Yinka Shonibare MBE

Yinka Shonibare MBE

This sculpture Reverend on Ice (2005) references a famous painting of a Rev Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch attributed to Sir Henry Raeburn.

I took the kids and we went to see the retrospective of Yinka Shonibare MBE at the MCA. We were captivated by the sculptural manequins dressed in the clothing of the nineteenth century with an assortment of wild animals and subverted and explicit references to the art of others -Dorian Gray (2001) Photographs - Oscar Wilde and Fragonard, The Swing (2001).

The video booth interview of him talking about this work was carefree in its exposure of his ideas which he has developed through a number of traditional mediums but colouring them with his political layers of Nigerian post colonialism. It's worth seeing and taking in, read the book in the lounge area for the full impact of his art - this retrospective will tour to Brooklyn Museum N.Y. and the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC. in 2009.

Sugarloaf Mountain

It's not really a mountain, it's more of a hill. It is viewed best from the bay view off the northern escarpment of the Crag. The walk down to it is worth the effort. Here are some of the photos from our most recent excursion down there. From our door we walk to Tower Reserve using the footpath off our street. Then it's a short walk to Stoker Playground until the path beckons to the view below. Which is literally vertical from that moment until we reach the bottom. One day we will take the journey by kayak and explore the shoreline from the salt water. For me, Sugarloaf is the eqivalent of Boyd's Pulpit Rock over the Shoalhaven, a view I can return to again and again in any light and time of day.

Not the end of Summer but close

This Summer has held lots of walks, beaches, fish, waves, sunshine, oysters, rainforests, books, journeys, new people, old friends, and the feeling of warm air on the skin.

Retreat Reserve Summer

Twelth Summer of the eldest son

This is the part of the year that I love, when we are salty, humid, and in the fresh air every day. The tide is perfect for swimming and we can try a little line fishing, of course we don't catch anything, but we peer at the shoals of small fish that could one day grow big enough. There are jelly fish to play with and Alex contemplates bringing some home for a salt water aquarium but we manage to talk him out of it. Nick is more adventurous this year and will probably be really swimming this time next year. It's a dry rainforest that we walk through this year with the creek barely running. At home we search the freezer for ingredients for a curry and rest again in the setting sun. The blue crane was in fishing and catching them. Many skinks were playing on the logs and rocks.

Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge, Springbrook National Park is a most unusual geological feature created over millions of years by water tumbling through the roof of a basalt cave. Natural Bridge is home to an amazing colony of glow-worms, whose lights can be seen only after sunset. Lookouts and lush rainforest also grace this World Heritage-listed haven, making it one of the most popular parks in Australia. Take the short circuit walk to the natural arch over Cave Creek, and view the unique waterfall and cave. Enjoy a picnic and relax in cool rainforest. Join a nocturnal tour to see delicate glow-worms. (Remember a torch for the walk, but turn it off once in the cave.) On summer nights, see luminous fungi and fireflies. During the day, hear the calls of paradise riflebirds, green catbirds and wompoo fruit-doves.

Summer Holiday

The pool at Casuarina Beach
Jon and I in self portrait phone pic

Alex is happy

Aunty T

We caught up with Ruby, Sophia, Paula and David

Jeanette at Bamboo Restaurant

The cascading water

Pink orange frangipanni

As it says - in Casuarina Beach

Three brothers on a road trip

We travelled a long way this year from Sydney to Uki, and ventured even further to the Gold Coast and Brisbane. We stayed at Cabarita Beach and enjoyed walking to the beach from where we were staying each day. The kids loved the surf and we were glad of the life savers. I visited the Curious Art Gallery in Chinderra and loved a painting called Lillith in Warsaw by Ness Bryant. We went to the Murwillumbah Pool now rebuilt and played for two sunny days. We travelled across the Queenland Border to the Natural Arch and the rainforest walk. Mum showed us the Nimbin Rocks a spectacular natural part of the caldera.

On Alex' birthday we went to Sea World and saw dolphins, and the water ski show. But best of all Alex and Tom got to go on the rides, Jet Rescue and The Flume ride.

We ate mangoes everyday and felt our skin relax under the northern sun.

And the green colours and the trees and the mountains will stay in our memories forever.