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Uncovering Purrth’s artsy side

When you think of Australia’s cultural hub Perth probably isn’t the first (or second) city that springs to mind. If I said think of Southern Cross tattoos and high-viz vests then maybe Perth would top the list. But actually, this summer there has been a huge amount of culture to experience here in the west, showing off Perth’s artsy side. From Lunar New Year to Skyworks, from Fringe Festival to music festivals. Perth seems to have had a little bit of everything and its been thoroughly enjoyable.

After checking out some of the Lunar New Year decorations and tasting the inspired Sake Spritz in the CBD, it was back home for our front row seats to Skyworks.

Skyworks 2020 – South Perth

By far Perth’s biggest fireworks display, I’m led to believe by proud Perthites (probably should fact check!) that it is even bigger and better than the Sydney NYE display. This Australia Day tradition was quite a show and with the added bonus of spectacularly balmy weather it was the perfect finale to our long weekend with friends.

From mid-Jan to mid-Feb Perth served up a smorgasbord of entertainment as we were treated to the third biggest Fringe Festival in the world. We managed to get along to a few events including spending an evening in the heart of Fringe terrritory in Northbridge at the provactively named ‘Pleasure Garden’.

The opening nights of Nath Valvo and Arj Barker were hilarious as these seasoned comedians tested out new material ahead of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. By the time you see them in Vic next month their acts will be rehearsed and polished but this wasn’t the case on opening night in Perth! It was a good reminder that they are human, they do have to work hard, and that sometimes the unexpected is actually the funniest. There were so many Fringe events to choose from that it really was impossible to see everything we I would’ve liked to. But in the words of Arj Barker’s Uplifting Arjisms “There’s plenty of time, the real problem is a shortage of life”. Aint that the truth!

Where to catch Arj’s shows

But there was one Fringe show we definitely couldn’t miss. We wanted to try something a little quirky, so off we went to a baroque trio, playing music straight from the courts of the Kings of the 17th century, to an audience gathered cross-legged on the floor, passing around kittens. Yes, kittens! In partnership with a cat resue shelter, this event provided an opportunity for these fur babies to experience some human interaction and paw-sibly find their fur-ever families.

The music was okay, interesting to see some of the forgotten instruments of that era including some 2 metre long guitar/bass combo that looked like it would’ve been difficult to fit in the back of the car to bring it to the gig in the first place! So good on him!

The audience applause was minimal, not a reflection of the quality of the performers but more so as not to scare the kitties. But really we weren’t there for the music. I’d listen to almost anything if it comes with cats!   

It was Adults Gone Wild at Fatboy Slim. What a gig! Nothing like a Sunday afternoon rave party, day drinking in a park and then being picked up by your friends parents afterwards to really make you feel young (or old?!). Good thing the music was of a certain era that the majority of the crowd was in our age bracket, all experiencing this flashback to youth together. I’m also pleased I don’t have to work on a Monday morning!

Have to hand it to the City of South Perth for some recent, pretty great, free community events. I guess I know where the rate payers money goes! Giant Jenga and Connect Four on the foreshore brought out our inner child, and our competitive side!

The South Perth Sounds concert last weekend was also great. From our balcony at home we had the pleasure of listening to sound checks and rehearsals for two days in the lead up and before venturing out (only 100m from home mind you) to watch Perth boys Eskimo Joe hit the stage. Picnic blanket, snacks and a few cheeky park beers all for free in what is quite literally our back yard. Pretty impressive.

And while it isn’t Hosier Lane, the Perth street art scene isn’t terrible. here’s a few of my favourite pieces spotted around Perth this summer. Find the cats!

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Highlight Lowlight

A very good friend of mine plays this game when talking to people about recent happenings, such as holidays, events etc. It is a fantastic way to sum up your recent news without going off on a tangent and more importantly without wearing out the patience of those who only politely asked you ‘what’s been happening?’ expecting you to say ‘not much, just work, the usual’ but who have now got much more than they bargained for as you launch into a minute by minute recap of your weekend, or in my case my extra long weekend!

