Surfing The Web: Kissing Fanny, Ten U.S. Hikes, 32 Toronto Tips, Adelaide History

Say, What? The Art of Kissing Fanny!

One of my favourite blogs is the very eclectic Messy Nessy Chic. Vanessa, or ’Nessy’ as she refers to herself, is a young expat English woman now living in Paris. I don’t know how she does it, but her blog has one of the most interesting collections of stories and posts that I have ever encountered in my many years of trawling across the Internet. Every visit reveals a new gem that is sure to enlighten, amuse and entertain the reader.

A recent post; The Art of Kissing Fanny has to be read to be believed. It just goes to prove that there is a story behind everything—no matter how arcane or obscure.

There’s a curious expression used in Provence by pétanque players. “Embrasser Fanny” or to “kiss Fanny”, is a small recompense for making a fool of oneself to put it simply. But where does this mischievous phrase originate from? Fanny was a waitress at a local café in the Savoie region or Lyon– no one seems to agree. Watching the men playing pétanque (or boules) one day, she declared that she would allow any man who lost 13-0 in pétanque, to kiss her on the cheek.

Read the full article here...

Mount Katahdin. Photo: Alamy

Ten of The Best US Hiking Trails

Once, dear reader, I fantasized about walking across America, a ridiculous idea if ever I had one, if only because I was well into my late-50s when I was taken with the fantasy. Not that others haven't done exactly that before or since my imagination got the better of me. It's just that the cold hard reality of my aging bones have told me loud and clear, that "It ain't gonna happen, buddy!" Not in this lifetime, anyway. Still, I can dream, can't I? And this is as good a place as any to keep feeding that dream.

From a rocky wonderland with views of Las Vegas to the green ridges of the Appalachians, readers of the British newspaper, The Guardian share their favourite great walks. Among those recommended are walks through the New England mountains, Vermont’s 272 mile Long Trail, New Mexico’s Pecos Wilderness trails, and the Continental Divide Trail which runs through five states from New Mexico to Montana.

Read the full article here…

Toronto skyline

The Solo Traveler: 32 Tips for an Affordable Toronto

Among the many email newsletter I subscribe to (the basis of a blog entry themselves), is the very fine and comprehensive Solo Traveler site. The Canadian writer, Janis Waugh writes in her bio that she “…became a widow and empty-nester at about the same time.” In 2009, she began Solo Traveler and the site has quickly become one of the most popular sites for information and tips specifically aimed at people who travel solo—of which I am one. Of course, the information on the site is just as useful for couples, and families.

Completely at random, I have chosen to highlight the article, Affordable Toronto: 32 Free and Low-Cost Tips from her site, but seriously, take some time to browse through the hundreds of excellent feature articles awaiting you. There is surely something for everyone here.

Read the full article here…

Source: State Library of SA Searcy Collection RG 280/1/7/418

Then and Now: Eleven Rare Historic Photos of Adelaide

Since I was born and raised—and still live—in Adelaide, Australia, I thought these rare images from local history may be of interest. Besides, May is History Month in South Australia, so that is as good a reason as any to include this article. Among the images is the one I chose to illustrate this section, which shows two nurses, or “ministering angels” from approximately the year 1913 caring for two babies at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital (now renamed The Women's and Children’s Hospital).

I selected this image for a specific reason—namely, because I spent 14 years of my working life at the Children’s Hospital (as it was still called then), and despite the pain and suffering I saw there, those 14 years were among the most rewarding years of my life. As an aside, I have been fortunate enough to have only been admitted to hospital once in my 68 years—at the very same Adelaide Children’s Hospital—when I was admitted, at the age of five, to have my tonsils removed, an incident I still remember to this day.

Read the full article here…

P.S. I should also stress that apart from the 'pain and suffering', I also witnessed many moments that bordered on the miraculous, many of which were carried out by new generations of 'ministering angels', and medical personnel.

