We were ancestry hunting for a friend. I'm not sure how helpful we were because the house no longer exists and the grave was in a cemetery that was abandoned and flattened to make a school sports ground. At least that loose end can be tied off.
The cemetery was one of the best we've been to and had an amazing cortege waiting chapel / entrance.
We pressed on south - returning to Hobart. It's strange to think that driving from one end of the island to the other is approximately the same distance that we travel from home to visit friends in Mandurah.
This time, not wishing to revisit the showgrounds we selected a caravan park in the same suburb as the Mona gallery and were pleasantly surprised to discover that it's right next to Mona, we can walk there!
The caravan park is right on the water's edge and has lots of birdlife, black swans and begging ducks and ducklings, that spot new arrivals or doors opening from across the park.
It is also overrun with rabbits - kangaroos or wombats would have been preferable.
The weather down here is much cooler than the northeast, here it's misty, overcast and cool. We're glad we've got enough cupboard space to have a full selection of all seasons clothes at hand.
Next day it's much warmer - still overcast but a weak sun is shining and it's quite humid.
But it doesn't affect our plans because we're off to.....
MONA - Museum of Old and New Art.
So glad we came back for it. It's hard to sum up, one word just won't describe it.
There's such a diverse mix of exhibits. There are some beautiful ancient Greek and
Egyptian exhibits.
There are great Aussie painters - Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan and
Brett Whiteley.
There's also a Damien Hirst.
There are interesting, adventurous exhibits.
this is done with water - fascinating.
But it wouldn't be MONA without the dramatic and challenging! Some of which I can honestly describe as pretentious bollocks.
(We did not feel the need to view the 'Cloaca Professional' display. which is, as its' name suggests displays the body's digestive system - from food to flush!!)
We're obviously not alone in that thought as some of the comments posted on the "O" pod guides matched ours exactly.
This is one of 10 carved tyres.
The current 'featured artist' is Wim Delvoye, from Belgium.
Some of the exhibits are very good but there's a distinct over indulgence in his own self importance!!
It is I, putting in my two pennorth, the museum is stunning. The guy who built the place is Tassie's richest man and he has kept the evil government at bay building MONA without any committees, what he put in was what he wanted and owned. Locals, that is Tasmanians, get in for free and it's cheap for others. Typically in the brochure he says "If you are Tasmanian and identify your self as such {yes, yes second head etc} or under 18, you get in free". This tells us two things, one that he has a sense of humour and that PC government scum are not involved. It is the BEST museum in tas. and the building is breathtaking as well.This Wim bloke by the way says that his artworks are a challenge in that the money spent could have fed SO many poor Africans. Give the money to the poor sods you pretentious Wally. As Western Australians we obviously have some sort of agenda but I feel that the whole bloody state is a sort of sheltered workshop. Tourism operators say that they are on the edge of going broke and that they need aid, {taxpayers dough} then greet the next customer/nuisance to a tale of high season being the reason for an increase in rates. Don't get me going on the State Government.
So that's enough culture for now - time to get back to the bush for a couple of days before the next bit of culture... a car show.
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