November Nuances

 

An Evening in New Sydney City

With a couple more hours of sunlight left, I found myself in the hustle and buzzle of a city workforce rushing home, transients just arriving and yet others in neither mode. Business souls, holiday makers and family groups may have to reckon what can they do in such an odd and yet interesting time, before shops shut up, the moon comes up and the city centre reverts to another world?

Many in Asia may not find it a big deal, but having a major department store extend its opening hours to 7pm in Australia is, on any day. After work hours, I can glide into watching people watch goods on display, of having that leisurely time to scout for things that I may or do not really need. This can pace the rush at suburban stations, compared to situations when suddenly there is nothing much else to do in the city, except directly go home. However, shopping, cinemas, food and arcades themselves are not that sufficiently attractive to retain a lively presence after hours in a world class city. There needs to be more.

Maybe it is the prelude to exclusive events, where you make eager beavers hype up the mood and atmosphere by making them queue outside a night club at King Street Wharf, or even in a cause-related screening of the latest re-make of A Christmas Carol at the Imax Darling Harbour. It can be the lighting up of the three storey high indoor Christmas tree at the QVB Building, as this year's snow-flake white theme is free for all to see until the building closes its doors at midnight. It may be the creation of focus spaces, each with varying themes on different evenings, whether linked to dance, romance, tempo or graphics.

When the heat dissipates, everyone feels - and looks - better. Sydney thrives on the outdoors, and how else can it get better when you connect the moonlight, the harbour breeze and the relaxing atmosphere. Why can't there be structured walks along alleyways, heritage buildings and performance spaces - it does not have to be only on the Harbour Bridge, by the ocean cliffs or in bush trails. Do things have to be centred around food? It can be activities based on health, hobbies or collective building.

The new Sydney has to reveal its soul in more humane, softer and passionate ways. Commercialism alone will not sustain the attractiveness nor vibrancy of a community. The place already has variety, disorderliness and surprise - bring in good ideas as well. Make transients and visitors want to stay longer, overnight and more.

Celebration

Credit for photo above: J Cheam

Photo credit: K Sheridan

Photo Credit: E Purdy

Above: Caitlin's rainbow

Photo Credit:  E Yap

Not The Way to Do Business

A few weeks ago I took the Sealink from Cape Jervis in South Australia to Kangaroo Island.  Most of the passengers came from Europe, were all snugged up for the sea crossing and had an inherent interest for the outdoors, wildlife and adventure. Visitors on the Sealink can either drive in their own vehicles or join group tours operted by Sealink itself.  Some stay overnight or longer on Kangaroo Island, others take the fully packed and time tight day tour on a circuit round the isle.

I joined the one day coach tour operated by Sealink itself. The lunchtime caterers for a sit down meal were friendly and food served was within our expectations for that kind of location.  Around 1200 people currently populate Kangaroo Island, which has no industries but lots of land, wind and native or introduced animals.  Human tourists can watch animals roaming mostly free in the habitat rather than in cages or fenced off areas. My best experience on the island was the effective and friendly interaction provided by the so-called wild bird demonstration in a clearing in the bush.  The birds are not truly free, but seemed happy and well fed.

Time was already running short for one day trippers who chose the Sealink tour package and yet it was wasted in two significant ways.

Takeway food was not pre-packaged and made available on board to coach passengers as part of the ticket price. Why have a group of fifty people queuing and huddling in one small cafe with passing rain falling outside? It induces unnecessary tension on both the cafe providers and customers who were obviously in a hurry. This was especially critical in the hour before the Sealink ferry was scheduled to go back to the mainland in the evening.

Many felt the effects of unnecesary petty bureaucracy in requring the Sealink coach driver issue small laminated cards to disembarking or arriving passengers (for both the ferry and mainland bus services).  These are customers who have already fully paid in advance and confirmed as valid clients of the tour service.  Why not have the necessary passes issued to them when they pay upfront? It turned out that our coach driver even ran out of the laminated cards for the full busload of passengers in our coach.