The Weekly Web

Image courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History

My round-up of the best of my online ramblings over the past week begins with the Shamans of Siberia. The American Museum of Natural History in New York City has a comprehensive program of events and activities that run throughout the year. I have visited the museum twice and hope to visit again during my trip to New York over the coming summer. I signed up for their email newsletters several years ago, and each issue always makes me wish I lived much closer to the museum than my current address some ten thousand miles away. 

The latest newsletter had several links to items of interest, and I thought this would be a good time to mention an ongoing program called Shelf Life, which presents a series of short videos highlighting the Natural History museum’s ongoing conservation programs. In Shamans of Siberia in 360, we get to look at an expedition to Siberia that took place from 1897 to 1902.

The Jesup North Pacific Expedition (1897–1902) was conceived and directed by Franz Boas, the founder of American anthropology. The expedition aimed to investigate the links between the people and cultures of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America and the eastern Coast of Siberia. Boas was also concerned about documenting cultures that he and many other anthropologists feared would soon be lost to colonialism and acculturation.

The video below is one of the new style of documents that presents footage in 360 degrees. Make sure you enlarge the video to full screen, and then use your cursor to manipulate the film to see everything around the camera.

Read more here…

The ‘Protector’ and ‘Fitzjames’ (in the background), c.1885 at Largs Bay. State Library of South Australia

South Australia’s “hell afloat”

InDaily is an online publication out of Adelaide, Australia—my home town. The site has been publishing a regular series, Time and Place, which focusses specifically on important South Australian events and achievements. The entry: South Australia’s “hell afloat”, provided information about an aspect of the state’s early history I knew nothing about, and I suspect that few others did—or still do.

Between 1880 and 1891 the hulk Fitzjames, colloquially known as ‘hell afloat’, served as a Reformatory for over 100 boys aged from eight to 16 years of age. The first 35 of these were transferred from the Boys’ Reformatory at Magill on 5 March 1880. Some had been sentenced for having committed serious crimes, while others had been found guilty of petty theft, or deemed uncontrollable or neglected.

Read more here…

More Time and Place stories here…

Sumida River, Tokyo.

36 Hours in East Tokyo

One of the most daunting cities for foreign visitors, Tokyo is a manic, hyperactive assault on the senses. But steady your focus and you’ll notice that a distinct strand of traditional elements also weaves through the Japanese capital. Even without leaving Eastern Tokyo, here defined as the area east of the Imperial Palace, a visitor can experience the enormous breadth of what this mesmerizing metropolis has to offer. From boutiques blooming in abandoned spaces to new ramen shops taking root amid glittering high-rises, Eastern Tokyo promises — now more than ever — to leave even experienced travelers wide-eyed with wonder.

Read more here...

National Portrait Gallery, London

50 Free Things to Do in London, England

Actually, this Guardian newspaper series dating from 2012, originally ran to 200 free things to do in London. I have included links to Parts 3 & 4 of the series, but Part 2 seems to have disappeared. Even the Guardian website does not seem to know where it is. Be aware that some of the details provided in the articles may have changed in the five years since first publication.

See Part 1: Central London...

Part 2: I will update this post when (and if) I find part two of this series

See Part 3: North London...

See Part 4: West London...

Photo by Dan Winters / Courtesy NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

Interstellar Travel — Don’t Hold Your Breath

This story by Burkhard Bilger (The Martian Chroniclers), published in the New Yorker in April, 2013, is a ‘long read’, but is worth the time taken to read in full. Mars of course, is the next planet humans have long set their eyes and hearts on to send a manned mission to. The fascination with the red planet is the belief that some form of life (however basic and primitive), exists on some primal level. 

The search for life on Mars is now in its sixth decade. Forty spacecraft have been sent there, and not one has found a single fossil or living thing. The closer we look, the more hostile the planet seems: parched and frozen in every season, its atmosphere inert and murderously thin, its surface scoured by solar winds. By the time Earth took its first breath three billion years ago, geologists now believe, Mars had been suffocating for a billion years. The air had thinned and rivers evaporated; dust storms swept up and ice caps seized what was left of the water. The Great Desiccation Event, as it’s sometimes called, is even more of a mystery than the Great Oxygenation on Earth. We know only this: one planet lived and the other died. One turned green, the other red.