So, as I prefer to dish out the advice than strictly adhere to it myself, I’ve chosen to summarise my Vic visit in the spirit of ‘highlight lowlight’ BUT I’ve broken up the week into little snippets to give me a few extra words…a technicality I know but I’m taking it.

Melbourne City

Highlight was definitely catching up with the old work mates! I use ‘definitely’ here to emphasise how much I appreciate and value these friendships, but of course coming in a very close second was some Bambi snuggles.

~Bambi~

Lowlight was the long commutes to work! Eight years ago when I moved to Melbourne I thought the tram was romantic, hip, city chic…but to be honest it is a nightmare! I also don’t miss the office politics and going to endless meaningless meetings! I am glad to be back in WA with Olive as my assistant.

But visiting the office every now and then does help to stay connected to the agency and refuel a sense of purpose in the work I’m doing. So in that respect, not a low light really.

Long weekend in Queenscliff

Highlight is impossible to narrow down so maybe if I put them all in the same sentence does that still count as one? Highlight was walking on the beach, making pizzas, drinking champagne, patting dogs, building Duplo castles, picnicking in the park and spending such a special time with best friends…of all generations! It was so great to reminisce about the past but just as fun to look ahead to the future. How lucky I am to have friendships that have spanned decades and now with two little girls in tow the friendship will continue for much longer to come. #girlstrip

Lowlight was saying goodbye, but that’s a bit obvious. So maybe, the lowlight was realising that time moves on and that some friendships are now longer simply about having fun and over indulging (although that it still possible!) but there are now responsibilities like kids to bathe, kids to feed, kids that need a nap, kids that cry and not to mention the teddies that need to be played with, the dolls that need to be dressed and the stories that need to be read.  Sometimes it can feel like the old times are gone but that’s what makes real friendships. When you can still enjoy yourselves, maybe even more so than you did before, even as life changes. So again, scratch that, no lowlight.

Queenscliff, Victoria

Last day at home

Lowlight was being woken up by a text to say my flight had been cancelled and spending the next hour and a bit sorting out new arrangements. A later flight meant a later arrival to Perth and started to put a dampener on the day before it had really begun.

But really this wasn’t a lowlight either…in fact it turned out to be a highlight! A later flight meant time for a run, before a lunch date, a very special film (The Biggest Little Farm – thoroughly recommend for the story, the cinematography, the hope for restoring the environment and the adorable piglets!) and a visit to the Geelong Cats store with two Cats sightings!

Plus, it doesn’t matter how late I arrive back in Perth, this one was still waiting up for me…sort of.  

Just napping
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A Purrth Summer

Last week marked my (and Olive’s) 12 month anniversary of moving to the West. In the last year, I’ve learnt that: driving on Perth freeways really brings out the worst in people; this city has a pretty relaxed attitude to almost everything and actually WA stands for ‘Wait Awhile’; and that I should never ever take a good cup of Melbourne made coffee for granted!

Being that we moved in mid January, this is also the first time that Olive and I have experienced a full length Perth summer. One of us is probably coping a little better than the other on account of her fur coat, but from scorching 40-45+ degrees for days on end at the beginning of the season, to a milder and more pleasant Christmas and now a pretty steady and predictable temperature of 30ish degrees and cloudless blue skies every day, here are some other ways that our first Perth summer differs from what we are used to in Victoria.    

The beach!
Sure, Melbourne has them, but unless you have a full length wetsuit you probably don’t get to go swimming all that often. It’s most often not nearly hot enough, and then on the odd occasion its far too hot, or in typical Melbourne fashion, sometimes its a bit of both! Sunny in the morning but then the cool change comes through and ruins the purrfect beach day before you have a chance to finish work. In Perth, its beach weather pretty much every day. The water is warm, there are so many great beaches to choose from and the only downside is that when the sea breeze picks up in the afternoon it can create some pretty big waves. Actually no, the biggest downside is probably the need for shark nets to be set up at most beaches. A little reminder that we are definitely the small fish in that very big pond.