Eco-tourism has to be balanced with not treating the group tour passengers in a condescending way. Some passengers of my Sealink coach tour realised that they had to make their way to the Adelaide central bus depot by themselves in the wee dawn hours, whilst others had the privilege of being picked up from their hotels. This was a very  un-Australian way of doing things - you must treat all customers in the same manner if they are charged at the same ticket price.

In addition, going forward, the variety of the one day tour program could be reviewed and made more flexible, instead of having to drive through all of the major circuit road around Kangaroo Island.  There was a lack of time allowed for passengers to relax in any one outdoor spot,  when they could otherwise stroll freely with a better schedule and itinerary.

This Sealink, in another State and part of Australia, brought back some memories of my experience on the Spirit of Tasmania that operates from Port Melbourne in Victoria to Davenport in Tasmania.   The Spirit, even on Boxing Day evening, lacked festive fervour, closed its food and drink facilties early like a dour convent head and a couple of individual staff on board did not welcome passengers even in the most basic way.  Even before dawn, cabin passengers had their doors knocked and told matter of factly to vacate their rooms fast for cleaning. Most things were done from the perspective and comfort of the staff and not so much of the passengers.  I think of my other sea crossings in Greece, Japan and the English Channel - and recall them with fondness.

Both Australian carriage operations mentioned above are monopolies and run in relatively remote parts of the world.  Could this be linked to the potentially lack of business on both operations?

Passing Thoughts Around Richmond

The narrow roads contrast with the expanse of the plains surrounding the Hawkesbury as the river meanders down from the foothills of the Blue Mountains. The intense aroma of fresh grass finds its way to my nostrils. A various range of buildings, from brick through wood to tinshed, dot the landscape. Young gum plants are lined up in rows to ensure a food source for koalas. The Blue Mountains are not far away, but retain a plateau-like presence on this rather amicable day, and yes they do indeed have this tint of blueness for colour.

Tucked in the north-west, as far away from the Big Smoke centre of Sydney, but still included in its greater area statistics, lies Richmond, part of New South Wales Governor Macqaurie's inland drive from Sydney Harbour more than a hundred and twenty years ago. I had been to Windsor in recent times, but not this other major centre only fifteen minutes by car from Windsor. Nestled not far from the main road to the Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens (one of the trio of significant gardens for Sydney), its low lying topography does not detract from its charms. A noticeable oval sits in the centre of the town, a neat collection of shops and residences encircling its inner core. As expected, its long time base of agriculture lingers on, with equine breeding centres, groups of dairy cattle and shorn sheep all dotting the late spring scenery.

What jumps out in captivating attention is the RAAF base in Richmond. I noted it before as a vital link in the supply chain of resources and troops from Australia to involvements oversea, with Darwin as the other noted connection. Political leaders flying from overseas can land in Richmond if they do not want to use commecial airports. The configurations of the airbase are bigger than my expectations, and I was delightfully surprised how the harsh realities of air defence can blend nicely with the residences of its staff and support facilties like hospitals. This has resulted in a self-contained suburb or campus with full length runways. Although understandable and necessary, the continuous fence around the base is a little jolt to my perceptions of Australian openness and design. There was a whole range of aircraft lined up on view for us travelling on its publicly accessible boundary road - a sight that will more than provide a flutter of excitemnt in the imagination and heart of any budding pilot in a ten year old. I could not help thinking of the former RAAF base in Butterworth across the channel from my home island of Penang.

The university campus in Richmond offered remarkable experiences. Groups of deer sat in committee-like posture in a paddock. A heritage building now is livened up as student residence. Faculties are referred to as colleges.Almost every building does not have a second storey. Numerous and clear signs and maps make it easy to locate specific buildings. A friendly student asked Carmel and me if he could help us, as we stood in front of the community notice board wondering what "HAC" stood for. Teaching buildings looked more inviting and not like entrances to overly commercial set-ups. I had a penchant for the window designs in Mark's office -they offered protection and good views of the outside, whether in sunshine or rain.