If humans ever do make it to Mars, and survive long enough to reproduce and populate that planet, it will be long after I have moved on to whatever other dimension awaits—if any. Personally, I can’t see the point of exporting the full gamut of human foibles and failings to another planet—unless the first hundred crews are manned by politicians, and that is never going to happen. If we can’t get this world sorted out, what makes anyone think we can do so on a planet as harsh and barren as Mars? But that’s just the cynic in me talking. I’d love to read your comments on this topic. In the meantime, you can read the full article here…

Yidaki: The Sound of Australia

Yidaki, at the South Australian Museum

I have been promoting the Yidaki exhibition currently taking place at the South Australian Museum for several weeks. Now that I have finally found time to edit together footage I recorded at the exhibition, it is time to say more about the show.

Yidaki (pronounced, Yid-ar-ki), is the traditional Australian Aboriginal name for what most of the world knows as the didjeridu—that seemingly impossible to play wind instrument made from the trunks of the Stringybark tree, hollowed out by very obliging termites.

The exhibition, Yidaki: Didjeridu and the Sound of Australia, can hardly be called large. You could walk through the various exhibits in around ten minutes, but if that is all you were to do, you would miss all the most important parts of the show. The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to explore this iconic instrument through sound, story, moving image and through close examination of rarely seen examples of the instruments on display throughout the exhibition space. While the didjeridu now appears in music venues and concert stages around the world (often played by non-Aboriginal practitioners), it is important to note its origins and its place in Aboriginal culture.

Although the didjeridu, as an instrument, has also spread throughout Australian Aboriginal communities, it is important to know that traditionally the instrument was originally confined to tribes and clans that inhabited the far northern coastlines of Australia, today referred to as the Top End. More specifically, this exhibition focuses on the place the didjeridu has in Yolngu (pron,Yoll-nu) culture, where the instrument is called the yidaki.

Djalu Gurruwiwi, Yolngu people, Galpu clan. Yidaki virtuoso with yidaki. Image: SA Museum.

For the Yolngu people of North East Arnhem Land, yidaki are not just musical instruments, they are social instruments, instruments of healing, and of spiritual life. The exhibition has been created in collaboration with Yolngu people, particularly with the world’s foremost authority on yidaki - Djalu Gurruwiwi, who with his family introduce visitors to the instrument, and to its power and meaning in Yolngu life.

Djalu is a senior member of the Galpu clan, from the Yolngu people of North East Arnhem Land. Amongst the Yolngu, and around the globe, he is a universally recognised authority and the musical and spiritual traditions of yidaki. A quietly spoken but passionate man … Djalu has spent his life trying to share a profound and reconciliatory worldview that starts and ends with his instrument. This exhibition is an expression of his life’s work to use yidaki in bridging the gaps of understanding between people.

Here is my short video montage:

The heart of the exhibition is contained in the many audio-visual exhibits that are placed throughout the room. I said, above, that you could walk through the exhibition space in under ten minutes, but that would be a waste of your time, effort and money. If you were to sit and watch every piece of video footage, and stand still and focus your attention on the many sounds of the Yidaki that fill the room with an ever changing soundscape, you can easily spend and hour or more learning about this remarkable instrument. The whole point of the exhibition is to give you a glimpse into Yolngu culture, from the Yolngu point of view. As the exhibition guide states: 

“Yidaki without sound are just sticks of wood. So this is not an exhibition about objects, but about what yidaki do, how they speak, and what story they tell. This is a Yolngu story, being told for you in Yolngu ways. There are no labels so you need to stop and listen every now and then. It will be good for you. Yolngu experts and custodians (through sound and screen) will guide you through the exhibition space—inviting you to explore the stringybark forest, voyage with the West Wind and become immersed in the mesmerising power of yidaki sound.”

One of the musicians that features prominently in the yidaki exhibition is William Barton. In the video below he can be seen performing a virtuoso composition of his own which showcases the incredible variety of sounds that a skilled yidaki player can produce on what is essentially a hollowed out tree limb. Note: William Barton’s performance does not begin until just after the 2:30 mark.

If You Go

Yidaki: Didjeridu and the Sound of Australia

At the South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide

Now through until July 16, 2017

Hours: 10am - 5pm daily 

Admission

Adults: $17; Concession: $12; Child (aged 5-15): $5;

Children under 5 - FREE; Family (2 adults + 3 children) $35

Cornish Feasts and Folk-Lore

~ Just in time for South Australia’s bi-annual Kernewek Lowender Cornish Festival comes a recent addition to the website of that great repository of free public domain books, Project Gutenberg. Margaret Courtney’s 1890 book, Cornish Feasts and Folk-Lore—available in ePub and Kindle formats—at Project Gutenberg offers a cornucopia of customs and traditions (both secular and religious), odd little legends and stories, children’s games and rhymes, traditional folk songs and ballads, and other delightful gems from Cornwall. 

But first a riddle…

“As I went over London bridge

Upon a cloudy day,

I met a fellow, clothed in yellow,

I took him up and sucked his blood,

And threw his skin away.”

(What am I?)

Chapter headings in the book include, Cornish Feasts and “Feasten” Customs, Legends of Parishes, Fairies, Superstitions, Charms, Cornish Games, and Ballads. Here is a tiny sampling of some of the contents:

Superstitions 

• Maidens who die of broken hearts, after they have been deceived by unfaithful lovers, are said to haunt their betrayers as white hares.
• The souls of old sea-captains never sleep; they are turned into gulls and albatrosses.
• The knockers (a tribe of little people), who live underground in the tin-mines, are the spirits of the Jews who crucified our Saviour, and are for that sin compelled on Christmas morning to sing carols in his honour. 
• “A ghost at Pengelly, in the parish of Wendron, was compelled by a parson of that village after various changes of form to seek refuge in a pigeonhole, where it is confined to this day.”

- o0o -

Image: The St. Breok Down Standing Stone

A Cornish Legend

~ While this is not the time or the place to get into an explanation for the many standing stone monoliths that pepper the Cornish hills and valleys, I thought this local legend explaining the origins of the St. Austell Down monolith is worth quoting:

Upon St. Austell Down is an upright block of granite, called “the giant’s staff, or longstone,” to which this legend is attached:

“A giant, travelling one night over these hills, was overtaken by a storm, which blew off his hat. He immediately pursued it; but, being impeded by a staff which he carried in his hand, he thrust this into the ground until his hat could be secured. After wandering, however, for some time in the dark, without being able to find his hat, he gave over the pursuit and returned for the staff; but this also he was unable to discover, and both were irrevocably lost.

In the morning, when the giant was gone, his hat and staff were both found by the country people about a mile asunder. The hat was found on White-horse Down, and bore some resemblance to a mill-stone, and continued in its place until 1798, when some soldiers rolled it over the cliff. The staff, or longstone, was discovered in the position in which it remains; it is about twelve feet high, and tapering toward the top, and is said to have been so fashioned by the giant that he might grasp it with ease.” —Murray’s Guide

Oh, God — Not Rabbit Again!

Then there was the vicar of a local parish who, much to the horror of the parishioner at whose table he was sitting, is said to have offered the following piece of doggerel in the place of the pious grace they were expecting to hear before they began to eat:

“Of rabbits young and rabbits old,

Of rabbits hot and rabbits cold,

Of rabbits tender, rabbits tough,

I thank the Lord we’ve had enough.”

Apparently the vicar had dined out several days in succession, and rabbit had been offered to him at every meal!

How To Catch A Thief Cornish Style

“A farmer in Towednack having been robbed of some property of no great value was resolved, nevertheless, to employ a test which he had heard the ‘old people’ resorted to for the purpose of catching the thief. He invited all his neighbours into his cottage, and, when they were assembled, he placed a rooster under the ‘brandice’ (an iron vessel, formerly much employed by the peasantry in baking). Every one was directed to touch the brandice with his, or her, third finger, and say: ‘In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, speak.’ 

