Newnes

A few weeks ago we took a wee day trip to Newnes, an shale-mining ghost town about 187 km from Sydney and about an hour's drive from home. The scenery is awesome as it is nestled at the end of the Wolgan Valley surrounded by spectacular sandstone escarpments.

This once thriving industrial town has few habitable buildings left. The Newnes Kiosk, formally the pub, has a long and colourful past. It used to be situated on the other side of the road on the banks of the Wolgan River but after being extensively damaged in a flood was moved to higher ground by a large group of volunteers over three days in '87.

As well as the glow worms in the disused rail tunnel the main attraction is the extensive ruins of the Refinery and Shale processing plant. They cover a huge area and it's the closest thing we may have to a classical Archaeological site.

Old photos of the mill in its heyday show the "dark Satanic Mills" that produced Coke, Crude Oil, Kerosene and Benzine. The company that started the whole venture in 1906 never prospered and despite other owners and Government schemes the plant ceased production in 1932.

The entire area is now part of Wollemi National Park and the bush is gradually reclaiming the coke ovens, the retorts, the ammonia scrubbers, the pump houses and Paraffin Sheds. Considering the amount of toxic and noxious material that must have produced in the area it is a wonder that anything grows at all.

We plan to go back there again in the cool of Autumn and stay at the large picturesque camping ground or (my preference) the solar powered cabins. Deep in the valley with no phone reception, no TV, no computer - just walks and books and knitting.

ISE5 Scarf finished

This pretty thing is going to be sent off across the sea to somewhere in America next week.
It's the Gypsy Rose scarf for ISE5 and it uses a blend of Belisa Cashmere and Rubi & Lana Merino Laceweight. I'm pleasantly suprised at how nicely it has turned out - it has a lovely drape and is heavier than its lacy appearance seems. I'm crossing my fingers that the recipient will like it also. Now that I have completed both Scarf and Tea Pot Cosy exchanges I can get back to completing the Cobblestone Pullover or the long suffering UFO's.

The trouble is Juno Regina is calling me.

The Brook

This little weatherboard church hall is the home of the local theatre group, Brook Community Theatre.

Since 1987 it has had a long and proud history of providing the mid-mountains with plays and performances that actively involve members of that community.

Unfortunately this is soon to end as the building has been sold and the theatre group will be homeless.

The final production in the venue is "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice", opening on November 24th and finishing on the 15th of December. I spent this afternoon rigging and focusing the ten lights on the tiny stage with a bit of vocal support from the auditorium.

While I was doing this I had a chance to admire the features that make this hall such a special place, the wooden gabled roof, the arched windows and the hand painted vignette above the proscenium that apparently depicts the historic "Crossing of the Blue Mountains ".


It will be sad to see the last of this sweet little performance space and I really hope that, whatever it gets used for, these special features are preserved.

Ironically a few stations stops west another wonderful Community Hall is under threat - this time by a Highway. The Lawson Mechanics Institute would make a fantastic new home for the Brook Theatre. It's larger, has better facilities, great acoustics and vocal group of loyal mountain supporters that don't want it to be demolished for the sake of an extra lane on a Freeway.

Situations like this really makes me wonder about our priorities - I hope the Councillers and State Parliamentarians that are supposed to be making our Community a better place to live in will see come to their senses and Save The Hall.

Let it be...

What is the best thing to do with a dark night in a 2000 seat Concert Hall? Squeeze in a Beatles cover show between Symphony performances.

The notes had hardly died away in the Rachmaninov festival before the stage was stripped, backdrops hung and lights rigged. There's not going to be a lot of time for rehearsal (6 hours for the whole turn around to happen) but it's a touring package with an experienced cast.


I'm amazed sometimes how we continually manage to do things like this - minimal amount of time and crew with a critical deadline (the tickets have already been sold, there's no chance to put it off) rig, focus, plot, perform and then, take it all down again as soon as it's over.

It's sort of like knitting a lace shawl, admiring it for a while, then ripping it all out to make something else. Crazy.

It's Thursday so it must be...

