the $10 adult admission price a little steep. As for me, I loved this place and could happily have stayed on. 16.12.13

Arrival in Strahan

We arrived in Strahan in time for a late lunch so joined everyone in town for a nibble at the local bakery cafe. After a very good toasted pita bread with chicken and salad washed down with banana flavoured milk (tasted exactly like banana lollies!) we headed off to walk around town exploring. We collected tickets for the boat cruise we had booked for the next day, then checked in to our accommodation. Everyone is very trusting here - we were directed to head on up the road to The Crays - Kelly and we would find the key in the door. We did, and it was! Neat and tidy, with a living area, kitchen and two bedrooms we had everything we could need for a couple of days stay with a glimpse of the water and walking distance down to the main part of town. Perfect. Being early summer it is easy to spot the tourists, but being early in the week was still quiet. We went to the local IGA and got supplies for self catered breakfasts, water, snacks then headed back into town for dinner at the local Hamers Hotel. All good and everyone happy. 16.12.13

Strahan, Tasmania

We decided to take the opportunity to head over to Strahan for a couple of days. I had not yet ventured to the West coast of Tasmania,while Frank knew something of what was on offer. Given Samson was with us for a few days and he too had not been to Strahan, we decide to go exploring. Leaving Tunnack on Monday morning we passed through a number of interesting towns. Tasmania is full of history and each little town or hamlet adds to the story. Bothwell had street signs of tartan with names harking back to what could only be a Scottish background. Even more intriguing was that each street sign seems to boast a different tartan pattern. I needed Mum or a book of Scottish tartans to translate. A cab driver might not like it trying to find a particular street, but for me they were a unique feature of this little town. Hamilton might be worth a stop over on another visit as it seemed to have a cluster of little shops, most of which seemed to be selling antiques and collectables. Just my thing. Then there was Ouse. Apparently this is pronounced "Ooze". Why, I can not say. Just seems to be the local vernacular, and with a servo and newsagent mixed with a supermarket of sorts it didn't seem likely that I would find out any time soon. These little places were on the Tunnack side of the drive. All up it was approximately a five hour trip to Strahan. At times the road was serpentine winding up and down mountains as we worked our way from the Southern Midlands across the range and down to the Central Coast and the township of Strahan. 16.12.13

Carol Shelkin Mosaic Workshop at MAANZ 2013

I had the privilege recently of attending a workshop with US mosaic artist Carol Shelkin.  Talk about being out of my comfort zone.  Not only does Carol work using sheet glass, which I rarely use, but to add to the challenge she is a portraitist.  Definitely not my thing so I was ready for anything and expecting everything. 

Either way 4 and a half hours flew by.  With this course generally taught over a number of weeks we were all happy to gain so much knowledge from Carol, who was more than prepared to share her expertise with us.  As a tutor she was great, and she achieved much with great forbearance in what must have been difficult circumstances.  So, my overview of what I took away from the session goes like this!

Carol showed us ways of looking at shapes, planes, and shadows on the face and how to teach ourselves to actually see them.  To see the face in terms of light and dark, black and white.  Quite a challenge, but it made so much sense to hear how she looked at work.  It also put into context for me why as an artist, Carol produces a black and white painting, a colour painting and a sketch before she touches a piece of glass when starting out on a new mosaic artwork.

Carol talked a lot about hills and valleys ie the contours, become the face, with the more drastic the value or shading, the more contours  will be revealed. 

Carol's philosophy being "if you can capture the shapes of the shadows, these become the face."  Easier said than done, but we all tried as hard as we could!

She shared too a couple of tricks with us - using a "viewfinder" to trick the eye and identify shadows.  Who would have thought a piece of card with a square hole cut into it would be such an effective tool.  As for the colour wheel she gave each of us - I don’t think I have put it down since I got it.  While a wrote a paper on colour theory many years ago I had never really utilised this tool in my practice.  Wow, what a mistake.  These things are awesome!

