King Street again

After a long time, this big dipper spanned by a bridge over a deep gorge has become less scarey.  On the road again, rainy day, M1 Sydney to Newcastle.

King Street Newcastle

Storm clouds seem to gather at the end of the school day.  Right on cue.  3pm.  Recently, shoes off,  we went walking homewards in the rain towards the end of a sudden cloudburst and it was pleasant.

West end pub, Newcastle. Time to go west and north south and east!

Top is first dairy factory and lastly is Nambucca River Co Op at Taylors Arm which closed in 1959 and is still barely standing. Macksville area.

Factory on north side of the river Macksville area 1912.
Before multi-national dairy. Local cooperatives have had their day.

More of yesterdays watermelon and fundraising in front of the supermart.  It's been said before we don't have to run raffles to fund the latest military equipment or ''jobs for the boys'' in London or Washington.  Things that really count are dependent on charity.

Make a donation and guess the weight.  In support of Macksville Hospital. The estimates were from 20 up to 40+ kg. A Macksville farmer would have more idea than most.

   A good watermelon growing season? Sunny days a must.  John Kerry, a US heavyweight, has just raised the international problem of climate change, strangely, during his visit to Indonesia.  He spoke strongly about the truth of the science of climate change.

Somewhere in Newcastle.  But today we have rain falling. Snow or jolly English people gently rowing on the languid Thames with green lawns and homes beside the peaceful waters are images that have another side to them, sad to say.
Any climate change is a global concern. The good with the bad, the rich with the poor.   

 Great to check safety on trucks but some hugh loads are seen whizzzing along the highways like the north coast yesterday.  Lollypop man on a stinking hot day, we could have detoured into Nambucca instead of this had we known.

This Australian industry could go a long way.  Forget about canning fruit.  Industrious workers are making tents, campers, caravans and motorhomes of all shape, size and price and were on exhibition over the weekend. The above Trooper seems to be a sturdy rig for off road conditions.
It is in our interests to protect the environment to support tourism and caravaning industry.
As our roads become first grade we are instead taking to bush bashing.  What will be preserved in the great outdoors after terrible drought, heatwaves and dangerous bushfires are our lot. Can we afford outdoor past times with this level of consumption?  Who knows?
If one was to pay $200,000 plus for a caravan type vehicle would they really want to take to the great outdoors and battle the elements.  The motel industry misses out business from the self-contained customers in motorhomes etc. One could travel round Australia in a comfortable car at good speed with good fuel economy and stay in Motels, go anywhere free of towing anything, for less than the cost of a hugh caravan.
Just saying. Since the 1960s, Winnebago Motorhomes have been available and made locally. However, it's strange but they had no connection with Winnebago USA. Fittings etc may have been imported and used. Then it was declared that the name Winnebago should not be used here so more recently the name Avida has been adopted by the manufacturers.
On the road again, below, packing up after the show.

Garside garden Newcastle.

The fashion in media is total absorption in Federal Government. Sadly, it deflects attention from what really matters in State and Local government.        And Federal matters cast a shadow of doom by anti-scientific, anti-intellectual, anti-sustainability, anti-humane, anti-union, revisionist, pragmatic,  driven by economics alone ideology.  Any trivial statement from an MP on matters outside his expertise is a non-event yet grabs the power.
        Hugh resources go into a federal government apparatus.  Do we really need three levels of governement.  They are totally out of proportion. 

And I will get a life. Cheers.

Escape the heatwave. Uncrowded, wide, ancient, flat as super bowl, golden, silicious, gritty, clammy, squashy, barraging, cooling beach.

While it is never to late to learn, another lifetime is a good idea, firstly for me to learn how to live and secondly to learn to write English prose.
A review in the Newcastle paper, The Herald, gave us the key to the use of adjectives.  A revelation. A suggestion for the word order of adjectives is there and word order is significant in English. No expert told me about the use of adjectives which usually stumps me.
  Goodness, recently it took me hours to recall the name  behind Universal Grammar namely Noam Chomsky who presents counter intuitive theories of language learning. Very mysterious.
Opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose-noun... so there.
The Elements of Eloquence How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase by Mark Forsyth. Icon Press

These four birds look like plovers. Here they were at the beach but they are often found on the ground alone in the very middle of a green sports field or stomping around a busy car park or close to the side of a busy city road. Like living in a war zone.