Outdoor cinema!
In Melbourne, there might be a few nights a year where this is an appropriate activity. Short seasons are set up at various locations and I’d confidently say that most places would supply customers with blankets as standard. Here, outdoor cinema seasons run every night from October though to April and there are more movie locations that you could possibly visit in a summer.  Lying down in beanbags on the grass under the stars and sharing a picnic over a glass of wine. No fear of having to dodge the rain, although we have had to dodge a few tipsy middle-aged movie-goers who, half way through the movie, suddenly realise that getting out of the beanbag after a few drinks might actually be more difficult than they anticipated.

Luna Outdoor Cinema, Leederville

Summer adventures!
We didn’t travel away from home this Christmas and instead had a bit of a Perth Stay-cation. This included a day trip to Black Diamond Lake near Collie. While a bit of a drive it was a chance to see more of WA and it was worth it for the blue water and a chance to cool off after a picnic on the bank.

We also checked out the Crystal Cave in the Yanchep National Park. Great to learn about how the cave was formed and the impact of today’s environment, particualrly the lack of rain, on the cave’s existence and its ability to grow stalactites and stalagmites. Bit of trivia…do you know the difference?

No summer holiday would be complete without also checking in with some animal friends. From watching the bull elephant painting (yep, with a paintbrush, he was quite the artist) and a tree kangaroo enjoying its afternoon snack at the Perth Zoo, to doing some yoga with the sheep and goats at Possum Valley Animal Sanctuary.

Perth Zoo

And of course, on other significant difference this year is that so far we’ve been lucky enough to not experience any devastating effects of bushfires. Watching it only on the news all the way from WA, I know it doesn’t give me anywhere near an adequate perspective of the people, animals, communities and land that has been impacted. I know I wouldn’t be alone in feeling quite useless in this situation. However one thing I have been dedicated too over the summer is supporting wildlife rescue efforts through crocheting nests for birds. A couple of weeks ago I’d never crocheted before (wouldn’t surprise you if you had seen my first attempt!) but now its something I do each and every night. I’m hoping that these little gifts are reaching where they are needed and are doing some good for some poor creatures.

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All I want for Christmas…

I’ll admit I’m not really a fan of the whole Christmas thing. I loathe tinsel, I refuse to wear any headwear that has come out of a cracker, and Christmas Carols…I’d rather listen to fingernails on a chalkboard.

This time of year does have some perks. My work is on shutdown and finished for yet another year, the weather is generally warm and pleasant especially here in Perth, there is plenty of cricket on the TV, and you can pretty much drink at any time of the day without guilt.

But what is Christmas Day really for? Most people will say it’s a day for spending time with your family and friends, eating too much and generally sharing the merriment. Well this year, living in Perth, we were able to do the annual family gathering thing in the lead up to the big day. Talk about sharing the joy with the whole family…ours even shared a seasonal bout of gastroenteritis. Delightful.

So I woke up on Christmas Day disappointed that Santa hadn’t left me a bucket under my makeshift Christmas pot plant. Cancelling our festive plans and foregoing our painstakingly prepared seafood for a few dry crackers and some hydrolytes, by the end of the afternoon I was really starting to feel fed up with the whole thing. It wasn’t meant to be like this!

But, have to think of the positives. We didn’t have to be on the roads and fight traffic (Perth drivers are particularly terrible) on Christmas Day. I avoided piling on those pesky Xmas kilos, and having not drunk champagne to excess I was able to wake up early on Boxing Day in time for the first over of the Test…a 7:30am start over here in the west. I believe everyone should get to do what they enjoy on Christmas Day and spending the afternoon on the couch watching Indiana Jones…things could’ve been worse!

And they really could’ve been. The fire season to date has been horrific and really we should feel lucky that we were safe on Christmas and had a house to recuperate in. We also are fit and healthy (generally every other day of the year) and we are lucky enough that we get so many occasions throughout the year to celebrate and be merry. So while it was a little disappointing it really is just a minor inconvenience in the scheme of things.

It proves that Christmas Day is just another day, and everything we are all SUPPOSED to do on Christmas, well the world doesn’t end if that doesn’t happen. And it certainly doesn’t define how you live the rest of the year. In fact, January is looking so much more exciting now that we aren’t carrying the hangover of the silly season.