Colour is an incredible thing so being reminded that cool colours recede and warm colours stand out wasn’t a bad thing.  According to Carol, in general the warm colours are the hills (orange, yellow, red) and the cool colours (blue, purple, green) are the valleys.  I like simple connections that have a visual link.  They make sense to my way of thinking so I liked this thought from Carol very much.

The other concept Carol shared with us was the 60:30:10 rule.  Again, a general rule, excluding eyes, hair, teeth etc it works like this.  60% of the flesh area should be one colour in a range of shades. "Flesh" can be blue!  So long as you use shades and link tones using your colour wheel.  30% of the work is the secondary colour and all its shades which leaves 10% of one other colour and its shades.  I am sure this isn’t a new idea, but for this portrait novice it was a great way of understanding what we were being taught.

More tips included the secret that eyeballs are not really round, and the "whites" of the eye are rarely ever white.  Who would have thought.  As for me, I have certainly started seeing things differently.  I have been busily "squinting" to identify the shadows and contours ever since I got home. My portrait, which was the proud bearer of one eyeball on my departure from Melbourne, now has an eyeball and some surrounding skin.  Biggest progress made however is the mental leap and I think I do "get" this.  Time will tell.

My workshop buddy Kym and I agreed with our new South Australian friend Elaine's comment that she needed to "paint by numbers".  I could certainly see the connection!

Best thing is I now have two new FaceBook friends.

 

Carrie Reichardt - Mad in England

Ok, so these are my thoughts on the keynote address for the MAANZ Symposium 2013. From the UK, Carrie Reichardt advised us she is "not a Royalist" and proceeded to share her thoughts on life, art and politics. Her paper was unsettling and overwhelming...but inspirational. Days later, her words are still resonating with me. "The Treatment Rooms" is her studio and her work definately has a message with murals, mosaic, ceramics and screen printed political works her forte. Sporting a "Mad in England" windcheater and a hat rather akin to that of a tram conductor Carrie was never going to be boring. Art college turned her off art. Her tutors didn't like political work or feminist work which translated that they didn't like her. So she finished with art college and did her own thing, which she has continued to do ever since. Her art is autobiographical as is her way of working and from what she told us her art is cathartic and brought her back from the edge. After suffering from mental illness, her art was her salvation. Becoming involved in community mosaic and work with schools enabled her to make a connection to people and she was able to work again, but as she so clearly stated, Council pays you to dumb down the message and take meaning out of the work so Carrie stopped working for Council through public art commissions, and again started to do her own thing. This is where the discussion deviated from mosaic, and for just reason, but her time talking to us was spent discussing issues that at times were confronting, but were very much from the heart. I for one appreciated this. Death row is a tough topic to address and Carrie did it with humility while at the same time making her stance on related issues pretty clear. 3 out of 4 people on death row in Texas are ex military. Thanks to a connection made through the Big Issue, Carrie began a process of writing to someone on death row, and continued to do so for over five 5 years, becoming friends with Louis and engaging in a lifelong relationship of learning and engagement. This process too reinforce the message that it is ok to do your own thing and as a result Carrie began the mammoth task of mosaicing her own house! Louis spent the last two days of his life with Carrie before his execution. His message to Carrie was that her writing to him restored his humanity. Louis died on 20.10.2005. The death row arguement is a tough one - people either agree with the argument or don't. As Carrie sees it, there is limited opportunity for dialogue - unless you make art out of it. The process of creativity for her, has ensured sanity. As such, there is much in the way of subtle, sometimes hidden messages, in much of her work. Through her friendship with Louis, Carrie's sense of justice and law and order was overthrown and overwhelmed. For Carrie, the words of Martin Luther King Jr ring true "The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people." People are seduced by ceramics and mosaic and as such it is often possible to tell a story that might otherwise not be heard. Her work for Elephant Parade is a good example of this. Commissions for this project were completed free of charge and as such Carrie has final say over what her work says and shows. Her elephant Phoolan is half gorgeous elephant resplendent in ceremonial robes, and half skeletal to show both aspects of elephant conservation. The irony of the private collector who purchased the works intent to "push the elephant against the wall" was not lost. Similarly Carrie's Trojan horse , commissioned by Cheltenham Art and Craft Museum makes a comment on the abuse of horses by man in war, horse racing and abattoirs. Current work is progressing along the lines of utilising ceramic collage, with the ever present opportunity for political comment. Carrie is working on an international mosaic project in Chile in January 2014. Other influences on her work include the Black Panthers, Fred Hampton's statement "You can kill a revolutionary but you can't kill the revolution" and the concept of "craftivism" as defined by Betsy Greer 27.8.2013

