Toowoomba Sojourn
Toowoomba in Autumn. It takes about one hour and 45 minutes from Brisbane's CBD. But endeavour to arrive at a decent hour, for if like Mr Chatty and I, you descend on the town at 7.30pm on a Thursday night, your options for dinner will be rather limited. Cursed by what my Father calls “your various lifestyle”, perhaps we dallied a moment too long in our pleasant room at the Eastgate on the Range Hotel, before deciding to meander down to the town centre in search of a restaurant.
An acceptable selection of cuisines are represented in Margaret Street but unfortunately by about 9pm, all were closed. An appealing Coffee Shop looked promising, but when we inquired about meals, the waitress said, “Yep, we have food available, just not anything I saw you looking at on the door menu.” A Dominos pizza, the contents of the bar fridge and an incredible view of the continuous stream of semi-trailers delivering all those necessary consumables along the Warrego Highway weren't so bad, especially when you know you're off to Weis' the following night!
On Friday, a reasonable ham and cheese toasted sandwich and chocolate milkshake were eagerly devoured at picturesque Picnic Point, while soaking in the spectacular views of the vast and geologically awe inspiring Darling Downs. After a shellacking courtesy of the Toowoomba judiciary, the last thing Mr Chatty was in the mood for was a stroll through the tranquil Queens Park Gardens, but the brisk constitutional and a dose of fresh mountain air definitely bolstered our appetites for Weis'. Toowoomba should be the strolling capital of Australia, and it's such a lovely past-time in the autumn - young families, old couples, grammar students, dapper gents and refined ladies with their preened pooches – crunching through the falling leaves, past the gracious houses and their perfumed gardens, and along the sleepy streets, nonplussed by the occasional rev-head and wobbly bikerider.
For first-timers, our dinner at Weis' was mindblowing. This Toowoomba icon operates from the 1920s vintage house 'Alameda' and has been a restaurant since 1968. Locally, it is the venue for special occasions and best known for its incredible array of seafood, roasts, salads and desserts. We were seated in the quaint surrounds of what must be the designated “couples room”, as a country diamond wedding anniversary was being celebrated, and larger groups whooped it up in adjacent rooms. We ventured to the bustling smörgåsbord several times, which was continuously replenished, trays of perfectly roasted vegetables whisked out from secret, sliding doors, prawns topped up and morsels of chicken and other delicacies beautifully cooked and incredibly fresh.
Flowerwise, Toowoomba may not be at its prettiest and most colourful in Autumn, but the world famous gardens are worth a look at any time of year. The elegant State Rose Garden is blooming, and we spotted a Saturday morning exchange of vows while wandering under the constant drone of the planes from the nearby airstrip. The serene Japanese Gardens near the University of Southern Queensland is exhilarating in its meditative beauty, and the abundant lavender in the Herries Street scented gardens attract many admirers and picknickers.
Our Toowoomba Sojourn was over too soon, but the return trip to Brisbane elicited a few serendipitous delights. If you're in the mood for a couple of detours, it's worth turning off at Murphy's Creek for a look at some remnants of Queensland's railway heritage – we saw a magnificent pair of wedgetail Eagles. The delightful Spring Bluff Railway Station is nestled in this locale, on the main railway line between Ipswich and Toowoomba, near Helidon. The first train from Ipswich reached Toowoomba in 1867, with the journey taking around 5 hours! During the Carnival of Flowers the Queensland Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society runs steam train tours to and from Brisbane. Now only freight trains pass through.
As well as purchasing a boxful of fresh local produce, we took a look at the drought stricken Lake Clarendon and spotted some voluptuous, contemporary art outside an antique shop, that reflects the desperate desire for rain. A final stop at Gatton, and it was time for a freshly baked steak pie and sauce, courtesy of the locally popular Gatton Bakehouse and Chicken Bar. There's a very pleasant park just around the corner, and if you're lucky, you might spy the gardener tidying up the 'peace' hedge at the front of the adjacent Peace Lutheran Church.
If you're in the mood for a break away from the big city blues, an Autumn getaway in Toowoomba might be worth considering.
