Holidays Over ... Time To Work

So having a great couple of days it was now time to actually do some work seeing the company was now paying for some stuff. On the upside I got into such a better hotel than where I was before (and it was only and extra $20 a night from where I was before).

I was a little worried in my adventures "what would happen if I fell over, broke my leg and couldn't actually work and do what I'd been sent down here to do?". Note to self for future - work first, then play.

The 4 days that I've been working have been some serious hours. Usually by the time I finish work and get back to the hotel, restaurants aren't even open to try to grab a bite. It certainly has been a challenging environment. Basically the company is downsizing the Adelaide office. Thus I have the fun task of taking work off people who have been made redundant and transferring it to Sydney.

Ah well. Looking forward to the weekend and one last little adventure before I fly back to Sydney.

Bed Bugs - ARGH!!!!

I came down to Adelaide several days before work and paid for my own hotel. I figured I'd spoil myself a little with a 4 star hotel. I made a really bad choice. The first night I had bed bugs (I went through 30 hostels in Europe and never had this problem but do in an expensive hotel - WTF?!), couldn't sleep properly most nights, the trims on the hotel certainly weren't 4 star, the location was rather bad and the staff just seemed indifferent.

When I checked out there was the usual 'How was your stay". At times like this you wonder whether you should let them know, will it do any good, will you feel better? I just let it slid knowing I would never be back there and hope that no one else evers stays at Hotel 208 in Adelaide.

Kangaroo Island Thoughts

Kangaroo Island was an amazing place. Unfortunately I only got to spend a day there and being part of a tour group, everything seemed a bit rushed. Still, seeing some of it rushed is better than not seeing it at all. The upside with the tour is that we lucked out and had a great tour guide who lived on the Island for 50 years. You certainly got the feeling it has seen massive changes in those times. It seems that in the last 10 years, once a regular ferry service was put in place, that is when the Island has really opened up to tourists - for better or worse.

Admirals Arch

Back into the coach and off for another drive. We then came to this spot with some wonderful scenic views:



Who can argue with views like this? Actually when I get back home I've taken quite another of photos that I would like to use as plates for matte paintings.



I guess the obvious question becomes "Why is it called Admirals Arch?" ... well, because of this:



Now if you look down in the bottom left hand corner of the above photo, you'll see that there are some seals in the photo. Here is a close up.

Remarkably bad naming.

After the seals, into the coach for another 45 minute drive for some lunch. Afterwards it was another 45 minute coach ride out to "Remarkable Rocks" (I must admit, the naming of sites on the island was very ordinary). So what is remarkable rocks, well, these things.



Basically they are single, monolith structures of granite. The largest one weighs around an estimated 5000t. It was hard to get decent photographs without tourists in the way. Although without them, if you haven't been there, you don't get a good sense of scale.

Just How Big

So the third largest Island... doesn't sound like much, its just an Island. It is 150km long. It also has a seal breading ground over an hours drive from where we landed. This was definately a highlight and we were only just metres away from guys like this:



The beach itself was just lined up with these lazy buggers (and for those who are wondering, no they didn't smell at all)



Actually they weren't lazy. What they do is go out to sea for 3 days and feed non stop, no sleep etc. In 3 days they may swim around 1000-2000km. Thus they then get to shore, rest for 3 days straight and repeat the cycle. Even got to see one surfing a wave into shore, pretty special.

Monday - Kangaroo Island Bound

I jumped into a coach and headed out to Kangaroo Island. It is a 2 hour drive from Adelaide and then a 45 minute ferry ride. Kangaroo Island is the 3rd largest Island in Australia (1st being Tasmania, 2nd Lord Howe). They had some wind farms on the shore line and these are the first that I've seen in Australia - trying to recall if I saw some in Europe/Outside Amsterdam.

Hahndorf

After a scenic look over Adelaide, it was off to a small little town called Hahndorf. During the 1830-40s, there was religious persecution all over Europe. Thus some germans decided to 'escape' to South Australia, which was growing at the time. They setup this town called Hahndorf. It is kinda touristy but quaint and I had a good feed.

Adelaide Hills

In the afternoon I jumped onto a tour bus to go to places just a little outside of Adelaide. Ideally I like to explore on my own but given the short lead time I had in researching this trip, I'll let someone else do a bit of the organising this time. Adelaide itself sits on a plain and this is taken from the mountain about 15 minutes drive out of Adelaide. It is 770m above sea level. The haze made for some interesting views.

Sunday: Rodin - What is Genius?

Have to Adjust to 'small town' working hours. Being a Sunday, nothing really opened or got moving until about 11am. Thus I went to the art gallery first and they had an exquisite exhibition of Rodin sculptures. While there, a brother and sister where having a look at the exhibit by themselves. They were about 12 years old - the sister into it, the brother wanted to be elsewhere.

It made me wonder, how would you explain the 'genuis' of Rodin to someone like that? I've always had a thing when it comes to art about people talking down to those interested but with little background. Often the response seems to be something along the lines "well, if you can't understand his genius, then your just uncultured". Always seemed to be a cop out. People want to know more about it and rather than nurtured, their interest is dismissed.

Then it occurred to me, at least in the context of Rodin. Genius' are able to create a new path through the wilderness, to get to a beautiful site we've never seen before. They lead the way and do all the hard yards so that once we see it in the new light, it becomes obvious and how could we have ever seen it differently. Think about impressionist paintings. They started to see light differently yet it makes such obvious sense today.

In terms of Rodin, he showed a new way of expressing the human form. Something less polished than a Michangelo but as valid.

Dumb Stupid Luck Continuing

It seems sometimes taking a great photograph is a matter of just happening to be in the right place at the right time. This photo seems to be no exception. It was just the sunsetting and the way the buildings align, made for some great piccys - no photoshop or anything else, this is the raw photo.

Picture Perfect

After the Art Gallery, I went for a walk around the CBD of Adelaide. The weather was fantastic and it was just so picture perfect. The one thing about the place is that the CBD is surrounded by 17,000 hectares of parkland - it is everywhere. This is the area just north of the CBD and just so relaxing.

From the Airplane Straight Into the Art Gallery

Given that I have limited time and want to get the most out of being in Adelaide, I got off the plane, checked into my hotel and then straight to the Art Gallery of South Australia. I read that Adelaide was the 'cultural heart of Australia' and thought that was an overzealous claim to fame. It was also claimed that the Art Gallery of South Australia had the best collection in Australia - I was skeptical.

Actually the collection of paintings they have, I hate to say it, is far better than the Art Gallery in Sydney. They have more significant Australian paintings and a better representation of European masters. Whoever has been advising the gallery on their purchases over the years has done a great job. Was definately worth checking out and if I get time, I'll be back.

Adelaide - What the?!

Well I've just arrived in Adelaide for a week. Where I was working needed someone to come down to the Adelaide Office and they decided that it should be me. I have some time to myself and being the first time in Adelaide, thought I'd check out the place while I was at it. Watch this space for some more updates!

For the non Aussies reading this blog, if you put your finger in the middle of Australia, then go all the way directly down to the southern coastline, that is where Adelaide is (in the area where every one gets eaten by great white sharks - about 2000km away from Sydney).

Creatures

Recently I spent many days in the Australian Museum drawing from the stuffed animals and skeletons. I then put together some of my own creatures as shown below. All are just pencil and inspired by artist Neville Page.

A Few Side Experiments

Still working away on my little comic and the like. A week ago I got these dry paint pigments and been playing with them a little. Here a couple of quick little paintings from life (about 25 minutes each) and the results of initial experiments: