Monday, 30 November 2015

1st December - lifesaving championships

Tuesday 1st December 2015

My nephew Will now lives on the Gold Coast.   He works part time, trains rigorously (swimming) and surfs as often as possible. 

A lifesize photo of Will, surrounded by admiring cousins
Recently he went surfing with two of his housemates.  They locked the car after parking near the beach and when they came back…no car.  Also now iPhones, no GoPros, no wallets with credit cards, ID etc.  Also no house keys.  This was a fearsome nuisance.   They reported the theft to the police of course, and heard that cars disappear from that particular parking place every single day.  A profitable possie for BadBoys!

Will on the Gold Coast, with cousins
Andrea rang Will the next day – loving and concerned mother – and asked what he was doing.  Why, surfing, of course!  At the same place…

Will has recently been selected for the Queensland lifesaving team.  And also for the Australian team!  He loves this; it is, apparently, great fun.  A few days ago he got back from a trip with the national team for championships in Holland and Germany.  They had a LOT of fun and did very well – bronze and silver in this and that event.


I think he has a great life, in and out of various bits of water.

Another bit of Gilbert and George art (very cryptic...)

30th November - Gilbert and George manifesto -2XS in the marina - crayfish

30th November 2015

We thought Gilbert and George were delightful...
I am on the track of news about the hostages.  And about 2XS, in Ocean View marina.   So far…no ne news re the hostages.  One of the kidnappers may have been arrested but ho hum, what good will that do??  The armed forces and police already know where they are – it is how to get them out safely and without paying $61m US which is the issue.

2XS free on the sea
And re 2XS – our marina neighbour Garry has told us that work is underway.  Carpet has been ripped out; there are green patches (undercoat??) on the deck.  Woodwork happening inside.  He will go and have a good snoop for us tomorrow.

Here in Hobart Pete has been working on his own DIY projects…involving a bit of high wire work on Unit 2 Summerhill Rd!!


On Saturday we had a few visitors for an impromptu BBQ.  Most brought salads…or sausages.  Very welcome and delicious!  BUT our friend Alex brought…the biggest crayfish I have ever seen!  It was frozen so we popped it into the fridge to defrost and did not share it with anyone at all…WOW!!


Today I have been to Fullers with Katy, and with the three oldest Thomas children.  They were very taken with the three-way love seat.  And with all those BOOKS!!!









Saturday, 28 November 2015

29th November - bikie toy run - MONA - Gilbert & George

Sunday 29th November 2015

Fat Car (MONA)
Hobart life continues to be entertaining and varied.   Yesterday we clambered across the Brooker Highway and found a safe position on the edge of the Domain.  We could see straight across to North and West Hobart and up Summerhill Rd; Hobart is so very pretty.


But what we were waiting for was – 4000-odd motorbikes!  The annual bikie toy run.  Well…we do enjoy a spectacle.  One of the front riders was Pete’s friend Damian (former Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions) who drove past resplendently on his big Harley.  He stopped for a chat and then it was all GO as the thousands of bikes went past.


I particularly liked the muppet helmets; they were just that bit crazy.  


We followed the bikes down to the waterfront and meandered mongst them, exclaiming at their shininess, and at how very big they all seemed to be.  Some of them were about as big as a car, and as comfortable as a very expensive leather armchair.


On the way back we went to Salamanca Square to look at the very controversial Council Christmas tree.  Tasmania has been ridiculed far and wide in the media for having “the ugliest Christmas decoration in Australia.”  Well…not so much.  I thought it was quite pleasant and quirky, but we couldn’t see how on earth it has cost us rate payers $35,000…


Today we went to MONA.


Sidney Nolan's Snake is still there - so wonderful!


Loved it, as always!  There is a new exhibition – Gilbert and George, VERY famous artists from the UK.  They have been working together since, I think 1968, and their art is large, loud, colourful, confronting.


We found it fascinating and exhilarating and we left MONA after two and a half hours with our heads bursting with images and over-stimulated with new ideas.


Our friend Erin is back there working, after seven months of overseas adventures.   We told her about our friend from Adelaide and her recent day of displeasure at MONA.   Erin was very amused.  She said lots of people hate MONA with a passion, and the displays make them very angry.  But, she said, it is strange how they manage to stay there for a whole day, getting more enraged as the day goes by…