Every one did as they were directed, and no sound came from beneath the brandice. The last person was a woman, who occasionally laboured for the farmer in his fields. She hung back, hoping to pass unobserved amongst the crowd. But her very anxiety made her a suspected person. She was forced forward, and most unwillingly she touched the brandice, when, before she could utter the words prescribed, the rooster crowed. The woman fell faint on the floor, and when she recovered, she confessed herself to be the thief, restored the stolen property, and became, it is said, ‘a changed character from that day.’ ”

- o0o -

Kernewek Lowender Cornish Festival

~ Given that the book was first published in 1890, one wonders just how many of the customs and traditions recorded in Cornish Feasts and Folk-Lore, are still remembered and repeated today. I suspect there are not a lot. However, you just might hear some of them during the Kernewek Lowender Cornish Festival, which is taking place over the weekend of May 19-21 in South Australia’s Copper Triangle.

Also referred to as the Copper Coast, this geographic region on Yorke Peninsula includes the towns of Kadina, Moonta, and Wallaroo. Copper was mined in the area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today the three towns at the centre of the region are proud to maintain their Cornish heritage at a festival that is said to be the largest of its type in the world. So put the festival dates in your diary, and make the trip. The Cornish pasties alone should be worth the drive.

- o0o -

Oh, and the answer to that riddle: An orange.

2017 Wonderwalls Festival, at Pt Adelaide

Vans the Omega’s ‘Flower’,
on the side of YHA building in Adelaide.

Port Adelaide (South Australia), will once again become a giant, interactive canvas with the return of the hugely popular Wonderwalls street art festival this coming weekend (April 21-23, 2017).

This year will see more art unfold from huge international names such as Fats, Inti, Natalia Rak and Telmo Miel, as well as plenty of exceptional local artists, transforming the Port into an open air gallery with large scale murals, artist talks, live art, guided tours and entertainment during the free three-day festival.

The Wonderwalls Festival brings together the best mural artists from around the world and is presented by Renewal SA and artist collective The Hours and project managers Verb Syndicate, together with City of Port Adelaide Enfield and art suppliers Ironlak and Taubmans. Renewal SA is also working with the community to create a ‘living port’ that celebrates the maritime past while embracing the future.

The Wonderwalls movement was started by The Hours and Verb Syndicate in Wollongong in 2011 and is celebrated as one of the leading street art festivals in Australia.

FESTIVAL MAP

With so much to see and do in just three days, we’ve helped you figure out your every move with our Festival Map. The map features not only this year’s who, what, where and when, but also pinpoints the hot spots from Wonderwalls 2015. Download the PDF Map…

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Telmo Miel, Inti, Natalia Rak, Amanda Lynn, Fats, Georgia Hill, Merda, KAB 101, Masika126, Sam Songailo, Jake Logos, Claire Foxton, Elizabeth Close, Zedr, Fortrose, Jimmy C, Numskull, Muchos, Brigid Noone, Cam Kerr, Epyk, Fuzeillear, James Dodd, Josh Smith, J2SKE, Mimby Jones, Mimi, Rick Hayward, Sam Brooke and Vans The Omega.

Here’s a short promotion video for the event:

IF YOU GO

Friday, April 21

Public opening party, 6pm–11pm

Art exhibition, 6pm–11pm

Saturday, April 22

Canon photo tours, 9am–11.30am / 3pm–5.30pm

Artist talks, 3pm–4pm

Art exhibition, 11am–11pm

Street party, 6pm–11pm

Sunday, April 23

Canon photo tours, 9am–11.30am / 3pm–5.30pm

Artist walking tour, 11am–12.30pm

Art exhibition, 11am–5pm

More Information

InDaily article with images…

A 2015 Wonderwalls Gallery…

Summer in South Australia

The latest online newsletter from Inside South Australia carried a great story about a local videographer, Elliot Grafton and his latest video which is fast becoming a big hit. At just four minutes in length, Elliot captures some stunning footage highlighting the joys of summer in my home state.