So after this reality check here’s to 2020 and giving less f**ks about what we are SUPPOSED to do and just doing whatever it is we want to do, or whatever we can manage. Meow-y Christmas and Furry New Year from Olive.

 

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It’s a jungle out there

There are many but one of the most significant differences between living on the South Perth foreshore and living in inner city Melbourne is how much closer I feel I am to nature.

There is an abundance of birdlife at our doorstep, we can sometimes spot dolphins in the river, and a blue tongue lizard has taken up residence in our garden bed.

But it also means I’m sometimes exposed to some of the less ‘warm and fuzzy’ aspects of the animal kingdom. I’ve seen cannibalistic kookaburras, magpies devouring frogs and recently Jordan and I saved a young rainbow lorikeet from a crow attack.

The little bird had all her feathers but hadn’t yet learned to fly, and having fallen out of the nest those crows were quite literally going in for the kill.

So our little feathery friend spent the night at our house (far out of Olive’s reach!) to recuperate, before I delivered her, in the comfort of a shoe box, to the Native Animal Rescue centre.

I learned a lot through this experience. Did you know, if you come across a lonely baby bird, in many cases it won’t have been abandoned but it is simply waiting for the parents to return with food. So don’t remove it immediately, but best to watch it for a while and check the scenario.

Speaking of food, it’s also not recommended to feed injured birds, as their diets are very particular. Also, when transporting injured birds it’s important not to wrap them too tightly with their wings pinned to their bodies….it can cause suffocation.

And one for the blue tongues….they mate for life so with my little guy in the garden bed it’s really important I don’t try and relocate him…otherwise his wife might be very angry!

Lucky for me, this one is pretty low maintenance.

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Kitties of the world

Before a cat will condescend
  To treat you as a trusted friend
Some little token of esteem
Is needed, like a dish of cream

A cat’s entitled to expect
These evidences of respect
So this is this, and that is that
And there’s how you address a cat

‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’ by T. S. Eliot.

I’ve made no secret of the fact I am a cat person. Yes I sleep in awkward positions every night to ensure that Olive has enough room on the bed. Yes we have conversations with each other, sometimes in English (Olive doesn’t talk back much) and sometimes in Meows (we talk to each other a lot). And yes she has a babysitter if we have to leave her overnight.

I also like to travel and have been lucky enough to visit lots of places and meet…LOTS OF CATS! Turns out, there are people who like cats as much as me around the world. I admit not THAT many, but there are some.

STUMPY ~ UBUD, BALI
This little Ginger was so friendly, we even caught him in our room a few times. But unfortunately he’d had a tail accident…

COTTON ~ KOH SAMUI, THAILAND
Usually so playful but on this occasion Cotton was content to sleep on someone’s lap…we had to go out (eventually!) so in the meantime I made sure Ted took over the kitten sitting duties.

BAMBI ~ BRUNSWICK EAST, VICTORIA
Now that we live in WA, Melbourne has become a holiday destination. Is it weird to call Bambi my cat-niece? Olive’s fuzzy-cuzzy? Surely no weirder than anything else in this post. Adopted earlier this year after spending her life in the shelter, she’s now right at home with Amy, sleeping on the pillow at night time.

BABY, PAUL & KENNY’S SHELTER ~ CAYE CAULKER, BELIZE
Belize is one of my favourite places in the world, for many more reasons than just the kitties. In saying that we did have plenty of cat company in the Caribbean. One stormy night, little black Baby was meowing at our window…we let her in and she did not want to leave! We had to coax her out eventually as we knew her owner would likely be looking for her but not before some snuggles! Our next cat pal was Paul and he was a bit more streetwise and a little more unpredictable. Purring one second and trying to rip you to shreds the next…lucky for those pre-holiday vaccinations! We also visited Kenny’s Animal Rescue Shelter. This guy was amazing, caring for dogs large and small (and very very very small) and lots of cats. I still follow him on Facebook to see what he and those creatures are up to.