 

Happy Chinese New year. Some planners must be expecting similar crowds here if this taxi sorting area is anything to go by and, gosh,  it puts us right up there on the world stage.

Recently I grabbed some canned fruit at Aldis and it is not my favourite food and later I noticed how pale were the chopped scraps of fruit containing 40% fruit juice and was made in China and the brand name was Sweet Valley (sic).  Remember our Goulbourn Valley brand?
   Australian fruit and processes are much more preferable than imports.  The food miles from Chine are absurd and unsustainable.  I won't buy such as that till forced.
  All the same, the space for real food, such as canned fruit, has shrunk on the shelves.  Dinky little tubs of fruit are the go.
  All wise,  all modern woman at the supermart happened to be praising the said tubs of fruit as the best thing since sliced bread for her children.  Better choice than some the processed fruit contains sugar in the sweetend fruit, is 40% juice and has packaging and shipping.
  We don't want to lose the ability to eat a piece of fresh fruit which is a more complex food and is a healthy choice. We can't become too helpless and lacking fibre to manage a piece of fruit!  The experts promote fruit and vegies for health - it is so easy.  Nevertheless, there are those who manage without eating fruit and vegies.  They must be the exception. 
 
Australian fruit industry needs support now.

Rediculous photo.  Several months ago bush fire swept through and took out a service station on southern edge of the district while the 'big' prawn is all that remains intact
Rafa was one of the big ones in combat in the Australian Open but his fortunes changes the next day.  Mens and womens finals were unlkely matches this time.

On the beachfront at Port are found very lovely tributes, graffti and memorials.  Words about unforgettable holidays, many year after year, caravaning and camping and annual reunions.   That's Port Macquarie. Will the beachside caravan parks be retained in perpetuity? Let's hope so!

For Australia DAY 2014 and the birthplace of European settlement: Botany Bay.  Two runways of Sydney Airport extend into the bay and a succession of early flights touch down after the longest of hauls. 'Straya Day

Arrivals.  The indicator keeps repeating 'flight delayed'.  No, it won't be the travellers emerging in winter clothes and coats nor the warm designer outdoor gear. Activity stops. Next a crowd from an Asian country and cabin crew women extremely slender and in delightful long outfits.     What's next?. A crowd totting trailer sized snow boards.  Then some with Muslim scarfs

Welcome to Straya.

- now that's getting closer. Yes, several people in crumpled summer gear with vast luggage and Straya lookalikes - its hopeful. Then no one emerges. Next, a few sturdy Anglo cabin crew possibly Jetstar or Qantas related - good sign. Even a few of post-Bali appearance emerge. It can't take much longer.  A newborn with very long black hair and from Jakarta is greeted by the relatives beside me. Next, I believe is a large group of Vietnamese, many with cartons of cargo piled high. No, a return to lots of rugged up travellers, and an Ashkenazian look a like and an overthetop fun pretend celeb.   Another gap.  What's the delay? Is there a drug bust inside? Wait, a pilot and side kick in SHORT sleeve shirts - is that a give-away?  Followed by a long gap. Some stragglers then the object of our long wait roll into view.  Relief and joy. 

Things to do on an extremely hot extremely humid late afternoon. Two surf boats race to the shore at Crescent'. Surf was 'up' yesterday.

High wide and green rows of trees are found all around the Southern highlands.  They don't lend themselves to the climate of the Newcastle district.

 At the institution, vintage pine trees grew in the garden.

The facade. More like I'd imagine from the likes of southern Europe.

Closer to the old institution

At the same institution
Who was spied in a brief appearance, faltering, short beard, pink tie - Jay Carney. Good grief! 

A large institution

Enjoy nature. This is the district where the film Babe was made.
Nature and a polar vortex brings life threatening cold to some and at the same time life threatening heat wave to our western state. Enjoy nature while you can. Abbott government is most interested in big business and letting them off the hook as regards carbon pollution. So called progress at the expense of global survival.

at dawn

sunrise

Bong Bong race track is a long standin name and is nothin to do with recreational drugs as far as I know. This ain't Colarado 'yr know.

late sunrise
Horse show events include jumps and a charge up over the hill

Historical village becomes tea rooms.

In Bong Bong Picnic Race Track late afternoon.

Ambush