... Belgium? It feels like that sometime. What day is it ? Where should I be? What am I supposed to be doing?
The daily juggle of Shift work, commuting, and school hours goes on, each with its ups and downs but the birds and the bush and the early morning mists smooths these transitions.

At the entrance to our local village shopping centre is this fine example of the Cabbage Tree. A slightly different species to the one in my backyard but still one of my favourite plants.

When we bought our little weatherboard cottage here years ago one of the first things I did (much to my partner's amusement) was to plant one of these outside the front door. It's a reminder of the unique landscape of New Zealand and as iconic an image as the silver fern.

The Ballet's Back

It's a Duty shift for me tonight and it's Ballet season at the House - no more Opera Factory for a few months, no more repertory, no more change overs late into the night.

Rachmaninov is playing upstairs in the big Hall and down below in the Drama the lighting session for Tales of the Vienna Woods has started.

What am I doing while all this creative theatricality is happening around me?

Lighting a flower table in the Marquee. It is not my favourite job or my favourite location but it's done - flowers look lovely, clients are happy.

No knitting being done tonight despite having only a few metres of yarn left - scarf is nearly finished - it will have to wait for tommorrow night when I catch up with House and Heroes.

I'll leave a shot of my last batch of marmalade as it cools .

Getting a Grow On

The Melbourne Cup is about to start and I have placed my once in a year bet - Master O'Reilly and Purple Moon - both hot favourites. I chose them because I like the numbers - no logical system there. (Purple moon second - Master didn't even place, this is why I don't bet.)

Outside it's another cool, wet day and I am cooking more Cumquat marmalade and being entertained by the antics of the Cockatoos as they bully the little Crimsons Rosellas and King Parrots away from the bird feeder.

There was a new seed bell put out this morning and the big sharp beaks of these Cockies has decimated it. Most of the seed has fallen to the ground where it is sprouting in a green carpet, competing with the strawberries for space.


The constant rain has spurred the garden to a real grow on.


The rainforest Native Frangipani is blooming,


the Mulberry tree is in fruit (Mmmm - jam),

the passionfruit vine has flowered for the first time and the Tomato plants have doubled in height.


All this has happened without my intervention as I am not a gardener. I am glad there is someone in the house who has got a green thumb as my theory is - put it in the ground - if it survives, well and good.

On the down side this picture is worthy of a CSI investigation. The crime scene was littered with Currawong feathers with only one bloody bone left. It may have been a cat but Currawongs are not small birds - maybe a fox? Still a disturbing thing to find in a garden which is trying to become a safehaven for native animals.

Remember, remember the fifth of November

Remember remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

When I was a child Guy Fawkes Night was a really big occasion - which was ironic because we were raised Catholic and were celebrating the execution of a Catholic conspirator. I wasn't too worried about the whys and wherefores though. It was just a big party with bonfires and fireworks and potatoes cooked in the embers.

Nothing like that happens now here in Sydney - Fireworks used to be let off on the Queen's Birthday holiday but are now totally banned. It was a bit shocking to see a full page colour Ad for rockets and bangers and squibs in a copy of The Otago Daily Times that my brother brought over from New Zealand. I must be part of the cautious generation now because all I could think of was burnt fingers and eye damage and bushfires.

This is the closest we'll get to fireworks here - my Cabbage Tree in an explosion of Flowers. It does this every year and the bees and Honeyeaters are very grateful for it.

In honour of Guy Fawkes "The only man to enter parliament with honest intentions" - I will watch V for Vendetta tonight. In the meantime check out this You Tube Video to see what may have happened if he had succeeded.

Don's Gone

The Don's gone - it's 2:45 am and the last cable has been coiled, Gobos collected and Scrollers derigged. There are still a lot of lamps in the rig but there's also a set underneath that has to be struck.



The Opera season has also finished and is Bumping out as well so Central Passage is occupied by a large Semi truck dripping from the rain outside.







It's a cool wet morning and I'm hoping there's a cab waiting outside to take me home. Three days off coming up and the mountains are calling.

Saturday - Matinee

Photos to come

Saturday - Matinee day and the last two shows of the season. Tomorrow "Tales from the Vienna Woods" is bumped in but that is for the DH to sort out because I am going to be here until 3am bumping out dear old Don.