ROMEOW CAT BISTROT ~ ROME, ITALY
Now this guy didn’t have a name but we met him at the vegan cat café on the outskirts of Rome. Following a 30 minute walk definitely off the tourist track we visited for a delicious plant based lunch and a light read. This was after spending the at the cat sanctuary and adoption centre in the middle of Rome.

CAT CAFE ~ TOKYO, JAPAN
This place was the perfect end to our Japanese family trip and a wonderful spot to enjoy some kitty company…the sound of that cat-snack jar opening was enough to cause a bit of a stampede! If heaven existed….

CAT CAFE ~ PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Perth, or should I say Purrth….has its own Cat Café experience with the cutest gift shop and most importantly plenty of friendly residents to play with and pat while enjoying your smoothie.

Its so nice to have some feline company on holidays but nothing beats coming home to this one…right Olive?

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Don’t forget our furry natives in bushfire emergencies

At the same time as I was enjoying the company of Mum and Bub koalas here at the Perth Zoo, some 4000kms away fires were burning through NSW and QLD (and  many other places across the country!).

Of course our thoughts are always with those people who have been affected but we can’t forget about the environmental impact, loss of habitat and the animals who have also been injured and killed in bushfires.

This story about Koalas in Care Inc, if you haven’t seen it, is heartwarming in a time without much good news. It’s amazing work by this husband and wife team to rescue and treat these little creatures in an effort to ultimately save the plight of koalas in their area.

To contribute to their efforts, donations can be made online. Olive has already got on board.

Closer to home, in 2016 there were significant bushfires here in WA and I’ve been reading about the extraordinary crowd funding efforts that when on to support the animals that were injured. Many horses in particular faced terrible burns when fire ripped through their properties. Through my recent involvement with the RSPCA, I know that they also helped a lot in the rescue and recovery efforts of animals affected by bushfires.

In NSW, the RSPCA are getting the word out there about how people can prepare a pet evacuation kit in the event they need to leave with their furry friend in a hurry.

I don’t think there is anything scarier than the idea of being threatened by a bushfire. And with more hot weather and a long dry summer predicted, lets look after each other, including all of the creatures.

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Spring time in PURRth

Spring time in Purrth has brought even warmer weather and with it more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. On an uncharacteristically coolish day, Jordan and I headed out for a stand up paddle boarding session in Freshwater Bay. It didn’t take us long to feel comfortable on the board but once we felt a little too comfortable and started attempting some ‘tricks’, unfortunately falling in was inevitable…more than once!

The water was refreshing to say the least, but still, we were swimming, fairly happily, in October! For a Victorian that’s hard to fathom. But getting wet was certainly worth it to experience some interaction with a pod of dolphins. There were at least a dozen or so, being playful and not shy, around 3 metres away…nearly went for an inadvertent swim with them as it’s hard to concentrate on paddling when the dolphins are so close! But what a thrill. Might be a SUP convert!

Spring time has also seen an abundance of birdlife take up residence on the South Perth foreshore. From our balcony, we’ve turned in to part time bird watchers…and full time bird listeners! The pair of Kookaburras provide a wake up call from nature at 5:15am every morning, which was charming the first day and become a little less enjoyable every day thereafter. But they are pretty amazing looking things when they sit in our frangipani tree, even if they are carnivorous and sometimes cannibalistic…and yes I have seen proof!

The sunnier mornings also encourage us to walk to work along the river. Water birds are everywhere. Pelicans, ducks, wading birds and one enormous eagle who lords over everyone from the top of the Narrows Bridge. One morning this week we saw him on the hunt, diving into the river and being rewarded with a fish in his talons! Intense!

Not only does spring time bring birds but also blooms! This amazing shot was taken by Jenny on our hike in the Perth Hills at Lesmurdie Falls National Park. In an attempt to try and create something beautiful at our place, I’m growing some tomatoes! I am a renowned black thumb but 5 days in and they are still growing. Amazing!

And its not just us that who are enjoying the sun…as Olive settles in for her afternoon tanning session.

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Volunteering in the ComMEOWnity

When I moved to Perth and reduced my working hours I was determined to make good use of the extra time I’d been gifted each week and not fall into the often very tempting trap of binge watching Netflix on my days off.

