Blog 14 - Broken Hill - Artists & Sculptors - Sunday 19th & Mon 20th July 2015

Sunday 19th July 2015

No rooster needs to crow to wake us up. We have flocks of cockies flying across the skies screaming as if someone is pulling their feathers out. Then to make sure we get out of bed, we have the five phases of the "Bonnie get out of bed" procedure. 

Phase 1 - go around Moose’s side of the bed and whack her tail against the side of the van. This gets Moose to tell her to stop which indicates to her he's awake

Phase 2 - stand on back legs, front paws on mattress and search out an arm to lick while simultaneously beating her rail against caravan wall. This may be enough to encourage Moose to get out of bed. If not and she's told to go on her mat. She will return to mat for the count of about 3 secs then

Phase 3 - move to where she can see Moose or I and sit to attention while politely whining

Phase 4 - all is silent while she stares intently at Moose’s body form.

Phase 5 - go to my side of the bed and start the procedure all over again.

It is 8 am Bon has been outside then let it known she wanted back inside and back onto Moose’s knee where she is still sleeping an hour later

As I type and tidy my blog Moose is sitting here reading up on water filters. Discovering he's got the wrong size as spares. People here are complaining about the taste and quality of water. Ours is very nice thank you very much

Bonnie checking out the park

With water filters sorted we headed off for lunch and to check out town a little bit. We accidentally came across a huge park, kids trying out their skills on the skate park bit of it. It is a very pretty and well used space. 

A quick walk through a couple of the main streets in town checking out the buildings and art work in some places. The buildings are mostly beautiful old heritage ones but then an ugly 80s one sneaks in. 

see what I mean???

Canoe vs Moose

Well he said he didn't want anything!

We found the Tourist info centre which happened to be attached to a Gloria jeans café. Moose insisted he didn't want anything so I figured a mini vanilla slice would be enough.

On our return to the van, I sat outside enjoying the sunshine while Moose replaced the plug kit in the kitchen sink. Fifteen minutes later the sun has moved and I was freezing so I head inside, catching up with my mum for her birthday, on the phone. Dad joins in the conversation remembering his time here.

Another cosy night in the van. Except for Moose, who is suffering with sinus therefore feeling hot turned the heater to low allowing the chill to enter the van. A hot shower and a heat pack got my body temp back up to acceptable level until the heater caught up. 

Monday 20th July 2015

The heater was left on low throughout the night. I wouldn't say it heated the van, it just kept the chill at bay. Screeching cockies were our alarm again.

Moose couldn't stand it any longer he had to get outside to clean his car and van - crazy man the water will probably ice over. He finished just before 12 which was perfect timing for us dropping Bonnie to the local vet for the afternoon. While she was kept busy we headed off to art galleries but not before trying to pick up her usual food from the pet shop with little luck. Apparently they were waiting on a delivery. Which seems the common excuse for anything that is not available for sale around here. We headed down the main street in search of lunch, let’s face it Moose needed to be fed before he could try to behave himself at an art gallery. There were several to choose from “Temptations café and dessert bar” won our custom.

First gallery off the rack was Pro hart gallery – I loved the thick layers of paint on some of his floral paintings. I hadn’t realised he worked in so many different styles and types of Painting. Pro Hart had been a miner. In the good old days to be allowed to stay in Broken Hill you had to do a shift in the mines to be allowed to stay in town. So he would do his shift underground then returned home and painted. Moose didn’t particularly like his work.

Next came Jack Absolum. We arrived at his gallery, entered to see a group of people nattering or rather Jack telling some fascinating story to a few visitors. He is 88 years old and happy to tell the story of his paintings or his career or the good old days, actually he’s just happy to share his stories. In 1972 Jack as a young man was asked by some bankers who seen themselves as painters to take them out into the Flinders Ranges so they could paint. He cooked and helped set up camp for these artists. After a day or two watching what they were doing he felt a great urge to join in and paint a landscape so he asked for a canvas. They happily supplied one plus paints and brushes and left him to it. Without sketching or any other preparation he went to work and amazed himself and the painters with his work. He returned to town and organised a 8 foot by 3 foot piece of wood for his second ever painting and this proudly hangs in his gallery along with walls full of beautiful paintings. When artists (and Moose) ask him how he gets the colours so exact he says: “I have my pallet in one hand, I bend down and look at the dirt or whatever I am going to paint and I mix my paints until they match” Jack is also famous for the documentaries he made “Absalom’s outback” back in the late 70s early 80s. 

Jack, myself & Moose

He even posed for a photo with Moose and myself for dad, who is a huge fan plus autographed a book for us. Mind you there is no “just taking a photo” he manoeuvres you to a spot that is artistically pleasing rather than standing with a blank wall behind you.

That's the restaurant & memorial at the top

Part of the mine no longer in use

On a high from all the art inspiration we hunt down the road to the “Broken earth restaurant” which can be seen sitting on the top of the “highest point of the Line of Lode remnant” overlooking Broken Hill. It is 54 metres above the city and can be seen from most streets in town when you glance to the heavens but there doesn’t seem any signs to direct you on how to get there. I later learn they have been removed by the council because it is closed down due to the fact the restaurant wasn’t profitable over summer which is the low tourist season. However we use our powers of deduction and find our way, checking out the view from on high. There is also a Miners memorial which reminds us how dangerous mining was, and still is. It is dedicated to over 816 Broken Hill miners who had lost their lives in the mines plus a white rose next to each one of them.

Every thing is big in Broken Hill except Moose

Always working that's me

After taking silly “Granpa” photos for the boys with Moose sitting on a giant bench we headed back to town for afternoon tea. 

Our next port of call was the Desert Sculptures, these are sitting on a hill in the “living desert” which is a 2400ha reserve which was established in 1992 for the protection of native flora and fauna. There are nature walks through the area but we were there to see the sculptures. Each sculpture is by a different artist

Kangaroos watching our approach

  

All this art and exercise leads to a need for refreshments so we head off to the town centre to try out a different café called “The silly goat” which was next door to the shoe shop where Moose bought some Grandpa slippers. I have never seen this man in slippers, it’s taking some getting used to.

I took a moment to check out a cool clothing shop while Moose waited in the car. Unbeknown to me, he’d been googling mud flaps. As I jump in the car he starts the motor, we need to get them from the other side of town. We had 15 mins before closing time. He makes it by the skin of his teeth and comes out of the shop with a large box under his arm a grin which makes him look like a kid who just got exactly what he wanted for Christmas.

Finished with our Art excursion and shopping we picked up Miss Bonnie who couldn’t contain her excitement at our return.

Mini Moose & Inspired Moz signing off x