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Back in Sydney
I’ve never seen Ballina Airport as busy as it was yesterday. Generally, I can turn up at security and be through within a couple of minutes. But yesterday, there was a lengthy queue, and inside the lounge was crowded.
Though I generally arrive well ahead of time, I caught up with a colleague from Sydney who is about to commence work at the local ABC Radio station in Lismore.… Read the rest “Back in Sydney”
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Lismore’s Recovery
It’s been ten months now since the catastrophic flood hit Lismore, my hometown.
The damage is still being felt in many ways. Emotionally and financially, many people remain scarred.
But there are signs of optimism, with an increasing number of re-opened shops. Re-opened shops won’t tell you how people are feeling, but they’re still a recovery indicator.… Read the rest “Lismore’s Recovery”
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Lismore Radio 2LM
“I remember there was a colour-coded pie chart on the wall, which told you what type of song you played next. I’m pretty sure the first track was a gold (meaning a familiar but older hit song), and then it was an album track, and before the ad break, you always played a current top forty hit song”, I said to Jenny Burgess working in the newsroom at 2LM, Lismore today.… Read the rest “Lismore Radio 2LM”
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Bundy
When you mention the word “Bundaberg”, there are two drinks that instantly spring to mind: Bundaberg Rum and Bundaberg Ginger Beer. Though not a huge fan of rum, I do love ginger beer, and I drink a bottle of the famously named soft drink each week.
The decision to spend New Year’s Eve in Bundaberg was an unexpected one.… Read the rest “Bundy”
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Thursday night out in Lismore
“Thanks for opening the bar. This is a real vote of confidence in the town”, I said to the woman behind the counter at Lismore’s new “small bar”, appropriately named “The Levee”. They’ve only been open for a week or two, and I called in last night for the first time.… Read the rest “Thursday night out in Lismore”
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Yearly Review 2022
“Though it hasn’t been in the best of circumstances, at least it’s allowed you to spend time with your family”, my friend Sue’s mum commented over lunch yesterday. We were reflecting on the significant amount of time I’ve spent in Lismore over the last eighteen months.
Halfway through 2021, I came home for my sister, Nancy’s funeral.… Read the rest “Yearly Review 2022”
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The road to Nimbin
“They’ve been spending a lot of time and money on the Nimbin Road”, a family member, Karran told me a few months ago. Her former partner (and father of her children) is a council worker, and that’s how she knew. “It’s a shame they aren’t spending more time fixing up the potholes around town”, she added.… Read the rest “The road to Nimbin”
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Behind the RSL Club
Earlier today, I spotted a couple of teenagers painting graffiti on the wall of Lismore’s levee, previously hidden behind the former RSL Club.
The club closed almost twenty years ago, after going into receivership. More recently, the building was home to First Steps Early Learning Centre. The building was damaged beyond repair in the floods earlier this year, and only a shell remains.… Read the rest “Behind the RSL Club”
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AGNSW
“It’s the first work you see as you enter the new wing of the Art Gallery of NSW”, I texted my colleague and friend, Lisa. Her partner, Genevieve is the artist responsible for the work which re-imagines historical photographs of Aboriginal people as contemporary videos. “She did that fifteen years or so ago”, Lisa told me, anxious to pass on the news to Genevieve about her work’s prominent role.… Read the rest “AGNSW”