brisbane- after the rain

Rosalie Village

Don't think I am going to work today. I drove down to the bottom of the hill this morning and had to turn back due to major flooding. It's a surreal day- sunny after seven days of straight rain, with flood warnings as the Brisbane River is rising to a high water level at 11am today and another when the tide rises early  tomorrow morning. Brisbane CBD is built around the river, and lots of houses in suburbs around or near the river banks will be inundated. It seems reminiscent of a warzone with sirens going and helicopters overhead. Furniture on backs of utes and vans goes past on the roads. Strangely, back home everyone is mowing their lawn..

Later that afternoon- click the pic to check the guys in the kayak and a bathtub!

byron bay

Byron Street, Bangalow

Barebones gallery

The image most people have of Byron Bay is a beachy/ hippie/ tourist town/backpacker haven. When someone says Byron, what they mean is any part of a large area of northern New South Wales- encompassing small towns, hinterland, farmland and coastline. The reality is that Byron is more a state of mind. The diverse, exotic community of people living here contributes to Byron's reputation for being a utopia of sorts. What attracts alternative minded people from all over the world to make the shire their home is the laid back vibe and close knit creative community giving the area a distinct bohemian feel. Many well known artists and musicians call this place home. Some play often at local venues - mantra songstress Deva Premal is one who performs locally as well as internationally, even at the request of the Dalai Lama.
 When I come down from Brisbane to stay with friends at beachside Suffolk Park- one of the best things is falling asleep to the sound of waves and waking to an early morning walk on the beach with the assortment of dogs, surfers and anyone else up early. I went recently for a performance by my friends Paul and Monique with several other local musos held at a lovely old church hall in Ewingsdale. A slideshow background was provided by artist Sean O'Shea -check out his videos for a peek at 'Yasgurs Farm' -Innocence. One of my favourite places to visit is the tiny town of Bangalow- full of funky shops and Barebones Art Space gallery. I couldn't resist buying a painting of dogs by local artist Birgit Henstorf. Another fave thing to do here is to catch the great market on the 4th Sunday of each month. Don't forget the legendary Byron Blues Festival at Easter- what a line up this year - BB King, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello etc..... got my ticket!

Gayatri Mantra - Deva Premal