Melbourne cuisine

Plans for tomorrow are all set. Frank is heading back to Bouzy Rouge to learn how to make Suckling Pork with the chef there and I am heading to the MAANZ Symposium. Food in Melbourne has been an epicurean delight. I am happy to say that more often than not we have fluked it and have eaten really well. Even the Chinese Takeaway we had one night was better than average. Our top pick of Melbourne cafes and restaurants include: Bouzy Rouge 470 Bridge Rd, Richmond. We had lunch there today and both enjoyed our meals. The secret ingredient in the Suckling Pig kept Frank guessing for the duration of the meal until he finally conceded that my guess of "cinnamon" might indeed have been correct. As for me, the Portuguese Seafood Stew with rissoni was the ultimate. I happily used the bread to sop up the sauce until the plate was as clean as possible without licking! Euro Patisserie at Kings Arcade Armadale has great coffee at only $3.50 for a flat white. The escargot pastries are to die for and the croissants are not far behind. With good food and dog friendly, highly recommended for breakfast or a casual lunch. The pick of the meals for me so far was lunch at The Atlantic. Although it has built its reputation on the concept of from the "ocean to plate" the braised beef cheeks with broad beans and mashed potato was the ultimate. It was the best meal I have had in a long time. Just for the record, I did have seafood pasta for entree. The salt was also incredibly good. Turns out it was Murray River salt flakes. Famous for their naturally occurring pink tinge I found a supplier today in our travels and brought some to take home. Actually dinner at il Solito Posto was pretty incredible too. We were seated adjacent to the book case, so after choosing between Barbara Cartland's The Very Naughty Angel and writings of Anne Frank, the menu was easy to navigate. The seafood linguine didn't disappoint and we decided fairly quickly that if we lived in Melbourne The Usual Place would quickly become a regular place to dine. Best breakfast so far goes to Caffe e Torta. A little piece of Europe in Little Collins Street. The breakfast was great with substantial portions, so pretty good all around. The decor was fun too with posters and bits and pieces. In general the decor in restaurants here tend to be quirky. Much more so than Brisbane. If they are not classic with white cloths and trendy graphic designs on the wall, they combine an odd array of bits and pieces, not unlike what you would find in the home of a collector, antique dealer or family restaurant in Europe. Point in case the tip bowl at il Solito Posto. A squirrel nutcracker which looked suspiciously like Alessi. I checked it out at close range but couldn't find a mark on it. The bar tender had no idea what it was, and seemed rather bemused by my interest. Interesting thing was we found a similar nut cracker in an antique store in Armadale - priced at $150. Recommendation for pizza? Papa Gino's in Lygon Sreet, Carlton. The best pizza around. All I can say is thank goodness we have been doing lots of walking. This city could have dire consequences on my long term health and well being. 22.8.2013

