Street art in Bellingen

We were up in Sawtell and had dinner in Bellingen. I got such a buzz when I saw this art. It's our very own from Chippendale!

I love it when you recognise artists work. It makes you feel sort of connected, or part of something.

I was also very taken with this one, and great to see country towns getting the great street art too.

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Piha Beach

I'll be out most of this weekend, and leaving early Sunday morning to walk the 28 km of 7 Bridges for Cancer Council. (Well, really for myself but raising money for cancer council). 

While in Auckland, the first thing I did was head to Piha Beach, based on a photo in Ali Wong's Instagram when she visited while on tour. It did not disappoint, but more on that to come in a more detailed post....

However, this picture make me smile for the wow factor and the memory.

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Here & There

 

While in Singapore, I took my friend to Gardens by the Bay, the glorious domes scattered with plants and art.

We discussed both Chuhily (currently at the South Australian Botanic Gardens too) and Bruno Catalano. 

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A week later I visited the Sculptureum in Auckland, and guess who I saw?

It amused me no end that the two artists I singled out to my friend were also pride of place at the next 'garden' I visited.

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F1 season

Long time readers will know that September is F1 season for me - I dash off to Singapore for the fabulous Night Race. I then book and plan the next year's trip. Alas this time, there's no next year trip as we're doing a reno and with interest rates, we just won't have the money. But I'm trying to win a trip as I'm mature like that.

I did look at Melbourne but the ticket prices are nuts, so Singapore (or Suzuka) are still the better options.

In recent years I sat opposite Yuki's garage for Qualifying, but never quite managed a good photo of him.

I am sad not to have a race trip planned to look forward to, but I'm hoping some miracle changes that....a lotto win, a competition win....who knows.

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Just one more....

Happiness

 I've spent the last month travelling to 4 countries and a coastal town. It's been a whirlwind of good times and interesting things.

However, once home and unpacked I took our little baby out for a walk and was filled with the joy that only walking a dog in the sunshine can bring.

It's worth remembering that happiness is usually found in the simplest of things.

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Kea

While in Auckland, because the weather looked like it would sour my afternoon ramble, I decided to head to the zoo to see a Kiwi instead (more on that to come). 

The zoo has brilliant aviaries that replicate forests that you can walk through both the ground and treetops of.

I saw a Kea feeding on a rock, and it seemed content to let me photograph it.

The Kea is a large bird in the parrot family that is found in the forest and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. It nests in burrows or the crevices in the roots of trees.

Sadly, this extremely smart bird (that can apparently solve logic puzzles according to wiki) was once killed by humans as they feared it would attack sheep, so now it is uncommon (though protected since 1986). It remains endangered.

 Linking with #SaturdayCritters   #GardenAffair

  #WildbirdWednesday #AwwMondays #WWOAT #WWOT #WordlessWednesday

September Reading

Heading off again tomorrow, so I'll get straight into it.

How to Stop Time. It took me two thirds of the book to get into it - I found him a little annoying and the name dropping really irritating but the last third once the action heats up, engaging and interesting. I think if you like his other books, then you'll enjoy it. 

This is a junk crime - def a holiday read. I liked the cultural difference. Indonesian Chinese family star. There are some very funny bits but overall, I wasn't in love with it. Entertaining enough, but not really recommending it.

Ghost Ship This is a collection of beautiful poems, very poignant at times, amusing at others. One very heartbreaking I was at a loss for words. It got me thinking a lot about memory, and how we work it, touching it like a familiar fabric for comfort, even when it hurts. Lovely imagery that sticks in my mind well after reading. The description on the back jacket got me thinking...

Travelling Light I am slowly working my way through all of her adult works as they translate into English. This collection of short stories was written in the 80's, I think, though most seem timeless except a couple, in particular, Correspondence. Some travel out of Finland, for the first time if I recall correctly. One of the things I like about short stories is it's interesting to see what hooks people. My husband had read the book before me and he talked of one story in particular that he really liked. I was genuinely surprised he liked it so much as it didn't appeal to me as much as a couple of the others. But I guess that's why we discuss books...we all bring a different insight to them. Lovely collection on travel (& how we think about it) and I enjoyed it on my travels.

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