OZtralia.tv Blog

So Wicked, So Nice

By: Phoenix Arrien

I took my own advice (see 14th July) and went to see the new stage show ‘Wicked’. Why don’t we go out to the theatre more often? It is such an escape; such an immersion into sight and sound - far better than escaping into TV, alcohol or many other such diversions and the only side effect is a good mood for an inordinate amount of time.

Wicked is about what happened to the Wicked Witch of the West and Good Glinda before Dorothy dropped in and I loved it. It is playing at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne’s CBD and what a great choice: the Regent is a sumptuous Victorian building whose decor is an intricate tapestry and a feast for the eye.

The show is set on a glittering stage and the acts rocks along never missing a beat. Wicked has a bit of everything: fun, morals, romance, dance, song and snappy performances. There is more than a passing nod to the original Wizard of Oz without leaning on it too much to be annoying as this story definitely stands up on its own, so even if you haven’t seen or read the Wizard of Oz it will still draw you in.

I made a night of it and stayed at the luxurious Sofitel Hotel who are offering enticing show packages but more about that wicked night later…I promise.

For more information on Wicked, check out our sister site, www.Broadway.tv.

South Australia Leads The Way

By: Phoenix Arrien

The state of South Australia (SA) is phasing out plastic bags and I believe the other Australian states should follow. SA is also the state in Australia offering cash-back for bottles and cans.

In fact, let the world follow. Not that SA is the only place in the world to do this: San Francisco and China are two that come to mind.

Imagine if all of Australia banned plastic bags: we would see five billion plastic bags less in our landscapes and oceans. The birds, whales, seals and turtles out there that are hurt and choked by such items would be much happier as well.

Travelers can do their bit by refusing plastic bags when offered at shops anywhere. Take along the backpack or material bag and reuse.

OZ Blog Writer Experiences Lakes Entrance, South Australia

By: Phoenix Arrien

The best way to explore the Lakes is by boat. Our boat, The Director, a modern 12 metre catamaran with indoor and outdoor entertaining areas and fully stocked bar,  picked us up at the jetty just outside our accommodation at the luxurious Moorings.

This accommodation is dazzling. The Moorings are a complex of apartments overlooking the pretty Metung Marina, a focus of the charming little lakeside village of Metung, which we found to be a quieter place to stay then the buzz at the Lakes Entrance township.

What is it about waterside accommodation that eventually finds one relaxing on a balcony with a glass of local wine, watching yachts bob up and down in calm water while gulls dance on the air waves?

The Director took us on a journey into the Lakes with history, nature and birdlife vying for our attention until the dolphins leapt alongside and everything else became secondary. The skipper had spent many years on the lakes and was full of stories, while he let kids, brimming with importance, take the wheel on the calmer stretches of water.

Afternoon tea satisfied everyone and a walk across a spit of land to see the wild waters of Bass Strait and hear about an epic walk undertaken by shipwreck survivors to Sydney in the 1800s let our imaginations run as wild.

Sadly leaving the Lakes area we headed along the highway to Orbost, a vibrant little place where walks, picnics spots and shops are the main attractions. The road from here is through forests and over rivers; a magnificent drive though nature and we sighted wallabies (a small kangaroo), echidnas (similar to a porcupine), a blue-tongued lizard and plenty of birds.

Try the south eastern coast of Australia - I am sure you won’t be disappointed.

A Tribute to the 20th Century

By: Phoenix Arrien

The gateway to far east Gippsland on Australia’s southern coast is a watery one. Lakes Entrance is a small town at the entrance to the sea where water flows into three large lakes, the largest inland water system in the Southern Hemisphere.

If there is something puzzling to young children, it is a lifelike statue. Along the foreshore of the busy holiday township of Lakes Entrance are a series of wooden carved statues marking Australia’s involvement in the wars of the 20^th Century.

This includes a statue of a soldier called Simpson who carried wounded off the battlefield on his donkey. Young child patted Simpson, then poked his donkey and watched for a response. None happened so, with the blessed short attention span of a young child, he turned his excited attention to the boats coming in along the wharves.

