Slow

Kylie Minogue; Acer Arena, Sydney-Homebush.

What are the first few things you knew in your lifetime about Australia? Some people might answer; Didgeredo's, Kangeroos, The Great Barrier Reef, Koalas, The Sydney Opera House.

These would also be true for me, but I would also add 2 more on the list. Rolf Harris and Kylie Minogue. Having seen everything else I've written about here already; it was time to see the final one. So Lauren and I scuttled on over to the Olympic showgrounds on a Tuesday night to go see the showgirl herself. Kylie. Quite an odd show really, an arena full of people, not many of them moving very much, not many kids like I thought there might be, plenty of gays but an awesome light show and sound spectacle to see when you looked past the thousands sat in front; and we had "Gold" seats.

I couldn't possibly compare this gig to anything I'd normally go to, cos it's nothing like those. In it's own right it was awesome, though I could only do it once in a very blue moon. Like the Spice Girls in 1998, I'm glad I've seen another of the living worlds most famous stars perform.


Without snobbery toward the dated songs that made her famous, she performed I Should be so Lucky, Better the Devil You Know and Step Back in Time

The stage went off like some of the best bits of a Daft Punk gig , some of the glamour of a Kanye West show, and the acoustics of a U2 show. All in all, well impressive. Nice work Kylie. Except next time - try making the tickets a little cheaper, it's the most I've ever paid for a single act concert here or in the UK. Did someone say Economic Crisis!?

Ding Dong Merrily on High

The 12 Pubs of Christmas Episode III.

If you're a regular reader of this blog - I think there might still be one or two out there - mum? dad? You'll remember the format of the 12 pubs of Christmas pub crawl. A route of 12 pubs - all attendees generally wearing something Christmassy, and each drinking one drink at each pub before moving on about 40-50minutes later.

The first year we started in Paddington and made our way into and through the city.

The second year we hit up the Rocks and then looped back into the city.

This year, we ventured out to Balmain, and then after about 5 pubs, made our way into the city and toward the Metropolitan Hotel, the finish line of the 12 Pubs of Christmas.

Needless to say, I feel honoured and proud to have sunk 36 (+) beers over the past 3 Christmasses, although this was a little different not having one of the Chambers brothers in the party with us... some excuse about moving interstate to Victoria or something...

This year was also a first for me... as it later transpired to having had one of the most unhealthy days eating ever too... I think the final count was one KFC, one o'Portos, and two Subways... I don't recall if it was two foot longs or not but even still...

So again, the memories side of things - not good... I do remember having a lot of fun, a lot of laughs... and know I didn't get lost this year between pubs. I do remember not finishing at the magic 12... and sinking around another 3-4 beers, and the obligatory Jaegor Bomb or 3, and maybe a Jack n coke for good measure... it's not particularly surprising what happened out the taxi window on the journey back home through Sydneys Eastern Distributor. I blamed the drivers driving at the time... hilariously.

A huge congratulations and thankyou goes out to Kevin Hussey, for whom these crawls would not have been possible - as well as to the 100-200 patrons that have joined us over the last 3 years... I wonder if I'll be starting a spin-off series in London - next year - I do know, that 12 pints would scare me.

Right as Rain

BlueBottle and new Toys...

So I experienced 2 things new this week or two... first, was a lot more pleasent than the the second...

After a media storm kicked off the life of Canons new 5D Mark ii... I managed to get lucky and get one of the very small consignment that made it into Australia. So I have been living up the joy of having a full frame DigiSLR with a monster 21mega-pixel sensor, and full 1080 High Def video recording capabilities... nice.

Then yesterday, I went for a swim after work... and got stung. I dived face first into an oncoming wave - something I'd do quite usually... a sensation I'd not felt before hit me. It felt like coarse sea-weed swiping from my collarbone, up across my face to the ear on the other side of my face. Luckily my eyes were closed, as I'd just been zapped by a blue-bottle (jelly-fish). I had 1hour of what I can quite certainly describe as the worst pain I've ever endured at the hands of an animal on Earth.

The lifeguard put me in a hot shower and I had to suck up the pain until it eventually subsided. Nice. Just what I needed, another water-phobia!
(Edit: a couple months on, and I'm no happy once again back in the water - though I always think twice - and quite often put both hands out in front of me when diving now.)

(Picture from an exhibit at the Australian Natural History museum- click on it for a bit more info).

Crack the Shutters

Camping - Bouddi National Park

So a weekend of being away from Sydney was ahead of us... Not too far mind, right on the southern tip of the Central Coast, not too far from Gosford.

Destination Bouddi National Park. Matty, Si, Michelle, Loz and a few others all drove over before midday and set about hiking down hill to a secluded little beach called Maitland Bay (I think!). Here we had the entire beach to ourselves (almost), and bathed, explored and ate a picnic lunch. An older couple drove their boat in to shore before the man, comically stood atop his vessell cooking a BBQ in nothing but Speedos, had the wife in the water scrubbing the hull for barnicles and algae... it was like something from a Carry-on movie!

We packed up shortly after and hiked the long uphill back to the cars. From here we drove around to Bouddi National Park and once again hiked downhill to the campsite awaiting our arrival. Another abandoned beach with only one other group of people in site. Some awesome rolling waves coupled with beers (don't try this at home kids) saw us messing about for the afternoon drinking the Saturday afternoon away before dusk.

Wedgie & Alison arrived, and soon we were awaiting one of Mattys famous camp stews for dinner. After said meal, things got a little hazy and the high-jinx stretched into the night...