I will not miss this play as I think I have mentioned several times before. The good thing about being in a lighting booth on a show is that the area sound can be turned down. The all-important cues are still heard and knitting can be done in peace and quie


I had hoped to have Gypsy Rose finished for ISE5 by the end of this long season but the Tea Cosy swap sidetracked me. All cosies have been completed and are awaiting their final addition - the perfect box to send them in. Not too big, not too small, the box has to be just right.

Ashkenazy does Rachmaninov

It was one of those mornings - missed my first train, rushing to make my next connection spilled coffee all over my groin, spent 15 mins cleaning up so I didn't look like I had wet myself in all the excitement and finally staggered into the Concert Hall Lighting Control Room only half an hour late.

I had been called in to cover the final rehearsal of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's performance of the Rachmaninov’s Festival and it was so totally worth the bad start to the day.

Conductor: Vladimir Ashkenazy,
Pianist: Cristina Ortiz,
Avid Listener: Me.

I love doing final rehearsals because I can open the windows wide and listen to the true sound of the full orchestra. Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto is one of those pieces that I hear and know but couldn't put a name too. It has a beautiful sweeping movement that reminds me of Lawrence of Arabia and epic journeys, as well as some poignant clarinet that is eminently swoon material.

From my window, high up in the auditorium, the infamous acoustics of the Hall sound just right. There was no artificial amplification (nasty Line Array) to muddy the pure orchestral sound.

It was a pleasure to listen and watch as Ashkenazy created magic. Tonight I go on to the 'joys' of Don's Party (only 2 more to go) but at least I had a few hours bliss.

No Fear

A pinch and a punch...for the first of the month.
And it's the first day of NaBloPoMo; "November... is the month in which you post something to your blog every day, in accordance with the National Blog Posting Month challenge!"

Without Fear or Favour I am going to attempt to change my erratic blog style to regular structured daily entries for 30 days. Topics will probably be about Knitting, Lighting, the Blue Mountains Flora and Fauna and a bit of New Zealand, because this is the blog of a Knitting Lighting Technician from New Zealand who lives in the Blue Mountains of Australia. No surprises there.

This stained glass Cat that can't purr is from the staircase of New Zealand's only castle. Located on the Otago Peninsula Larnach Castle was built in 1871 by the Australian born William Larnach, Merchant Baron and Politician, and both building and owner had a colourful and tragic history. The family motto was Sans Peur - without fear - someone obviously had a sense of humour.

The castle is now a major tourist attraction for Dunedin but I remember it from my childhood as a dilapidated and run down building with sheep grazing in the grounds. It's great to see it fully restored to its extravagant glory and to see that little idiosyncratic features like this little purrless cat survived the years of neglect.

Sydney Medieval Fair

We travelled to the Sydney Medieval Fair on Saturday and watched large men in chain mail hit each other with big swords. It was great!

There was much trying on of chain mail and assorted helmets and sheilds.

The fact that there were no real injuries or heads rolling, guts being ripped out, and limbs being torn asunder made it a fantastic family day.

My favourite was the elegant rapier dueling by the ladies in corsets. It provided a welcome contrast to the general biffo of the large men and their broadswords.

There was also fire eating and market stalls and wonderful Mayan Coffee in a leafy valley in Parramatta park.

It was my first time at the Fair but if this is going to be a regular occurence I'll be coming back.

Cool

It's a beautiful, cool, misty day here in the mountains and everything is looking green and lush in the soft light. Here is a part of the Woodford bends looking west with the treetops hidden in the clouds. The centre nature strip is full of Bottlebrush that are in full bloom at present. I enjoy driving down this part of the Great Western Highway because of the plants that line it. In the early Spring the wattles make a mass of yellow and green, followed by the red blooms of the Bottlebrush then white Ti tree and yellow Banksias.

As I was standing on the overpass taking this shot I saw two Black Cockatoos in a nearby bush. They weren't the usual big black cockys like the ones that ripped apart a Banksia bush in my back yard last year. These were smaller and less aggressive. My field guide says they may be Red Tailed Glossy Black Cockatoos and they seemed to be enjoying the cool mist. According to the guide "their populations have declined, with local extinctions and range contractions because of land clearing practices that have removed food sources and nesting sites."