Melbourne Aquarium

A visit to the Melbourne Aquarium was reminiscent of the visit to the zoo. Wall highlights within a visit to what seemed to be a construction zone with all of the noise, dust, impact on circulation and trip hazards one would associate with a building site. Again, signage apologising for the inconvenience and a full entry price of $35 did little to appease. Ok, enough complaining! The highlights were worth the angst and they included seeing both Gentoo and King Penguins. These birds are incredible in real life and so much better than viewing them on tv. Sorry Sir David! The colours were incredible and so intense up close. Watching them walk was amazing with their momentum and gait unlike anything you can imagine. they really do waddle - until they hit the water where they come into their own. As for the Gentoos, how cute are they. Their trick is to build a pebble nest to impress their partner. Security is tight with pebble theft rife as males fighting to attract their own females, thieve pebbles from adjacent nests. The seahorses and leafy sea dragons were amazing to watch with their movement dependant upon the current. Sea horses use their tails to hang on to coral to stabilise themselves. Then on a whim, they release their tail and float off until they reattach onto another convenient branch. The octopus was a true character as only an octopus can be and I spent some time watching him. His ability to manoeuvre and shape shift is inspiring. The tank with tropical fish was good, but not as large or lavish as you would expect with the access to corals, anemones and fish we have in Australia. It was a little disappointing. There were some smaller tanks that were interesting. I loved the Thread Tailled Travelly and also enjoyed watching the Scorpion Fish. Seeing Travelly on the menu at dinner tonight I abstained and went for the pasta! As for the rainforest area, how it fits under the definition of an "aquarium" beats me. We saw our fill of snakes, bugs and spiders at the zoo so I really struggled to get the connection. The shark tank was ok, but was mostly an in the round set up with only two small sections where the sharks, fish and rays could pass overhead. That said, seeing the rays glide over with their "faces" so close to your head was an amazing experience. I think if you lived in Melbourne you would buy an annual pass to the zoo and aquarium and then when you visited and the construction meant you couldn't see what you wanted you could return another time and pick up what you had missed. Perhaps that's the way to do it. Certainly with both of them so close to the city centre there is no excuse not to visit. 21.8.2013

Melbourne Zoo

I have always been a supporter of ethically sustainable care and conservation of animals and am generally in support of the work of zoos. In the last twelve months I have been fortunate enough to visit Taronga Zoo, Tiger World in Thailand, the Bali Birdpark and Singapore Zoo. Singapore has an international reputation and it did not disappoint. Unfortunately Melbourne didn't live up to expectations. For me, Melbourne always came in ahead of Taronga. That has now changed. We visited Melbourne Zoo yesterday and while we still had a good morning, overall we were disappointed. The site is looking tired and run down, which probably explains why there was also a lot of renovation and empty pens happening. Signage advised patience while awaiting the new and improved look, but with entry fees remaining the same it was frustrating to say the least. The thing for me that impacted most was the reduced number of animals. Even species like Ring Tailed Lemurs and Capuchin Monkeys which usually live in large social groups had reduced numbers. Three lemurs just doesn't have the impact required. That said, there were two small troops of meerkats which was good. The new Orangutan area was nice, but not nearly as good for viewing as Singapore Zoo. Not in my opinion anyway. The key difference, other than the reduced number of animals, was that in Singapore you can walk the boardwalk up and around the apes, so that at times you are above them, sometimes on their level, and other times they are above you. It really as an immersive experience, but one that is respectful of the needs of the animals. They are free to move around unimpeded. It really is an incredible way to see Orangutan. That said, seeing the large male seek warmth on what was a cold day was interesting. He used palm fronds to line the concrete and found a spot out of the wind against the viewing window. That was, until the female came and removed his palm fronds. Every one of them. As for the juvenile? He decided a blanket was all that was needed and promptly utilised the jungle gym equipment to string the blanket up into a tent like device which he promptly crawled into and snuggled out of the wind. Perfect solution. Although the elephant enclosure was a huge improvement on what was previously available, having seen elephants at Patara in Thailand it was hard to see them so confined. With 7 animals in the herd there was some element of group comfort for this social animal....but again we valued having seen these animals as close to in their wild state as possible. With a 150 year history, the Melbourne Zoo needs to work to bring things up to speed....in the interim, lets hope that they retain their loyal supporters and client base....and fit in a quick visit to Singapore for inspiration as to how things should be done! 20.8.2013

