Skate and dance

Last weekend, we checked out yet another strange little bowl that Pete read about on the internet, located way out in a new housing development that until a few months ago, must have been just bushland.



Predictably, it was very strange and enjoyable to skate.



Melton drains were close by, so we stopped by for a look at the scenic spot.



Unfortunately for us, the dam has been overflowing, rendering the drain unshreddable. Good news for the farmers!



It's a crazy place



So we went to the Melton ledge park instead. Pete made a video of the day which features me dancing like a terrorist, among other things.



We realised we were running late for our evening engagements. The traffic was terrible on the way back, and to make matters worse, Rosie's mum Helen was waiting for me at our place! Fortunately, Tim got me back and we made it in the nick of time - to the Body Electric dance spectacular!



Rosie's group, the Dead Ants, were amazing! So were all the other groups. I particularly enjoyed the Doggs (dancing to Snoop) and the Flies (dancing to the Cramps).



Here's Rosie's group in video form:

Body Electric: The Dead Ants - Ant Music from Max Olijnyk on Vimeo.

We think Ben Strong should be the host next time.



Rosie did all the Dead Ants' Day of the Dead style make up - amazing!



Milly and Jo with Dead Ant Rosie. She also made her own costume.



Rosie and a very proud, slightly threatened Helen.



Stopped for a swift burger at Danny's on the way home. Noone blinked an eyelid.



Heide the next day



It was the first time I had been inside the old Victorian home. Such a beautiful place. I liked Barry Humphries' fork sculpture.



Lovely stuff.

Tasmania trip part 2

I woke early and did a little pre-breakfast Selby work.



We drove up (or down?) the coast, stopping briefly at this place because it looked so good.



This policeman was standing out the front, squeakily waving and freaking everyone out.



Shy mermaid. The others waited in the car.



Stopped at some crazy Tessellated rocks. Ah, nature, you crazy thing.



Ridiculous!



Speaking of nature, this was an arch or a blowhole, maybe just an arch. We went to a couple of blowholes, but the party was sort of over because they had eroded away to just big, bizarre holes.



Went for a walk with backwards woman.



Jake and I strayed to dangerous, non-official lookouts



to see this! It must be said, there was a perfectly good, safe lookout further on that we should have waited for.



Another cool thing. Quite spectacular stuff over there, especially considering we were prancing around in the snow the day before.



Equally as spectacular were these tempura mushrooms. Though we decided they were more just battered mushrooms, they were absolutely delicious!



Sundown on the way back to the ranch.



Here I am on the final morning of our stay. I wore this cardigan from Heddie and Peter's collection for our entire stay. Very sad to say goodbye.



Got right into the swing of things.



Our final mission was sort of the whole point of our trip: MONA. This place is freakin' incredible! It's hard to describe how huge, epic, weird and funny it is. This water wall dropped all the most googled words. I can't remember the names of any of the artists, sorry.



This skull is made from beetles and is holding a bird in its mouth.



This is a mummified cat.



Gen and Jake checking out a Kandinsky that happened to be in a room with some crazy swinging poles with lights on the end of them.



I saw a lady asking this sculpture if it was okay



There was so much stuff there. Our friend Laith even has a picture in there.



We took a short break for a delicious lunch we had bought from a gourmet deli on the way to the museum, including some of the stinkiest washed rind brie any of us had ever encountered. It smelled terrible.



There were so many rooms full of crazy stuff this eccentric gambler has bought.



A highlight was this machine that makes poo. It smelled exactly like the cheese from lunch.



It has a poo every day at around 3pm. We just missed it!



Thought Joey might like this one.



I loved these ancient coins.



This was the final room. I won't spoil it for you, but it was pretty cool.



One of many mummies. This is the end of my Tasmanian communication. It was an amazing trip! I have to go to work now.

Tasmania trip part 1

I hadn't visited Tasmania for over 20 years until last weekend. We got super cheap tickets and stayed at Gen's mum's place outside of Hobart.



Gen was happy to be back.



Heddie and Peter live in an amazing house that Peter made himself.



Here it is from the outside. It's right on the water, in a big forest. Pretty good.



They're rebuilding the old shack on the property.



Should be ready for our next visit!



Gen and Heddie, examining a scarf.



Jake was in top form for the entire trip, right from when he realised he had left the heater on at home with some undies drying on it in the taxi to the airport.



Zissou-style underwater study centre



We were pretty sure this was going to be amazing.



But this guy was the best thing we found in there.



Rosie pointed out this fork in the road.



We stopped for pies and headed up this mountain



Which was covered in snow!



I flew into action. It was a crazy time.



Snow woman?



Lovely stuff



Jake in Hillary mode



As if the day couldn't get any better, we stopped at the amazing West Hobart snake run. I skated this with my brother every day on our last trip. It is an incredible place and is about 40 years old by my estimation.



Trying a move on the infamous Thrasher wall.



So happy!



The snake run feeds down the hill and ends up in this big bowl.



They don't make 'em like this anymore.



I really love it there.



Nice coastline stop.



Then back to the house for a few rounds of Jenga.



Heddie cooked us a delicious roast dinner.



Peter entertained us with his fiddle and handmade mandolin. He oftened answered questions in song.