So I became an RSPCA Community Outreach volunteer! This means I go and present to school kids, from the littlies all the way to the teens, on the role of RSPCA Inspectors and the responsibilities we all have as animal owners and as decent humans, to protect our furry friends from cruelty.

It’s strange, through work standing in front of government delegates talking about higher education regulation in a convincing way that suggests I know what I’m on about, has almost become second nature. However, talking about puppies with a classroom full of 5 year olds without getting too far off topic is a completely different story!

I thought that was hard. This week I had to face 120 semi-bored looking teenagers and try to engage them enough that no-one fell asleep on me or started heckling!

I have to say though, both experiences have been fantastic! It’s actually really satisfying when the kids engage in the conversation and ask questions, even when I don’t have all the answers! It’s nice to see how caring and compassionate most of them are about animals, which is something we certainly have in common. I mean who would’ve thought Princess Olive was not only a rescue kitten who was given a second chance home with us, but she was also the runt of her litter! Look at her now!

Princess Olive…fat cat

Being here in a new city, a new state, its so great for me personally to have this opportunity to engage with a completely new group of people. The Community Outreach program is a really fantastic part of the RSPCA that I am so pleased to be involved with!

I know work, study and life in general often get in the way of us doing much else, but if you do have spare time I really encourage you to seek out some opportunities to get involved in something that you are really passionate about. At the very least, it gives you a nice fuzzy feeling. Like this one…

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Everyone can run!

Over 36,000 runners participated in the Melbourne Marathon Festival on the weekend, and I was one of them! It was a hard slog but I now have 6 half marathons to my name.

As I ran, the feet starting to feel sore, legs beginning to tire and the lungs starting to burn, I admit I did think to myself more than once “WTF am I doing this for?!” But there is something special about running and achieving a goal is also always worth the hard work in the end.

People often say to me ‘But I CAN’T run’…Well actually, running is one of the things that most of us CAN do. It isn’t limited by pricey equipment it’s totally free. It certainly isn’t limited by age as I have been, and will be again I’m sure, beaten by runners twice my age (thanks Mum…..). And it isn’t even limited by disability as some of the wheelchair marathon participants on the weekend proved.

But it is hard! So its not that we CAN’T run its just that most of us don’t WANT to. I know there are already stacks of tips out there to get you motivated to pull on the sneakers, but here are my top three.

1. Be Accountable

It is so easy to bail on a training run when there are no consequences. Solution…get yourself a running buddy. It’s much harder to hit that snooze button when you know you’ll be standing someone up.

If you are short on running friends, meet some new ones at Park Run. It’s free, running weekly events in heaps of locations all over the world and is a great way to start the weekend.

Or, if 8:00am on a Saturday morning is too early for you to exercise and socialise all at once, why not set up a virtual training group. It’s helped me being on the other side of the country to keep tabs on the training of others in Victoria. Trust me, you do not want to be the only one on that chat group not sharing running status or making progress.

2. Set a Goal

You need to have something or someone to inspire you to run. Jenna ‘Running For Bums’ Brook ran from Tasmania to Cape York, 4500km in 4 months, up to 60kms a day. That puts anything I have or will ever do into perspective!

My motivation is my Mum. She’s fit, and quick and before you say ‘Awww how sweet’…No, she’s my motivation because my ongoing aim is to BEAT her! Nothing wrong with a little healthy competition.

But whether you want to improve fitness, trim down for summer, run a marathon (or half), it’s important to have an end point in mind to push you to keep going when things get tough.  

It’s All In Your Head

This is probably my biggest tip to others, but hardest advice to take myself. Never expect all runs to feel the same. Sometimes you are tired, sometimes you are sore, sometimes you are hungry and sometimes you have done all the right things and your legs still feel like concrete! But running is such a mental game and if you don’t allow those tough times to break you, then the times when it all goes to plan just feel even better.

Thank you to all the supporters at the MCG on Sunday and those who watched us virtually via the live link. It makes such a difference to have someone cheering you on! Massive congrats to all the runners especially Steve, Jenny, Eichi, Amy and Mum.

Olive was VERY proud of me when I returned to Perth.