National Treasure

I met a living legend today. This gentleman, Mr Evans, should be a living National Treasure. In Japanese culture he would be treated with the respect of an aged artisan. In Australia, few would recognise his expertise. Mr Evans runs a quaint, old style shoe repair business located in the Royal Arcade. The Royal Arcade has been in existence since 1870 and from what I can tell Mr Evans has been part of the package for almost as long. For more on the Royal Arcade go to their website at http://www.royalarcade.com.au/ In Brisbane, I was told my boots were unrepairable. They could not match the leather, they did not have the same crepe soles etc etc. On a hunch I brought them to Melbourne with me in the hope that I would be able to find someone that could repair them enough to enable me to continue to wear them. You know what it's like when you have a favourite pair of shoes - the sentimental value over rides common sense. I got these boots on the first trip Frank and I made to Sydney together. We discovered Evans Leather Restorations the previous day so I decided to venture in and see what they said. Not having the boots on me at the time, I described as best I could what the problem was ie a blow out in the crepe heel that made me walk like a landlocked sailor. The girl in the shop wasn't sure, but told me "if anyone can fix them Mr Evans can" and suggested I bring them back in between 8.30 - 1.00 the next day when Mr Evans himself would be in the shop. So we did....and he can! He talked me through the process. Based on his inability to supply a ready made unit, he will construct new soles and heels for my boots. Yes I could buy a new pair of boots for the price, but realistically there is nothing like them around, and they will be good to go indefinitely. So for the experience, and to get my boots back I think it is worth the investment. So, my boots will be repaired, then will be posted home ready to wear again. Got to be happy about that. As for Frank, he came up with a payment plan for cost recovery of the repairs. Spying a shoe shine kit complete with box, he decided he could set me up in the Bourke Street Mall to clean the shoes of passers by, thereby earning the money for the repairs! 20.8.2013

AFL Queen

Who would have thought I would end up at the MCG watching Carlton play Richmond - and enjoy it so much? Certainly not me, but I think being at the game puts a whole new light on activities, and I really had fun. TV coverage seems to focus on the immediate close up action - and don't get me wrong, they do a great job of it, but seeing the entire field of play actually provides different insight to what is going on. As for the punch ups, there is always a tussle happening somewhere. It did actually remind me a little of Gridiron in that I wasn't always able to spot where the ball was....although in Gridiron I know that where the huddle is, the ball will be elsewhere. On the whole, AFL players seem to be better looking, and younger?, than their rugby counterparts. Either that or I am getting older. Tall and thin, and boy do these guys run. I had no idea how much ground they cover in a game. It was pretty impressive. Another benefit of being at the ground, it is huge! I am sure there are statistics somewhere, but trust me, it was big! The crowd was in the vicinity of 61 000 - actually, 60 825. All very well behaved, with lots of fans sporting all sorts of team colours and crazy outfits. From those in the more traditional jersey in team colours to the woman sporting tight leopard print pants, leopard print shoes and black and yellow striped socks. The number of families where Mum and one child supported Carlton, and Dad and the other child supported Richmond (or variations therein) was amazing. Even though Darren and Jackson support Carlton and Deena and Samson the Brisbane Lions, it didn't strike me as being noticeable until I saw it in such numbers. Split supporters within family units is the norm. Darren has been a Carlton fan since he was little - perhaps 5 or 6 years of age. We have a photo of him in his Carlton jersey at around this age. Uncle Ron on the other hand was always a diehard Richmond supporter! Richmond have been around since 1885. How incredible is that for team history! Any single Melbourne women should hang out at the AFL. It was suit city, with many men in attendance dressed and looking pretty spiffy. As for the dress code for the members, the rules stated no beach wear or overalls. With the wind that was whistling around I don't think banning beach wear was much of an issue. As for the security guys, they had their job cut out - keeping an eye out for illegal items when doing bag and esky checks. No video cameras, no glass and wait for it - no cooking utensils! I kid you not. As if you would have time to throw a snag on the BBQ while the game was on. For a first game it was the perfect introduction - with the score being quite close, and Carlton as the under dogs actually coming through to win the game. Oh, did I mention the view from the Jim Stynes Room? Going corporate was pretty special! 17.8.13