In the piece, Lana Guineay writes:

      “Fun, adventurous, and crazy beautiful!” That’s how 21-year-old videographer Elliot Grafton describes South Australia – and it’s an apt description for his video which has taken off on social media this week.

      The stunning footage captures a summer spent exploring South Australia, and has received an “overwhelming” response online.

      “It’s a bit crazy,” says Elliot. “Of all my videos, this one has gained so much attention – it’s been great seeing South Aussies really get into it, and say they want to get out there and explore.”

The footage just goes to show how much can be done with new photographic technology such as lightweight drones, tiny GoPro cameras, and Digital SLR cameras. Elliott says he wanted to show a different side of his home state, to locals and further afield.

      “Over the last few years I’ve heard people say things like South Australia is boring and there is nothing to do. That’s not what my friends and I thought.

      “I love it here and wanted people to see how beautiful it really is. Growing up, my family has always taken me on adventures, whether that’s camping or out on the boat. Then I found my love of videography, and realised it’s a great chance to show a different side of the state. This video showcases the things that my friends and I love to do in our spare time, we are so lucky to live in such an amazing state. Get off your phone and get outside, explore what’s out there!”

You can see Elliot’s breath-taking video below. Make sure you hit the 'full screen' icon to watch it in all its glory.

Mannum, South Australia

I recently spent a day in Mannum, a picturesque country town nestled along the banks of the River Murray in South Australia. This three minute video uses photographs, video footage and sound to 'paint a picture' of this delightful town, which is less than 90 minutes from the centre of Adelaide.

In the video can be seen two ferries used to transport vehicles and pedestrians across the Murray 24-hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year. House boats are available for hire in Mannum and other towns along the river, and are very popular with city dwellers and visitors to the region. The area is a bird watchers delight with all manner of native birds calling the river or its environs home. 

Most of the bird sounds on the video belong to the native, Major Mitchell Cockatoo, large white birds that nest along the river in their thousands. Also seen in the video are several pelicans, and the numerous seagulls which, despite being many miles from the ocean, seem to have also made the area home.

Good Days And Better Days

George Lesses (January 4, 1941 – May 10, 2011)

“I only have two kinds of days – good days and better days.

And today is a better day.”

~ George Lesses (January 4, 1941 – May 10, 2011)

Blog posts have been a bit thin on the ground lately. That’s because most of my waking hours have been occupied by the extended illness, and recent death of my older brother, George.

While this may serve as an obituary of sorts for George, it is pretty much impossible to do justice to his 70 years in a few paragraphs. Family man and father, basketball player, coach and mentor, cabinet maker, carpenter and craftsman, athlete, grandfather (‘pop-pop’ to some, and ‘papou’ to others), brother, and lover of life. All these and so much more, sum up the many facets that were my brother and the life he lived.

I hope every family has a man like George in their lives. George was one of the pillars of our family. A man who always made sure to include everyone in celebrations - large or small. One of his personal motto’s was: We’re not here for a long time – we’re here for a good time. To that end, he loved organising family get-togethers, at which he presided over the bar-b-que or roasting spit, and it gave him no end of pleasure to see everyone eating, drinking, laughing and enjoying each others company.

George was the eternal optimist. The saying (and song), Always look on the bright side of life, could have been written for George. More to the point, he might as well have written the phrase himself, so much did he embody its spirit. But George lived by the quote at the start of this entry, which as far as I am aware, was original to him.

The story goes that George, who was a cabinet maker and master of anything involving the use of wood, was having a tough day with a couple of hard to please clients. At one point one of the clients, apologised – sort of – and suggested they were making his day harder than it needed to be, at which George said he replied to the effect: “Not at all. I only have two kinds of days – good days and better days. And today is a better day.”

And thus the phrase has made it into our family folklore.

In 2003, I wrote Good Days, Better Days, a song which adapted and incorporated part of the phrase, which pleased George no end. The song has always been a popular crowd pleaser whenever I performed it live, which you can see me doing in the clip below. George always enjoyed the song, and he was in the audience singing along on the chorus with everyone else when the clip was filmed.

