Australian Travels Part Two: Canberra to Melbourne

Our short stay in Canberra was over before we knew it and soon we were heading south. Eden was to be our destination but we couldn’t resist a stop off at ‘the snow’ en route.  The green landscapes turned to the brown more commonly associated with the Australian outback before entering the lush mountain area. A brief pause at Jindabyne was necessary to buy passes for the Kosciuszko National Park. It was a very brief stop which was a shame as the mountains and lake (which covers the previous site of the town) shimmering in the sunshine were begging to be explored.

We arrived at Thredbo as the first flutterings of a snowstorm were floating through the air. An obligatory snowball fight later and we were back on the road again. Even the skiiers were moving away from the mountain as visibility had decreased so drastically.

 

A seemingly interminable drive along dark and twisting roads followed until we finally arrived at Eden Beachfront Holiday Park where we passed a chilly night (a natural hazard of winter travel). With the rising of the sun the next morning we realised what beautiful views we had stretching out to sea. Our first tourist stop was the Killer Whale Museum where we learnt about how whalers and killer whales worked together to trap humpback whales that entered Twofold Bay. I admit boats and whaling don’t exactly get my heart racing but it told a fascinating tale, and I skipped through the rest of the exhibitions. A walk along the beach to stretch the legs and soak up some fresh sea air made a welcome interlude before heading to Boyds Tower.

The tower is a short walk from the car park along an accessible path lined with melaleuca trees, signs of bush fires apparent. When built in 1847 it was one of a number of similar structures, many of which did not survive as they were made of wood. Boyds Tower was built of sandstone so weathered the years better. It does show some damage from its age however, part of the top missing from a lightning strike in the 1860s. Unfortunately, visitors are unable to climb the tower but any disappointment will be washed away with views from the lookout. Eden is very aptly named.

Green Cape Lighthouse is a 31km walk away but alas the sun would begin to fade before we could cover such a distance and so had to rely once more on the car. When built in 1883 it was the tallest lighthouse in New South Wales but lost this title shortly afterward with the construction of Smoky Cape in 1891. Green Cape was replaced by a solar power light tower in 1992 but the original structure still stands and if you time your visit right you could be treated to a tour.

The very nature of a road trip means there’s never much time in any one place and soon we were on our way to Lakes Entrance, our first stop in Victoria. Unfortunately, everywhere seemed to close by 8pm so we struggled to find anywhere for dinner (our only choice in the end was a takeaway pizza place which turned out to be satisfyingly tasty). The benefit of arriving in the dark is the pleasure of waking to unexpectedly beautiful views in the morning, especially after another cold night. The water with boats floating gracefully atop was serene as the sun glimmered off the still surface.

A walk along the sunny esplanade led us to Esplanade Mini Golf, a wonderfully fun course which is just how I imagine crazy golf should be and yet very rarely is. Just across the road is Charnwood café, a charming little eatery

attached to a gift shop. The perfect place to warm up and toast the victor. A few more stops to look at various of the Gippsland Lakes and we were back on the Princes Highway heading for Melbourne.

Cinderella, Sadler’s Wells, London, 21st January 2018

The return of Matthew Bourne’s retelling of Cinderella has been met with great enthusiasm and a sold out run. Rightly so – his decision to set it during the London Blitz adds an extra level of depth and real emotion. The set is wonderfully evocative of wartime London, the colour palette dreary, the costumes full of the elegance of the age. Prokofiev’s famous score is interspersed with air attack sirens and the sound of bombs falling. It seamlessly fits into its new setting, perhaps reflecting the influence of the time of its creation on the composer. The final act, in a traditional ballet a glittering celebration, is instead subdued – the couple are reunited in a convalescence home and their wedding is transplanted to a railway station amid the reunion of couples and separation of others as more soldiers head to war. It is an appropriately understated affair that is nonetheless heartening.

The ball scene is a triumph. It opens heartwrenchingly on an already bombed Café du Paris, bodies litter the floor, the glamour of the place stripped away in its rubble. The Angel (our Fairy Godmother equivalent) appears and the destruction reverses, the simple beauty of a wartime dance brought to life. The reminder of how fleeting life became weighs heavily as the revelers reanimate. Cinderella makes her entrance in a flowing white ballgown, the envy of all, and dances the night away before heading to bed with her newfound love. This feels very modern compared to the more innocent traditional tellings and highlights the awareness of the ephemerality of love in such uncertain times.

Cinderella’s transformation from a downtrodden, ordinary young woman to an elegant blonde bombshell is beautifully realised but her return to normality and the fact of her husband’s war damage gives a sense of reality to the story. The Angel, in his shiny silver suit, dances with ethereal lightness, a pleasure to watch.

An utter triumph of a retelling that fits so neatly with such a well-known tale. If you want a more grown-up version then this historic version is not one to miss. Sold out for the rest of its run at Sadler’s Wells, it is worth travelling to catch it on its tour of the UK.

Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic, V&A

The V&A has opened its doors to one of our most beloved bears, and visitors can now get a glimpse of the Hundred Acre Woods as they step into this enchanting exhibition. The space has been beautifully decorated with blown-up versions of Shepard’s famous illustrations. You can step through the door of Owl’s home, cross Poohsticks Bridge, and cosy up in a tree trunk to listen to a story. It’s an incredibly child-friendly display but it is a wonderful outing for adults as well, demonstrating the timeless appeal of Milne’s characters.

You are first greeted by a display showcasing how far-reaching merchandising for Winnie the Pooh has gone. From exercise books to dress, music to a tea set owned by Queen Elizabeth from her childhood, there’s no escaping the popularity of Winnie and friends. The exhibition focuses mainly on the original artwork but does acknowledge Disney’s rebranding in 1966 and the now familiar look they created.

The exhibition is a veritable treasure trove of delights. There are photos of Milne with Christopher Robin and Edward bear (though Shepard in reality based his drawings on his own son’s teddy, Growler). There are original manuscripts and correspondence between Milne and Shepard as well as sketchbooks that show how much work went into creating this iconic world. The main bulk of the items on display are original drawings by Shepard, and it is clear what a symbiotic partnership it became – there’s even an example of Milne adding an extra scene to incorporate one of the drawings.

All in all a gem of an exhibition that is bound to banish the January blues. It is open at the V&A until 8^th April. 

The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, Philip Pullman

Pullman’s greatly anticipated return to the world of His Dark Materials hit shelves late last year. The story is set a decade before Northern Lights and focuses on Malcolm Polstead, an intelligent and inquisitive child. He lives and works in his parents’ inn, the Trout, and is friendly with the nuns at Godstow Priory, just across the water. The nuns take in a baby named Lyra under a certain amount of secrecy and Malcolm soon finds himself attached to his young neighbour. His innocent life is shaken up when he sees a stranger lose an acorn and then be confronted by a group of threatening looking men. This leads our young protagonist into a world of intrigue, spies, and alethiometers.

There’s also the problem of Gerard Bonneville, a seemingly friendly man whose three-legged hyena daemon shows his true, dark nature. A scientist and pedophile, he is even witnessed attacking his own daemon, an action that is practically unheard of. When the flood comes and the Priory is badly damaged, Malcolm attempts to take Lyra to safety on his trusty canoe, La Belle Sauvage, with the help of Alice – a churlish employee of the Trout. In their attempt to return Lyra to her father in London they are hounded ruthlessly by Bonneville who wants her for far more sinister purposes. They also have to try to avoid the Consistorial Court of Discipline, but it is Bonneville who is relentless in following them. He becomes an eerie, much-feared figure who the reader will feel great distaste for.

There is a real sense of claustrophobia and distrust in the early parts of the novel with the League of St Alexander giving children power over their elders by reporting them for not toeing the line. As Malcolm comes to understand the complexity of the world around him you feel all the uncertainty with him, never quite sure of whose intentions are honourable. During the flood, although some of the situations occasionally feel a tad far-fetched, the desperation and suffering is vividly written, bringing the struggles that the children face to life. It is all too easy to forget how young they are.

With Pullman’s latest offering you feel you are in safe hands with this experienced and masterful storyteller. Whether you’re a Dark Materials superfan, a general reader, or new to this fictional world, you’re bound to enjoy this thrilling adventure tale with the bigger philosophical and theological preoccupations woven throughout.

New Year musings

Here we are, once again, on the brink of a new year and wishing a fond farewell to the year that’s passed. 2017 has been a challenging year for the world generally with worrying political situations, the loss of some well loved figures, and more terrorist attacks than I care to count. I hope for a more peaceful and kinder 2018.

Personally 2017 was quite an eventful year with its ups and downs. I want to take this time to reflect on the good times, the positive changes, the places that took my breath away, and the books that captured my imagination. If I were to sum up what I’ve learnt this year in a sentence it would be to take care of yourself and find time for the things (and people) you love. I’ve done this professionally this year, switching my focus from the daily grind to explore ways to find a more fulfilling life. That’s not to say I’m not working hard, in many ways I’d say I’m working even harder, but if you find the right focus for that work it can make you so much happier. Another thing that has become so important to me is yoga. I’d never done it before this year but now have a daily practice, mostly under the guidance of Adriene Mishler through Yoga with Adriene. Honestly, this has been one of my best discoveries of the year. If you want to strengthen your body whilst also tending to your mental health I can’t recommend her Yoga Camp series highly enough.

Other big news – I finally put pen to paper and got some words down for my first novel. I signed up for NaNoWriMo to give me a push in the right direction, and it definitely worked. I may not have officially ‘won’ NaNo but I have words on a page that weren’t there before and a much better writing routine. As far as I’m concerned that is a win. I also engaged with the group of writers around the world taking the time to create. This was a wonderful encouragement and source of advice as well as giving me a genuine feeling of joy thinking about the mass creative output happening throughout the month.