The Lakes fishing fleet is one of the largest in this part of the world and well worth a look. It became the reason we lived on fish, of the freshest kind, during the three days we spent there.

More tomorrow….

Final Leeuwin Sailing Adventure

By: Phoenix Arrien
Lemme say, I feel proud. I am. ‘Coz me biggest personal challenge came on the last day.

Starting off with a confident step, I bounce up each rung towards the top of the 33 metre main mast. Halfway up I am clinging to the ropes with every inch of my shaking body in complete fear-of-heights terror.

Three quarters up and I am dragging myself inch by inch up the rigging. The boat, far below, rocks on an ocean that stretches to infinity. People are moving insects. Breathing becomes short and shallow. Sea birds soar below me.

As I go higher, the rigging gets narrower and the cables I grip get thinner. The stairway to heaven is tricky.

Well, I coulda done it but ‘twas nice of the Bosun, to shin up the ladder like a lemming to slap me on the back and talk o the weather. Together we reach the end of the rigging and suddenly I am on top of the world. Standing up on the rigging and clutching the top few metres of white mast I felt top o the world.

We rounded Rottnest Island feelin’ better then a dog in a dustbin, topped by the grand entry into Fremantle Harbour where people stared at the ghost from the great age of sailing. With full sails billowing, and towering over other boats in the harbour, we made our way to our berth.

I waved to the waiting landlubbers as I stood nonchanantly up in the rigging, ho hum, no sweat.

Want to have try:

For most voyages on the Leeuwin no previous sailing experience is needed. The Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation provides food, accommodation, safety equipment, wet weather gear and instruction.  A list of what to bring is sent to you.

Prices vary. Duration of trips range from overnighters to multi-week international voyages. Most voyages are in Western Australia with occasional international trips. Visit website www.sailleeuwin.com/

Next week we join the One & All tall ship for a sail along the southern coast of Australia, facing the might Southern Ocean…

The Town On The Edge: Part Two

By: Phoenix Arrien

We explore Mallacoota by land today, taking an extended walk along a deserted beach where the waves swirls around rocks and slaps the shore in a rush of foam before running gently up the shell-pocked sand.

In late September whales appear along the coast as they make their way south to Antarctica but no such giants are present today. There is still plenty to see. The coast is wild and rugged and a strong attraction is to visit the historic old lighthouses, many of whom still shine a light for ships. The walk continues along colourful heathland and then through stunted forests, the trees all windswept and twisted, but the ground soft underfoot.

Our farewell in town occurs at the grooviest live music event I have been to for a long time. Locals all gather at Café 54 once a week for resident musicians to rock the place with blues covers and a few locally inspired tunes. Plenty of food, noise and local gossip creates a great send off from a jewel in a beautiful coastal wilderness, oozing with classic low-key Australian friendliness.

The Town On The Edge: Part One

By: Phoenix Arrien

If you travel along the east coast of Australia between Melbourne and Sydney you will come across secret little towns that are hidden gems. Mallacoota is such a one.

The farthest town in eastern Victoria, the population of several thousand people welcome visitors warmly, but don’t look for them. The ‘coota view is that they live here for the peace and tranquillity, the beauty and natural attractions and the artistic flavour of the community. Being such a stunningly wild place, it is a magnet for artists and writers…and holiday makers.

We are here…puttering along in a small boat along the wild shores of Mallacoota River for half an hour before we found…. there it is! The furry teddy sitting up in the fork of a spindly green gum tree.

Koala bears look gingerbread cute with little round furry ears and big black triangular noses, but such sweetness can be deceptive. These bears have long sharp claws and are known to use them. Therefore they are perfect to look at from a distance, which is exactly where Simon Buckley and his little boat, the equally cutely named boat, the ‘Porkie Bess,’ had places us; close enough to look but not too close for mauling.