Some extra Toowoomba trivia:
Toowoomba' s Russell Street is a treasure trove of historical buildings, but did you know that it is home to Queensland's oldest public urinal? The Russell Street urinal was built in 1919 and is located near the railway yard.
If you give a s&*t, you can find out more about Australia's toilets through the National Public Toilet Map Helpline, see www.toiletmap.gov.au.
Ideas Festival
'The least worst arrangement' was the only session I attended at the 2006 'Ideas Festival' at Southbank last weekend. New Zealand Greens MP, Nandor Tanczos, spoke on sovereignty and gave his views on future political possibilities, as we ponder our stalemated two-party system, and grapple with the current failure of our democracy to deliver appropriate representation.
Mr Tanczos sees our fragmented communities gradually being rebuilt, as we co-operate locally and internationally to meet global ecological challenges. "The nation-state becomes less relevant, and sovereignty more fluid, when we recognise we are part of one living place - the earth," he said.
A queue of folks lined up behind the microphone (on the left hand side of the room) to question Mr Tanczos about an assortment of issues including immigration, his New Zealand experiences, the role of the media, and how a more participatory model of representation and policy formation might be developed.
And his views on apathetic Australians? "I don't believe apathy exists," he said "People have the capacity to engage in political issues, but there is a prevailing belief that whatever we do, it won't make a difference." Indeed there are some folks who have vested interests in promoting that acquiescence.
'Selections from the National Sculpture Prize and Exhibition 2005'
The collection of sculptures currently on show at the Dell Gallery, traverse a spectrum of materials and expression. And although these colourful and shapely pieces initially appear to manifest a benign and almost quirky commentary - closer inspection reveals the artists' more meaningful intention.
I stumbled into the Dell Gallery after being blown across the river and through Southbank by the tail end of Cyclone Larry. Lucky for me, my visit coincided with a floor talk by the Public Programs Officer, Mr Chris Handran, who was midway through an analysis of Glen Clarke's 'American Crater Near Hanoi' (2005)
Referring to Clarke's sculpture, Mr Handran said that its hollow is based on the shape and dimension of an actual bomb crater outside Hanoi. The sculpture has been created from wood and cotton thread and is lined with approximately 1000 US and Vietnamese dollar notes, each one folded into the shape of a shirt. Mr Handran said that by the time Clarke had finished the sculpture, he was able to fold each dollar bill into the shirt shape in 41 seconds!
The eerie relationship between space and time are evoked in Mel O'Callaghan's 'The Fall' (2004) - a video installation that depicts a parachutist 'floating' around the ocean floor after falling through the sky. Christian De Vietri's 'Einstein's Refrigerator 2nd Law' (2004) presents the viewer with a pun. A fridge is supposed to keep things cold, and yet this one appears to have melted. To clarify, Mr Handran said that when the viewer takes a step back and ponders this work, the immediate visual humour becomes more ironic.
Sinister undertones underscore the immediate frivolity of Chistopher Langton's inflated pink, udder like 'Dolly' (2003). 'Dolly' has been exhibited in a number of configurations and conveys notions of design and genetic engineering, challenging the viewer to contemplate what it means to interfere with nature by creating lifeforms.
If I had to pick a winner, it would be Maria Fernanda Cardoso's 'Woven Water: Submarine Landscape' (2003). This work comprises many starfish that have been joined together in a large, unwieldy shape suspended in mid-air. Anyone who has ever collected shells and other delicate treasures at the beach, will appreciate Cardoso's representation of the fragility of our environment. Cardoso says, "Although the feeling evoked in a viewer 'immersed' in the artwork is peace and tranquility, the frozen and dry nature of these sea creatures hints at their ghostlike and melancholic end.'
The serene beauty and thought provoking nature of these works should not be missed.
'Selections from the National Sculpture Prize and Exhibition 2005' is on show at the Dell Gallery, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Southbank until 16 April. Open 11 am - 4 pm Wednesday to Friday and 12 - 4 pm Weekends. Admission: FREE