The cool weather means it is the right time to make marmalade - Cumquat marmalade. An attempt was made yesterday but the result was more like syrup than jam so they've gone back in the pot with a green lemon to help it set. Our little tree in the backyard is extremely prolific so there may be many more jam jars needed . The possums and parrots are helping themselves as well - I just wish they'd tidy up after.

Tales of Teapots and Cosies

These are the two of the three remaining Tea Pots I have of my once extensive collection. The top one is an smaller version of the family pot we used to have in New Zealand. A solid reliable pourer that gave a good cuppa for a family of 6. The little blue one is fine for a single cup but inclined to dribble a bit.
Someone on Ravelry is going to knit a tea cosy for one of them. Don't know who or what or when but I'll find out by Christmas.

I'm also doing my bit of cosy knitting;
Here is the lovely Ashford yarn being made up into the Autumn Tea Cozy from Not Another Knit Blog. Simple but effective - especially once I felt it a little bit. This teapot is more of a Herbal steeper. I think I won it at a cosy knitting competition a few years ago with this creation.

The original pattern was a baby hat called "Epponnee Rae Gumnut Baby Bonnet with Wattle Pompons" from the Kath & Kim ABC site. They have now parted company and unfortunately the website is no more. I only borrowed the wattle pompoms for the cosy but I may look through my archives and see if I still have the download as I would love to make the hat.

Exchange Time

It's that time of the year when knitter's thoughts turn to making suprises for people across the ocean or sea that they have never actually met.

I've joined up for ISE5 again and am past the first hurdle of which pattern to knit - I'm doing two! (Nothing like being decisive, nothing at all.) Jorgenhurst Fine Fibres kid mohair, in the antique stitch scarf pattern from the spring/summer 2005 issue of Vogue.
Red Belisa cashmere and Rubi & Lana merino combined to make Gypsy Rose.

Both are a fairly simple lace design and depending on their final length they may both end up being sent off (though Christmas is getting close).

I've also signed up for an Aussy Tea Cosy swap on Ravelry . The locale will make the Postage costs a bit more bearable so I can concentrate on finding the perfect tea cosy patten and the right kind of tea to accompany it.

Yellow Mondays

This lovely fellow was on our Mandarin Tree outside the kitchen. He's a Cicada - a Yellow Monday no less - and he is heralding the summer with a loud, distinctive song. I've seen lots of empty Cicada shells but never got this close and personal to a live one. They are truly beautiful insects with wings that remind me of filagree lace.

Thank you

Thank you to everyone who left considerate comments on the previous post. The past week was not exactly normal but this is not surprising. Events like this do act as a short, sharp, slap into the realities of life and death. My commiserations really go out to my workmate's immediate family and his past partner who are far more affected by his sudden loss than I was.

I must say that my workplace was very supportive - they offered counselling if I needed it (which I don't - at least I don't think so) my Department Head sent a lovely, considerate email, (dashing all my cynical preconceptions about heartless bosses) and numerous people have approached me to see 'how ya going'. I'm not used to all this attention but really do appreciate it.

Knitting was a nice mindless routine to lose myself into so I've made a reasonable amount of progress on Cobblestone - I love this 10ply crepe (Bendigo?) yarn - it is such a reliable workhorse and provides a consistently good result. Coming from a anonymous market stall gives it a reincarnated quality that will make the finished garment just that little bit more special.

I have also joined ISE5 and as usual, am in a quandary about which scarf to knit. I thought had it all sussed but a big ball of Ashford yarn distracted and tempted me from the lace weight path I was about to go down. There are memebrs of ISE5 that have already finished their scarves and proudly display them to the procrastinators like myself.

Today's trip to R&L knitting group also helped redress the imbalance of the past week. Pamela bought along the lovely swag of yarn goodies her husband brought on a recent trip to Japan so there was admiration and appreciation all roiund. A good dose of knitting chatter in a room full of yarn and accessories is like a big swig of oxygen to the brain.