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