The Lieutenant

Book club attracted some heated discussion last night. We read The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville. A deceptively quiet little tale, all the better for knowing that she based her work of fiction on the papers of a real early settler of Sydney Cove. But it wasn't the fiction/non -fiction debate that got us going, instead it was a discussion of language, culture and how we learn. The differences in learning language as a child versus learning a language as an adult. We got onto teaching styles, and what works and what doesn't and how teaching styles vary and how they change over time. For me though it brought up memories of those teachers who made such an impact that they remain part of your make up long since you left school. My top teachers list would include: Mrs Clarke Year 3 at Neutral Bay Primary School. Mrs Patricia McKenzie Year 5, Mr Keith Williams Year 7 at Burleigh Heads Primary School. Mrs Jane Van Hoeyen, Art Teacher, and Mr Bruce Ingham, Ancient History at Miami High Sate School Ms Barbara Piscitelli at QUT - early childhood educator extraordinaire...who taught me to listen to and value what children will share of their world. Combined, they established a lifetime love of learning within me, and for that I have to be grateful. 6.8.13

Hamilton Island

Hamilton Island The island is starting to grow on me. I think the trick is to look beyond the tourists and the hype. As you start to explore and settle in to what is offered then the natural beauty of the island takes over until it is almost overwhelming. This visit we have remained on the island with close to perfect conditions. With little or no wind, ocean looks like a sheet of glass. Certainly the extreme opposite of conditions the weekend we went sailing. That said, I can imagine just how spectacular sailing might be in good conditions and look forward to venturing out again when the opportunity arises. We had a wonderful dinner Friday night, with six of us dining beach side. Tapas and celebratory champagne at the waters edge with candles to light our way, before moving in to the restaurant for dinner. The food was wonderful and the service five star, so with the conversation of friends and a glass of wine, it was a perfect evening. With the topic of conversation being related to Hamilton Island Race Week, which kicks off in about two weeks I extended my vocabulary to include some yachting terms. I discovered that a Volvo is not a car and an Oyster is not food. Both are very expensive yachts - one a racing yacht, the other a cruising yacht. Go figure! 4 August 2013

Earth bound

We ended up with 75 at the symposium. 73 adults and two newborns - Henry and Mitchell. Highlights for me today included a special rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight - especially for Jess and I who had expressed disappointment that Jay referred to it in the children's program, but hadn't played it. Thanks Jay! The rest of the day passed in a blur as i coordinated delivery of the conference program, ensured Dr Susan Krieg and other speakers had what they needed, organised media opportunities and ensured food was available as needed. Suffice to say it has been a rewarding yet exhausting day. One of the unexpected bonuses was seeing the girls from Isaac Regional Council and Whitsunday Regional Councils. Seeing them all again after delivering professional development programs on their home turf was a bonus! Made for a great day! Currently in the air and homeward bound. Back to the mundane environment of the office tomorrow. Never mind. 16.7.13