It is a small but fitting tribute to a great man whose legacy survives in his two adult children, four grandchildren (with a fifth on the way), and in far more ways than I can hope to document here.

I’ll miss you bro’. This song’s for you…

Things You Discover Walking #2

Roy 'Mo' Rene (1891-1954)

Image: Roy ‘Mo’ Rene statue

It just goes to show how rarely I walk down Adelaide’s Hindley Street. The statue of Roy ‘Mo’ Rene had been in place for at least four months in 2010 before my round the world trip, but if I had been on Hindley Street during those four months, I was completely oblivious to this wonderful statue.

Created by the South Australian artist, Robert Hannaford, to commemorate one of Australia’s most famous funnymen, the statue stands on the corner of Hindley and Leigh Streets.

The plaque set into the pavement at the foot of the statue states: “One of Australia's greatest and most loved comedians, Roy Rene was born Harry van der Sluys (or Sluice) in Hindley Street, Adelaide.

The son of a Dutch cigar merchant, and one of seven children, he loved to perform from a young age. His first professional job was at the Adelaide markets and his stage debut was as a singer at the Theatre Royal in Hindley Street.

The young Roy moved to Melbourne with his family to continue his acting career. He performed around Australia and New Zealand, eventually moving to Sydney where he joined the vaudeville circuit. Roy Rene became famous for his superb timing and funny gestures and for his distinctive make-up - a painted white face and black beard.

Later, by then known as 'Mo', he teamed with comedian Nat (‘Stiffy’) Phillips and the duo became the renowned 'Stiffy and Mo' comedy act. In the 1940s he turned to radio and his show McCackle Mansion was a huge success.

Some of 'Mo's' favourite catchphrases are still part of Australian vernacular. For example: "Strike me lucky," "Fair suck of the sav," "Don't come the raw prawn with me," and "You beaut!"

The Australian entertainment industry's annual 'Mo Award' for excellence in live performance is named after him.

Commissioned by the Adelaide City Council, the sculpture was created by Robert Hannaford, and installed in Hindley Street in February 2010.

Who’ll Stop The Rain?

Image: Residents in flood damaged Lockyer Valley wait for flood waters to recede

…

Long as I remember, the rain been comin' down,

Clouds of mystery pourin', confusion on the ground.

Good men through the ages, tryin' to find the sun,

And I wonder, still I wonder, who'll stop the rain?

Who'll Stop The Rain? ~ John Fogerty

…

Image: Southbound traffic on the Bruce Highway grinds to a stop due to flooding

…

As I write this, I am keeping an eye on a live television stream from the Australian Broadcasting Commission reporting on the devastating floods that have swept across vast swathes of eastern Australia.

It is impossible to get your head around the massive volumes of water involved. Flood waters have not only covered hundreds of square miles of Queensland, but flood waters are slowly traveling along Australia’s river systems into New South Wales, Victoria, and eventually even into my home state of South Australia. To give you a sense of the distances involved, floodwaters from Queensland will take up to three months to reach South Australia, although heavy rainfalls in that state are already causing minor flooding along parts of the River Murray, one of the longest rivers in Australia.

…

Image: Cars piled up as a result of flash flooding in Toowoomba, Queensland

…

Image: Flash flooding roars down Herries Street, Toowoomba

…

While scenes of the devastation are reminiscent of those seen after Hurricane Katrina made landfall over New Orleans in August 2005, that is about the only comparison that can be made between the two events. Australian authorities, including various branches of the armed forces, have had plenty of time to prepare as best as possible for the flooding, as have non-government agencies like the Red Cross, Salvation Army and other charitable organizations.

Those readers wishing to make donations towards the flood relief effort will find a mass of agencies collecting clothing, goods and money for Australian’s affected by the flooding.

Some suggested websites…

The Queensland government’s official website is a good place to start.

Australian Red Cross…

The Salvation Army…

Australian Broadcasting Commission live television stream…

Friday Photo #8: Mallee Sunset

Click image to view full size

Late afternoon sun has cast a stunning red glow on this tree alongside the Sturt Highway which runs between Adelaide, South Australia and Sydney, New South Wales.