Travel has been a highlight of the year. Within the UK I had opportunity to spend more time in beautiful Cornwall as well as the chance to visit Haworth once more, a place that feels something like my spiritual/inspirational home. I was also lucky enough to go to France once more and enjoy the natural beauty of the Alps in autumn (whilst eating copious amounts of cheese). The big trip, however, was Australia. I was fortunate to travel around the east of the country and experience some breathtakingly beautiful places, including snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. More on all of this if I ever find the time to write up more detailed posts from my travels.

Reading-wise I continued with my tradition of reading books written or set in the countries I visit, which this year also included taking the plunge with books in French, which I'm still working my way through. Bill Bryson’s Down Under entertained me, but may have convinced me that I would likely die while out there (I returned mostly unscathed I’m happy to report). I also caught a glimpse of the desert through Robyn Davidson’s Tracks and Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lyndsay provided some atmospheric mystery to spark my imagination. Overall, there haven’t been any great stand-out books for me this year. Good books certainly, but none that I remember completely absorbing me (excluding the re-read of Wuthering Heights of course). There are more books in my to-read pile than I would have time for this year so it could go any way, but I definitely intend to read my first George Eliot soon.

It was a strong year for exhibitions – when in Melbourne I thoroughly enjoyed the Aardman exhibition at the ACMI. It was fun and playful and showcased some incredible talent. Closer to home, the Opera exhibition at the V&A and the Harry Potter exhibition at the British Library were definitely highlights. See my full posts for why. Both still open, so it’s not too late to enjoy them. A smaller offering from the National Portrait Gallery, The Encounter: Drawings from Leonardo to Rembrandt left a big impression. It was wonderful to see sketches done by such masters, and honestly the experience improved my own work. As for what I’ll be visiting this year – Winnie the Pooh at the V&A promises to be delightful, and Tate Britain’s Impressionists in London looks promising.

As always, let me know what you’re reading, what you’re visiting, or where you’re travelling. All that’s left to do now is wish you all a very happy and healthy 2018. See you on the other side.

The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop, Caroline Roberts

Set in a small village by the sea, we follow chocolatier Emma through a year of trying to make ends meet and build the courage to love again. By the second chapter it is Boxing Day and she has already been kissed by a stranger whilst out walking her dog. The mysterious man plays on her mind but her focus has to be on increasing income to help her cover the recent rent increase her landlord has imposed. With the help of her chirpy assistant Holly, and other loves ones, she has grand plans for her cosy chocolate shop.

In all honesty, I almost gave up on this book very early on. It is not well written and I struggled to see past this. I persevered however and at times got caught up in the story. There were moments that made me cringe they were so difficult to read, but even if you don’t end up entirely attached to the characters the descriptions of the shop itself do evoke feelings of warmth and comfort (and make you crave chocolate…). There is some attempt to add some intrigue with the constant referencing of Emma’s previous partner Luke, but no explanation of what happened between them. It was no great revelation when it was finally revealed, and the avoidance of explaining earlier became somewhat frustrating when it felt so obvious.

The to-ing and fro-ing with her love interest Max can feel a little abrupt occasionally but you do root for them, especially when things seem about to fall apart for good at the end. Her pain feels real however, and her reluctance to open her heart to new love is genuine.

The host of characters is likeable and if you’re looking for an easy feel-good read over the festive season then this will provide you with all the expected tropes, though I’m sure there are books that would fill you with Christmas joy with more polished writing.

Harry Potter: A History of Magic, British Library

As soon as you step into the exhibition space you know you’re in for a treat – books hang from the ceiling, the walls are decorated to look like you’re in Hogwarts, and before you’ve even got your bearings you’ve already seen the synopsis J K Rowling sent out to prospective publishers and the note from the publisher’s daughter giving it a glowing review. The British Library have clearly put a lot of effort into getting the aesthetics right. Each room focuses on a specific subject that Harry and his friends study, and the décor fits beautifully – a large celestial globe with pricks of light on dark material above, a Divination room that makes you feel as though you are in Trelawney’s classroom, and a Herbology area draped with fake plants. These touches help transport the visitor to the world of magic.

The content itself is carefully balanced between historic artefacts and books, and items from Rowling’s personal collection that no fan will want to miss. The vast sixteenth century Ripley Scroll shows you how to make your very own Philosopher’s Stone, a 3000 year old cauldron takes pride of place in Potions, and Nicolas Flamel’s gravestone is tucked unassumingly into a corner. Sadly this is accompanied by a note that will disillusion anyone under the impression that he really was an alchemist.

The glut of Jim Kay artworks on display are quite something to behold, seeing the originals a special experience. We’re also treated to early drafts of scenes from the books, and annotated manuscripts. There’s even some hand-drawn pictures by Rowling from the early days when she wanted to be able to see the world she was creating. Last but not least comes an impressive chart over multiple pages of her plotting for The Order of the Phoenix. Knowing that she had all seven books planned before Philosopher’s Stone made it to bookshelves is mind-blowing.

I cannot recommend this exhibition highly enough. Well thought out and beautifully achieved, you’ll find real treasures within, and a couple of interactive opportunities that adults and children alike will enjoy. Running until 28^th February, if you love Harry Potter you need to get a ticket. For more details, visit the British Library's website.