Category Archives: Other

Annaghmakerrig

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Here I am in Ireland, at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, a renowned, creative residential retreat on the shores of beautiful Lake Annaghmakerrig. The magical Victorian Big House, as it’s affectionately known, sleeps eleven people. Over the years, outbuildings and barnyards have been converted into further workspaces and studios, so that there is plenty of space for artists of all kinds. Composers and playwrights, painters and poets, novelists and film makers – they all come together at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre. The only rule is that you attend dinner each night in the grand dining room, along with your fellow artists.

I’m on the first floor in a spacious room named after John Jordan. Jordan (1930-88) was a writer, poet, lecturer, broadcaster and man-of-letters in the Dublin of his day. The room is elegance personified, and overlooks the lake. It’s easy to write here, surrounded by so much beauty and history. Unfortunately the first few days of my stay were marred by a very modern problem. Flanagan, my HP Folio Ultrabook bought especially for the trip, packed up on the second day. HP support diagnosed a faulty motherboard over the phone. It was still under warrantty, being only four weeks old and I supposed If I could get it to Dublin, their technicians could repair it. No dice. That apparently would void the warranty, so I have to lug this useless thing back to Australia with me and get it fixed there. Two days writing lost and some frayed nerves, but thanks to Dropbox,  I could retrieve most of my manuscript. I made the six hour round trip into Dublin yesterday to buy a new laptop (Paddy) that I could ill afford. When Flanagan gets fixed I’m selling him. Some false friend he turned out to be. Anybody in the market for a cheap HP Ultrabook still under warranty? They’re great for travelling apparently!

A very talented young painter and photographer, Nina Panagopoulou, joined me on my trip into Dublin yesterday. She wanted to buy paints and canvases. The photo of the lake at the top of this post, and this one of the house, are both hers. Don’t you love the lamp post? Very Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. You certainly meet some gifted people here …

Nina was born in 1984 in Athens. She took drawing and music lessons from an early age, and attended the musical high school of Pallini in Greece, with the piano as her instrument. Then she decided that painting was what she really wanted to do. She studied Fine Arts at the University of Ioannina, and completed successfully her Masters in Fine Arts at the University for the Creative Arts in Kent. Nina has travelled in England, Ireland, France, Italy and Spain and she speaks fluent Greek, French and English. She has participated in exhibitions in Greece and UK. At the moment she is attending a residency in Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Ireland in order to create a series of paintings.

www.art-nina.blogspot.com

nina.panagopoulou@gmail.com

Bella – A Southern Beauty

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I’m dedicating my new novel, Brumby’s Run, to the wonderful Brumby welfare organisations around Australia. These groups rescue Brumbies, train them and rehome them. They campaign to improve the management of Brumbies in the wild. They work hard to raise the profile of Brumbies as part of our heritage, and also as wonderful riding and companion horses.

I’d like to tell the story of one such Brumby, Southern Belle, affectionately known as Bella. Check out the marking on her belly that resembles the Southern Cross. It doesn’t get more Aussie than that for a Brumby!  Bella was amongst a group of Brumbies trapped on the 18th of August 2011 in Kosciuszko National Park. They were transported to Gundagai and within 24 hours of capture, were collected  by the Hunter Valley Brumby Association. Many Brumbies are not so lucky, and end up at the slaughter-house instead.

Bella and KathBella found the capture and transport very stressful – at 13 months of age, she had lost everything – her home, her mother and all she knew. Bella’s world had crashed around her. Even after days of handling, Bella still stood in the corner of the yard, head down and trembling from head to toe, completely terrified. It was heart breaking for HVBA President, Kath Massey, to see. People often chase, harass and even shoot Brumbies. There is no way of knowing until horses are handled, which ones have had a very negative experience with people before being trapped.

In time Bella began to develop more confidence in herself and in her surroundings – but only with Kath, who she looked to as the “lead mare” in teaching her about her new domestic world. Bella began to trust Kath – to play and explore and run around with her tail up. It was lovely to see her genuinely happy. Everyone on the HVBA Committee agreed that Bella would be devastated if she was to lose her new home, and she has now been adopted by Kath.

It is hoped that one day Bella will be out in public, showcasing how beautiful Kosciuszko Brumbies are and campaigning to better their future – and with the bond that is now firmly cemented between Southern Belle and her new owner, anything is possible. I’ll keep you updated on their progress!

Coincidentally, my friend Margareta Osborn has just published her debut novel, titled Bella’s Run. A fifth generation farmer, Margareta grew up on her family’s historic dairy farm in East Gippsland. Bella’s Run is set partly in Victoria’s rugged high country and is a great read. The story even mentions the odd Brumby or two!

School is Cool

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When my son T starts year 11 next year, he won’t be hefting around a heavy backpack, weighed down with textbooks. Instead he’ll be tapping out notes and flipping electronic pages on a glossy iPad. This device will be pre loaded with electronic textbooks and other online resources. The idea is to eliminate textbooks and paper homework, and make all of his coursework available with the swipe of finger.

On the whole, I think this is a terrific idea. Learning will become more fun and engaging and tech savvy. Plus, the kids will probably feel mega cool walking around with those things. The devices are small and portable, which makes them easy to use for educational activities anywhere – including outside the classroom and on field trips. There is also the advantage that he won’t have to lug twenty kilos of textbooks home in his school bag. I must admit, I love my lightweight Kindle.

But I do have some mixed feelings about this. There must be a change in a child’s perception of reality, when everything exists on a screen and nothing is tangible. There is a reason why Montessori schools make so much effort for children to have a tactile experience of the world. I’d like to see any sort of electronic learning, balanced with some sort of physical one. Maybe the kids also need to spend an hour a day playing ping pong, riding bicycles, writing on a whiteboard or practicing penmanship. Or maybe, I’m just showing my age.