western australia

A cool tattoo?

by Cellobella on Friday, December 10, 2010 · 5 comments

I don’t normally take photos of hunky blokes down the beach.

Surfee dude types

Especially not ones who – lets face it – could be my sons.

I’m not the cougar type.

But when I spied that tattoo on his back… well!

Smiley face tattoo

My first thought was… are you kidding me?!

Who gets a smiley face tattoo.

My next thought was… have I missed a “cool” lesson somewhere?

So tell me internets – cool or uncool?

And then we went for a walk.

It had been a hot day.  Bushfires.  Windy.

So I thought an evening stoll en famile would be nice.

Cottesloe Beach

Fishing from the groin

When we got to the beach it was COLD!

Really windy.

A little… unpleasant.

So rather than a longer walk towards Swanborne – we headed for the groin.

A bit pathetic really.

The pylon with the smog of the fires on the horizon

Of course you can’t keep a teenage boy out of the water no matter how much you talk about shark weather…

Fun in the surf keeping an eye out for sharks

Get your mum to apply the sunblock

by Cellobella on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 · 1 comment

This is why.

Use zinc cream to get this effect

Ah the follies of youth.

Of course none of us would go outside in the Perth sunshine, well known for its lethal properties and expose our skin to within an inch of the burns unit.

Would we?

Nahhhh.

Well not without letting someone we trust apply the sunblock.

My poor baby has been in pain for four days and scratching for another four following this fun day at the beach.

We’re hoping she learns from this experience.

Poor thing.

Imagine having bloggers as parents…

Groover blogs here.

Can you help name this wildflower?

by Cellobella on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 · 2 comments

What is this called?

Yesterday I asked for your help in naming the flowers I photographed on my recent trip to Dunsborough.

A trip obstensively organised in order for me to play bridge, drink and eat with others who like to play bridge, drink and eat.

We didn’t win any money but the Busselton Bridge Club put on a fine event and we had a lot of fun.

Luckily for this blog, Doug (well his fiancee) and Paul came to the party with a bunch of names and now there is just one little orphan.

Any ideas?

Does this pic help?

Wildflowers in Dunsborough are tiny treasures

by Cellobella on Monday, October 25, 2010

Blue lady orchid

I know that I am somewhat parochial when it comes to the wonders of Western Australia.

This will come as no surprise to you.

We are carrying the nation at the moment of course and some of our natural features are extraordinary:

Purnalulu, Karajini, whale sharks to name a few.

And of course our wonderful wildflowers.

Mostly when you say wildflowers people think of the carpet of flowers that spreads across the midwest, but this time of year the southern forests are a treasure trove.

No wonder pioneer Georgiana Molloy got so excited.

The thing with the forests is that it is not until you are walking through the bush that you really see these glorious beauties.

And of course I was walking with my macro set to on.

I discovered two orchids – a pink enamel (my son assures me) and a blue lady.

Pink enamel orchid

If you can help me with the names of some of the others I’d love you for it.

How gorgeous is this purple fringed one?!

Some kind of fringe flower

In a New York Minute

by Cellobella on Friday, October 22, 2010

“In a New York Minute, everything can change… things can get a little strange” DON HENLEY

I’m in this  Spontaneous Insanity show at the Subiaco Arts Centre and I am out of my comfort zone.

Featuring Libby, Glenn, Louisa and Shane

It is a wholly improvised show, with improvised music and improvised lighting.

Some of the cast with Glenn Hall (centre), the director.

Luckily I completely trust my fellow actors and the director.

It is really exciting to consider long form improvised theatre.

Unlike Theatresports, there are no games and the director gets more involved in the action.

Glenn, Bree and Emmet ham it up for the camera

We’re in the studio at Subiaco Arts Centre. There will be caberet seating – you know… little tables and chairs – and there will be nibbles on each table.

You will be close to the action.

Book here.

This is me - all dressed up with somewhere to go

Weather with you

by Cellobella on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 · 2 comments

Rainy Royal Street

You can tell it has been a dry winter when I’m blogging OMG it’s raining posts.

OMG it’s raining!

No really.

It is.

It is sooooo nice to see the rainwashed pavements, to see the thundercloud gloom spread through the big picture windows of the office.

Yes I have raised the blind to let in more light and watch the rain sheet across my vision.

But then.

I could have predicted rain this end of October.

It always rains around my birthday.

Hmmmm.

I predict the traffic will be woeful this afternoon.

Perth can’t handle the rain!  (she says in her best Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men style)

Perth motorists plus puddles equals traffic chaos

Tripping the light not-so fantastic

by Cellobella on Friday, October 15, 2010

 

I love the Council House lightshow and when showing visitors around I will always point it out – if I’m near the city.

