SmallWorks Gallery, Brisbane, Australia: If your in Brisbane over the next month, do check out SmallWorks’ Christmas group show. It comprises of selected works by artist’s who have shown their stuff during SmallWorks Gallery’s fantastic first year! Works are available for purchase- they will make exellent, not to mention original Christmas presents… http://smallworksgallery.com.au/
Queensland, Australia, March 2012: While on a recent holiday in Queensland I had a close call with one of these giant Golden Orb spiders. We’d stopped at the side of the road to stretch our legs when I nearly walked into one of their giant webs…
They have a very nasty bite- though not fatal to humans- and are known to consume small birds that are unfortunate enough to fly into their webs.
The females are massive compared with the males- the largest size difference between sexes of any spiders. This one was bigger than my hand…
Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, March 2012: The taxi driver joked, “whad didya think of sufferers paradise mate?” as we drove to the train station… I’d never heard of Surfers Paradise refered to as that.. I replied “okay, but not really my kind of place…” He nodded his head knowingly… “I know whad ya mean, I’m a Kiwi too- been here twenty years or so…it’s not that bad when you get used to it…” I’d been visiting the Gold Coast on an all expenses paid trip I won through my job… The views from my room on the 21st floor of the Sofitel Hotel at Broadbeach were amazing- a dramatic contrast to the views of the Holiday Inn Beirut in my previous post…
Porirua Hospital, Wellington NZ, yesterday: ”Villa 7″ was a building that formed part of the former “Porirua Lunatic Asylum”, as far as I can ascertain. Details are sketchy and its current owners are unknown, but are allegedly local Maori iwi…