Wildlife along the rugged coast and wild forests of Far East Gippsland in south-eastern Australia is abundant. Sparsely populated, with large forests and blessed by a mildly cool climate, this large area making up the easternmost part of the southern mainland state of Victoria, has a diverse range of eco-systems; enough for a wide number of animals and birds to flourish.

We make true and lasting friendships with two retired potters who now run the Karbeethong Lodge where we prop our feet on a chair on the Lodge’s long back porch and spend much time gazing at the view. The shimmering blue waters of the Mallacoota Inlet are only metres away from the porch down a green lawn and around a few trees. Blue misty mountains carpeted with green forests line the horizon above the inlet.

Bruce Heggie and Julie Ford came here from a dry and dusty inland town to absorb the lush nature and peaceful lifestyle. The beauty of the region has even inspired them to take up painting. They bring a warmth that infuses the lodge and helps us relax.

Last night, around the open fire with the sun setting over a golden water vista through the large bay window, friends, visitors, Bruce and Julie and owners Rosemary Luker and Russell Freeman gathered for an evening of swapping life stories, local gossip, historic retellings and jokes. It was a cosy few hours of the sort that can’t be planned, but gracefully appeared to fall lovingly together out of the warm dark woods of the Edwardian décor, the open hearts of the people at the lodge and the tranquillity and beauty of the environment.

The Letter D

By: Phoenix Arrien

Today we bring you the letter D in pure ‘strine for when you next travel Australia and try to understand what the people are saying: from the drawl of the passport control dude to the mumble of the roadhouse counter assistant.

Dag : a funny or silly person
Daks : trousers
Damper : bread made from flour and water
Dead horse : Tomato sauce (don’t think about this too long)
Dinkum, fair dinkum : true, real, genuine ( “is he fair dinkum?”)
Dinky-di : the real thing, genuine
Dob (somebody) in : inform on somebody (known on British cop series The Bill as ‘grassing’)
Dummy, spit the : get very upset at something
Dunny : outside lavatory
Dunny budgie : blowfly
Dunny rat, cunning as a : very cunning

OZ Blog Writer Phoenix Arrien

Our street is quiet now. The family across the road have moved away. They were the noisiest bunch that ever hit our suburban street. Single mum with four kids and several visiting step-children plus girlfriends of sons often hanging out in the house or outside on the front porch, yard and street.

Those ‘modified’ cars that throbbed with techno music and screeched down the streets. Many nights of thumping rock music, loud swearing, drunken yelling, fights and ‘altercations’ would bring police for visits. With sirens screaming, lights flashing, we neighbours would  have something to see through our windows.

Now they are gone, it’s quiet.  Like many middle-class Australian suburbs. But wouldn’t you know it, there is something missing….strangely. The place is too quiet. Now they are gone I remember the chats the mum and I had about kids and life. How her youngest child and my eldest played together. How she let my kids play on her blow-up playground until it was destroyed like everything else.

The workmen are in there right now, clearing the place of rubbish and fixing the house up, ready for a new family.

I hope they are noisy.

Sea Tails: A Well-Oiled Team

By: Phoenix Arrien

We rounded Cape Leeuwin without mishap and dropped anchor at Bunker Bay between Cape Leeuwin and Cape Naturaliste. We lowered the little inflatable ‘fizz boat’ and sped around the

bay kicking up against the small waves. A rope allowed people to swing off the boat and dive into the water; it looked like fun.

We stopped at Busselton and Bunbury to carry the public on twilight sailing, a chance to put our skills to more use and take pride in the ship and each other. We also took shore leave at Bunbury. This seaside city, now with 26,000 inhabitants, was sighted by French explorer Captain De Freycinet from his ship ‘Geographe’ in 1803. Early industries included whaling, farming, mining and commerce. Now, among its attractions are wild dolphins who swim with people at Koombana Bay, more low key then the Monkey Mia dolphins.

Lemme say, I feel proud, I do. Coz’ me biggest personal challenge came on the last day.