The Murray Mallee is the grain-growing and sheep-farming area covering parts of South Australia and Victoria. The area is predominantly a vast low level plain, with sand hills and gentle undulating sandy rises, interspersed by flats. The area was originally covered in thick scrub, but large expanses were cleared for agricultural development beginning as early as the 1880's. Most of the remaining natural vegetation is in national parks.

Mallees are the dominant vegetation throughout semi-arid areas of Australia where they form extensive woodlands and shrublands covering over 250,000 square kilometres. Thus mallee woodlands and shrublands are considered one of Australia's Major Vegetation Groups.

Just for the record, this image is exactly how it came out of my Canon Powershot S1 IS digital camera. It has not been touched up or enhanced in any way what-so-ever.

Photograph: Mallee Sunset, by Jim Lesses

Location: Dukes Highway, South Australia, April 2009.

With thanks to Wikipedia for information about the Mallee…

House Swapping for Families

~ This is the fourth in an occasional series of articles about house swapping your home with another family, thereby making the most of your travel experience in another city or country. The first article was House Swaps: The Practical Way To Go; the second article, House Swapping for Seniors, provided practical advice for that age specific group of travellers; and the third House Swapping for a Better World discussed how this concept can help break down barriers between different nationalities and cultures. These blog entries are sourced from, and used with the permission of the Aussie House Swap website.

While virtually every individual and couple can enjoy lots of advantages through a house swapping (home exchange) holiday, perhaps families stand to benefit most of all.

Think about it.

Firstly, there are the monetary savings to be gained: no accommodation costs; cooking "at home" instead of going out for meals; free use of car; free laundry, clothesline, dryer and DYI ironing.

No doubt there will also be other savings. For example, you can't stay cooped up together in a hotel room for long. You'll need to spend a good deal of time out and about for the sake of your mental health. And while you're out, you'll inevitably end up spending money on something.

Besides, there's so much more room in a house and yard. Even a normal apartment will be a lot more spacious than a hotel room. So you won't have to go out for your sanity — just to visit local attractions, go shopping and so forth.

Here's something else to think about if you've got children. Why not arrange to house swap with another couple who have children of a similar age? Then you'll each have the necessary items on hand when you get to your destination — whether it be a cot, a high chair, a stroller, a trike or bike. Plus toys and games, books, children's videos, DVDs and the like. None of which (other than one or two special favourites) you will have to take with you. So you'll be able to travel that much lighter.

Even if you're travelling by car, and have a little more room to take things with you, you won't need to cram every corner to get bulkier items in. You'll be able to travel in a lot more comfort.

You may even find a backyard cubbyhouse and swing set at your destination. (Or maybe you'll be on the lookout for things like this, before deciding on which house swap to choose.)

And what if it rains during your holiday? Staying in a normal house is a whole lot more pleasant for a family than being cooped up in a hotel room, or a cramped guesthouse, caravan or tent.

Having constant access to a laundry and iron will also help you travel lighter, since you can pack less clothes when you're able do the washing more often. Especially kiddie clothes, which tend to need changing more than once each day!

Let's return for a moment to the monetary savings you make through house swapping, which are likely to amount to at least hundreds and possibly a couple of thousand dollars. Instead of rationing visits to fun parks, aquariums, "sea worlds" and the like, you'll be able to afford to take the kids to explore as many of these attractions as you like. And STILL come home with a lot more of your hard-earned cash, rather than an empty wallet or purse, and a credit card that will take months to pay off.

When you add it all up, house swapping (home exchanging) really is tailor-made for families!

How much does it cost?

Aussie House Swap membership is only $65 per year! However, if you do not manage to house swap in your first year we will give you another 12 months membership absolutely free! This is our guarantee to you! For $65 (less than the cost of one nights motel accommodation) you can make as many house swaps as you like within your 12 months.

Article courtesy of Aussie House Swap website. Like our Partner site, Home Away, Aussie House Swap gives you the opportunity to stay in someone else’s home, while they stay in yours.

Image for illustration purposes only