The Queen Mary 2 cruise ship is now docked at Woolloomoolloo.
In the movie Gladiator , when first approaching the colosseum, Juba says to Maximus - "I didn't know men could build such things."
That Gladiator scene came to mind when I was looking over the QM2 from Emarkation Park in Potts Point. It's no surprise to me it has been built, so the Gladiator analogy dies at this point. 'Tis nonetheless quite impressive.
There are a couple of Navy Frigates (Parramatta and Ballarat) and two Guided Missile Frigates (Melbourne and Sydney) docked in front of the QM2. Maxx asked a passing Navy person walking along Cowper Wharf Road what brings her and her ship 'Sydney', to Sydney. She said matter of factly - "we're escorts of the QM2 in Australian and International waters until the next Navy of a Commonwealth country takes over."
"Interesting," I said.
"You have no idea," she replied. "Lets just say if the precious cargo got in the wrong hands it would cause a few more problems than cashed-up retirees and wealthy industralists loose in Sydney." She gestured to cover her mouth, "I've said too much, and I've got a squash game at 1830 hours, better go."
The mind boggles what the QM2 could be used for as top secret transport requiring 4 frigates as escorts, 2 of the guided missile variety no less! Gold bullion, plutonium, WMD's, biological specimens of alien species found in the UK and brought to Australia for further analysis because our scientists are smarter. The possibilities are endless, any ideas???
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
'Passion' - Walking Tour - Part 1
Maxx picked up the 6 'Historical Walking Tour' brochures from Surry Hills library last week. Published by The City of Sydney, they're titled - Passion, Preservation, Colony, Parade, Hidden and Community.
It's Tuesday early evening and Maxx is walking "Passion - Sydney's Wildside."
I started at 'the Cross' - named after the intersection of many streets including William and Victoria Streets, and Darlinghurst, Bayswater and Kings Cross Roads. This area known as Kings Cross was up until 1905 called 'Queens Cross'.
Needing tucker and walking down Darlignhurst road I passed the entrance to Kings Cross train station, noticed a small take-away dumpling shop, so did a u-turn. I ordered some dim-sims and steamed dumplings. The shop lady asked in broken english, "you want it take away?" The shop was about 2.5 metres wide x 1.5 deep, she was the only one working there and it faced the busy pedestrian tunnel to the station - no tables, chairs, stools in sight. I let my intrigue slide this time, next time though I'll definitely reply "dine in please." Maybe there was a banquet hall behind the dimsim steamer I failed to notice.
Highlight was the supurb lookout over Sydney Harbour towards the heads from Arthur McElhone Reserve, opposite Elizabeth Bay House. Close by is 'Boomerang' residence. The land that 'Boomerang' now sits on was bought in 1928 for $28,000 (equivalent of pound value then used) and last purchased by Lindsay Fox in 2005 for $21million. I don't know what's more impressive, that or Tom Cruise pre-Oprah-couch-jumping and the Mission Impossible 2 crew filming there in the late 90's.
There seem to be alot of runners wearing drinking-water camel-packs around the Wooloomooloo, Potts Point area. Perhaps the air is dryer and stripped of nutrients here because of all drugs, sex and other stuff this area is famous for. Perhaps, or more likely they're standard issue for all the sailors from Navy venturing from their Garden Island base. Next time when several camel-packed joggers pass I'll salute with a "hello sailor" and guage the reaction.
It's Tuesday early evening and Maxx is walking "Passion - Sydney's Wildside."
I started at 'the Cross' - named after the intersection of many streets including William and Victoria Streets, and Darlinghurst, Bayswater and Kings Cross Roads. This area known as Kings Cross was up until 1905 called 'Queens Cross'.
Needing tucker and walking down Darlignhurst road I passed the entrance to Kings Cross train station, noticed a small take-away dumpling shop, so did a u-turn. I ordered some dim-sims and steamed dumplings. The shop lady asked in broken english, "you want it take away?" The shop was about 2.5 metres wide x 1.5 deep, she was the only one working there and it faced the busy pedestrian tunnel to the station - no tables, chairs, stools in sight. I let my intrigue slide this time, next time though I'll definitely reply "dine in please." Maybe there was a banquet hall behind the dimsim steamer I failed to notice.
Highlight was the supurb lookout over Sydney Harbour towards the heads from Arthur McElhone Reserve, opposite Elizabeth Bay House. Close by is 'Boomerang' residence. The land that 'Boomerang' now sits on was bought in 1928 for $28,000 (equivalent of pound value then used) and last purchased by Lindsay Fox in 2005 for $21million. I don't know what's more impressive, that or Tom Cruise pre-Oprah-couch-jumping and the Mission Impossible 2 crew filming there in the late 90's.
There seem to be alot of runners wearing drinking-water camel-packs around the Wooloomooloo, Potts Point area. Perhaps the air is dryer and stripped of nutrients here because of all drugs, sex and other stuff this area is famous for. Perhaps, or more likely they're standard issue for all the sailors from Navy venturing from their Garden Island base. Next time when several camel-packed joggers pass I'll salute with a "hello sailor" and guage the reaction.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Urban-sublime in Potts Point
Maxx was first introduced to the concept of 'the sublime' many years ago.
I've always been impressed and taken by panoramic views of nature, cities and the sprawling suburbs. Several years ago I was looking over the hills and suburbs from a beachside apartment complex. The feeling I described, thanks to my well versed companion , I now had a name for - the 'Urban sublime.'
Later I came to understand 'the sublime' as a feeling artists, such as romantic painters in the 19th century, try to capture in such vistas as imposing landscapes and violent seas. It an uneasy feeling people get when looking at grand, powerful views of nature. The sublime is limitless and Kant would say the mind in the presence of it, attempting to imagine what it cannot, has pain in the failure but pleasure in contemplating the immensity of the attempt.
As a person we feel small and vulnerable in the awesome presence of 'the sublime', perhaps fearful and yet at the same time our mind is excited.
And so it is looking looking over the east-side of the Sydney CBD and inner suburbs from Horderns Stairs Potts Point that a sublime feeling creeps on you. The view is engaging and yet it's too much to understand - the history, buildings, homes, people, action. You and I are small parts.
It's the urban-sublime.
I've always been impressed and taken by panoramic views of nature, cities and the sprawling suburbs. Several years ago I was looking over the hills and suburbs from a beachside apartment complex. The feeling I described, thanks to my well versed companion , I now had a name for - the 'Urban sublime.'
Later I came to understand 'the sublime' as a feeling artists, such as romantic painters in the 19th century, try to capture in such vistas as imposing landscapes and violent seas. It an uneasy feeling people get when looking at grand, powerful views of nature. The sublime is limitless and Kant would say the mind in the presence of it, attempting to imagine what it cannot, has pain in the failure but pleasure in contemplating the immensity of the attempt.
As a person we feel small and vulnerable in the awesome presence of 'the sublime', perhaps fearful and yet at the same time our mind is excited.
And so it is looking looking over the east-side of the Sydney CBD and inner suburbs from Horderns Stairs Potts Point that a sublime feeling creeps on you. The view is engaging and yet it's too much to understand - the history, buildings, homes, people, action. You and I are small parts.
It's the urban-sublime.
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