Charter flight

I really did have the most incredible weekend. Sailing was awesome so, high winds aside it, would highly recommend it. There is nothing quite like the sense of serenity and peace, even with the wind clanging every piece of equipment imaginable. Highlights of course other than being out on the water was sharing some time with the loggerhead turtle. We saw many, but I like to think it was the same one greeting us and welcoming us to her bay. She was so gentle that it was a privilege to see her on a semi regular basis. If I thought the adventures topped there I was wrong. Options for transfer to Mackay were to take the barge, then drive 1.5 hours. Thanks to Frank we decided this was not a viable option so he organised a charter flight from Hamilton Island to Mackay. The plane was a small single winger craft. Two seats. Mine, and the pilots. Trish welcomed me and proceeded to run through the safety drill - on the Tarmac, by tying a piece of string around my waist. Apparently, this was the life vest. Hopefully it wouldn't be required, but just in case it was there ready for use. Remove the packing, slip the vest over your head, wait until you are outside the aircraft, then pull the toggles to inflate. Perfect. The range of dials and other controls was impressive. Lots of gauges and numbers. The ones with fluorescent paint were the important ones. Why else would they be high viz orange? I was in very safe hands and as such was able to sit back and enjoy the flight. Actually I was so excited I sat perched on the edge of my seat the entire time - looking at anything and everything. The key advantage of the small plane definitely being its ability to remain below cloud level. Islands, buildings, cemeteries, all look incredible from such a a vantage point. I must admit though that the cemetery was on the close end of the Mackay airport. It would have been too creepy approaching the airstrip to see the cemetery awaiting you if you overshot the runway. The most amazing part of the flight was not only seeing the rainbow, but virtually flying though it. Somehow as we approached it became almost circular and we ended up flying through the edge of the ring made by the rainbow. Incredible experience. Right up there as far as special moments go. 15.7.13

There's a bear in there - and Jay Laga'aia too

The fun and games continued. This time as a result of work commitments. The reason I was actually needing to be in Mackay was to support delivery of the Read for life: early childhood symposium. A one day program for educators, public library staff, parents and anyone interested in promoting the value of early literacy in children. My brief for the afternoon was to meet Jay Laga'aia at the airport and transfer him to his session at the Gordon White Library, a branch of the Mackay City Library network at Mt Pleasant. Jess from the main branch is an angel and we couldn't have achieved what we did without her support. So, there we were at the airport, waiting for Jay. Based on Brisbane arrivals I had added a portrait of Jay and Big Ted to my iPad and stood holding that so that Jay would recognise us. I shouldn't have worried overly. The "arrivals area" at Mackay airport is a doorway with a "No Entry" sign adjacent to the coffee outlet. No problems. Approx 6 people were awaiting loved ones, guests etc. so, I shouldn't have been overly concerned about missing Jay in the crowd. At least a couple of his fellow passengers had a chuckle and one little girl carrying Cookie Monster was pleased to report she hadn't seen Big Ted. Before we knew it Jay was there, introductions made and I had vowed never to wash my cheek again. That's what a kiss on the cheek from Jay will do. Trust me,over the last few days I have seen sensible senior citizens turn into giggling girls at the pleasure of having their photos taken with this legend of Playschool, Home and Away, Bed of Roses and Star Wars! We made it to the library with bags in tow ready to set up and do sound checks to find our audience had already started to arrive. Then they kept on coming, and coming and coming! We ended up with over 400 Mums, Dads, Nanna's, carers and children ready and waiting. Ready to go Jay stepped up and began his performance and the audience was his. From beginning to end, it was incredible. Everyone getting into it, teapots, crocodiles and billy goats left, right and centre. A 45 minute performance and meet and greet turned into almost two hours of singing, dancing and pure joy. I loved the Three Billy Goats Gruff (with girl Billy Goats) and was touched by the pure simplicity of the Ukulele, but got most from the interactions Jay had with the littlest of his visitors. One little lady brought her own, pink Ukulele with her and carefully requested that Jay sign it with her name, not her sisters. This young lady knew what she wanted and seemed not to recognise the significance of this guy serenading her on her own ukulele. Classic moments abounded this afternoon. Did I mention I would love a Ukulele? Doesn't have to be pink, but for this non musical person, any interest in things musical is to be encouraged. The line to say a personal hello and get a CD signed was longer than any I have ever seen and to Jay's credit he stayed on for as long as it took. Not only that, he thanked the children for waiting to see him, and not one went away empty handed. Playschool postcards form the perfect surface to write a hello on and every now and then a Star Wars card snuck out from the bottom of the pile on special request. Many happy people later (big and little) we finally were able to pack up and head off. After a quick shower and change of clothes we picked Jay up and went to dinner. This icon of Australian Television had dinner with three librarians - one each from Brisbane, Mackay and Surat. There goes his street cred. Just for the record, yes we did have a great evening. 15.7.13