The other day for instance I drove my eastern states colleague back to his hotel and driving past Kings Park I thought a little detour was in order.

He made the usual appreciative noises about the view – which is pretty spectacular – and I, pointed out Council House.

“See that building down there lit up in pink”, I said, “Well the City spent millions on this great lightshow and I really love it. Any minute now it will change colour. ”

“It’s soooo beautiful!” I enthused.

And we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

But the building remained stubbornly pink.

And I shamefacedly drove down the hill and dropped him off.

Two nights later I was driving back from bridge – State Open Teams – we’re coming last – and I noticed that the building was STILL pink!

What the hell?

Was it broken?

So I rang up the City of Perth (as you do) and asked them.

Turns out if you’re a not-for-profit or charity you can book the light show.

This week, apparently, the light show has been commandeered by the Pink Ribbon Day crowd.

You know, for breast cancer.

And get this… it’s free!

Well… unless you want a complicated show that is when it costs you the time it takes to program in the lights… maybe $50 the fellow told me.

And it can be quite complicated – words scrolling across the building for example.

I was blown away.

But, I’m afraid, still a little bit pissed off that the “proper” light show wasn’t on when I wanted to show off to my colleague.

But that’s just me.

Selfish.

Breast cancer research is a good cause – I just kind of wish they’d paid the $50 and put on a show.

Council House lit up in pink for Pink Ribbon Day...

 

Apologies for fuzzy cam but it’s only an instamatic camera – what can you do?

And that green spiky thing is the belltower.

I wonder if you can hire that too?

Back to Fremantle

by Cellobella on Monday, September 27, 2010 · 1 comment

The scene at the Sail and Anchor in Fremantle on a Sunday afternoon

Just metres from where I met Groover back in 1990

Across the road at The Monk, Groover indulges in an Octoberfest beer

While I sample a cheeky pinot noir

Our 18th wedding anniversary saw us head to Fremantle to celebrate.

We started at the Sail and Anchor where I have to say I was disappointed with the beer list… none of my favourites on it.

I ended up with a midi of Redback, Groover had an IPL which he was very happy with.

The table needed a good wipedown.

Luckily the company was good and the atmosphere convivial.

After the beer we went for a walk around the town.

It was Sunday afternoon busy and we wandered in and out of the shops along High St all the way down to the Roundhouse where we saw a bridal party right near the spot where we first kissed all those years ago in 1990.

The Whalers’ Tunnel is now closed but that night in January it was open and we explored it together in the balmy heat of an Australian summer.

After our walk we decided that Tapas at The Monk was the way to go.

They do THE BEST pork belly and scallops and they chop the squid up like french fries and serve it with a Thai dressing that is to die for.

We sat outside on the not-so-high stools and sampled the beer and a cheeky pinot noir that went down as easily as something that goes down really easily…

But Groover was craving another IPL so back to the Sail and Anchor we went for another round.

No pinot on the menu either so I settled for a Sav Blanc.

Sigh… such hardship.

Eighteen years is a long time and there have been times when it seemed impossible that we would be here together.

But here we are, Groover cleaning the pool, me about to sew a dress… the picture of domestic harmony.

Oh and the kids?

Banned from their computers.

Maybe not so harmonious after all.

:)

Crawley Boathouse

by Cellobella on Monday, August 9, 2010

The Crawley boathouse

Today I wandered towards the Crawley boathouse and the Eliza statue for a bit of a looksee.

On Saturdays you struggle for space as the jetty out to the old boathouse is groaning under the weight of bridal parties keen for those “special shots”.

(or maybe not so special as there are A LOT of brides who get the boatshed shots)

But have you ever wondered about the boat that lives inside the boathouse?

Me too.

Through the broken board.

A lone kayak

Afterward I wandered back to Neds for a coffee and then had lunch with an archaeology friend.

She is so enthusiastic about archaeology that it is impossible not to be inspired, so afterwards I enquired about post-graduate diplomas.

It’s a “next-year” project if it ever happens but I confess that some of the units do look very interesting.

And oh! The excitement of field trips. I loves it.

Hmmmm.

We’ll see.

The foggy sun

by Cellobella on Saturday, July 31, 2010

Yachts in the foggy sun

I love the dreamy light in this photo.

In real life the sun glinting on the water and the fog was blinding and without sunglasses, painful.

But it was a beautiful morning to walk along the river and think of nothing except for camera angles.

Father and son

I boosted the contrast on this photo so you can see the figures a little more clearly… but it loses the dreamy quality.

What do you think?

Less contrast?

The unedited version

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