Goldfields' Entertainment - What's On This Long Weekend

Menzies have the , "Chad Egan Cycle Race. It's a 135 km race from Menzies to Kalgoorlie with cyclists from around WA and some from interstate competing. It will finish at the top end of Hannan Street around 3.30 ish this afternoon. http://www.menzies.wa.gov.au/

Leonora have the, Golden Gift Footrace", apparently Australia's richest footrace. It is accompanied by a plethora of entertainment, including a free evening concert featuring, Kate Cerbrano.
For more information on these and upcoming Goldfields tap into

http://www.australiasgoldenoutback.com/en/Kalgoorlie+and+Goldfields/Events/Kalgoorlie+and+Goldfields+Events.htm

Both feet in......a morning reflection

I don't say too much about school. I never actually know who might read this, but as this is more about me than anything else.....here goes.

Early yesterday morning, a mum of one of my students, bailed me up and gabbled something about needing a photocopy of something to give to the child's dad.

I must have looked quite bewildered as I searched through the piles of paper stacked on my desk, but as I really had no idea what she was burbling on about, there was little chance I could help her.

Furthermore she was being quite pushy and I was feeling vague and particularly dumb. I explained that the teacher I shared the class with would probably know exactly what she wanted and that I would leave a note for her to sort it out on Monday.

Fortunately sometime during the day, the missing documents appeared mysteriously on my desk. I made a mental note that when I found a minute between teaching and crowd controlling I'd try and find out what needed photocopying. As most of the teachers among you would know, the minute didn't arrive until right at the end of the day when I was endeavouring to clear my desk.

Then I made the, " small town gaff", which was bound to happen...........

Clutching the now photocopied documents I preceded to relate the early morning incident.

"You know this morning I had this woman come in, ..................'s mum , she really was quite officious...."

and before I could say another word in that vein, my colleague had grabbed me by the arm, giving it a squeeze and said, "that's my sister-in -law, don't say anymore."

Yes, of course, I had broken the unwritten rule, do not say anything about anyone, unless you know exactly who they are and more importantly, who they might be related to.

Luckily the teacher next door is great, and lovely. I think, I hope..........

I told you so.......

Remember over a week ago I had my heater taken away........"it'll be back by Saturday"
Did I believe him? Well, No.

And true to form......the heater didn't reappear till this morning, just short of a full week late.

Am I complaining, not yet. The weather is still, would you believe, a balmy 25 C and forecast 27C for tomorrow. Almost summer temperatures. But the young fella who unplugged the heating machine only 15 minutes after reinstalling it, said.

" ......won't be back for about a week and a half. Need to get more parts from Perth."

Will the mild, unseasonably warm temperatures last? Somehow I don't think so. I'm not the pesimistic type, but I have feeling it is about to plummet.

A snippet of Coolgardie

Coolgardie - Mother of the Goldfields

Besides watching runners and going to train the dog on Sunday I also did a bit of sight seeing. Coolgardie is a town about 35kms from Kalgoorlie. I drove through it on the way here and mentally made a note to visit when I had a spare afternoon.

It is now a very small town with a population of around 100. A far cry from its bright beginnings at the end of the nineteen century, when it became the third largest town in Western Australia after Perth and Fremantle.

"Mother of the Goldfields" is its apt claim to fame, because it was in the Coolgardie area that gold was first discovered. Now Coolgardie is more noted for its incongruous buildings which stand as testimony to its grandiose past.

All Before 10 on a Sunday Morning

It was an early start for a Sunday.

Goldfields Rep Co.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOtMizMQ6oM&feature=related

This clip is from the film, "The Little Shop of Horrors" and if you don't like going to the dentist don't watch.......but I'm sure some of you will find Steve Martin's rendition funny even if it makes you squirm!

Goldfields Repertory Club (1931) Inc
WA
AddressBrookman Street Kalgoorlie 6430
Venue, BROOKMAN ST THEATRE, 7 Brookman Street, KALGOORLIE, W.A. 6430
We are the only community theatre group in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, W.A. We stage several productions a year in our own 90-seat theatre, producing an eclectic range of plays, revues and musicals. Our annual Christmas show - in a theatre-restaurant format features comedy, songs and dance. It is hugely popular and usually sells out. We also run a monthly social fun games night of comedy improvisation called "Shenanigans". New members, performing or otherwise, are always welcome. There are plenty of great benefits to be enjoyed! All tickets to performances are sold at the Goldfields Arts Centre booking office. Phone them on (08) 9088 6900
Further informationLisa van Oyen0439 091 391
Past productions
2008
Little Shop of Horrors
08/05/2008 - 24/05/2008

The show on Friday evening was great and the venue, really quaint, cute. Not sure of the right word, but it is a miniature venue and consequently intimate and quite special. No wonder they have been going since 1931.

Tradesmen

"Well, I've heard it gets cold here."

"Yes, sure does," said with a mock shiver.

The plumber continued to pull at the bayonet fitting that was securely holding my gas heater. Before 7.30 this morning he had already called. He reappeared just before 7.45, after I'd picked up his card and phoned the mobile number.

"Sorry, I was out walking the dog," I mumbled as I explained my absence

"Oh I'm just around the corner, I'll come now if that's ok."
(No where in Kalgoorlie is more than a few minutes away)

As I had been waiting for over a week, I replied in the affirmative, just in case it was a further 7 days before I managed to secure his needed attention.

The heater, which I had ordered a gas bottle for last week, still refused to stay alight. Very frustrating, but then so many of these little annoyances are. Luckily the weather has been reasonable, but everyone has assured me that it is going to get much, much colder.

After quite a tussle the bayonet finally released its hold and came out of the socket. The plumber picked up the heater and I last saw it and him disappearing down the front alley.

"I should have it back, sometime on Saturday, was his parting shot."

Well I'll wait and see. Yes and I won't be holding my breath. For those who know about gas heaters, it was last serviced in 1997. Oh yes and I will probably have to have vents installed because the fumes are now considered dangerous.

The electrician on the other hand had the battery for the smoke alarm installed and tested in less than 10minutes. Oh don't say it. Of course I could have fitted the battery, but it isn't my unit and it said on the label........to be installed by a qualified electrician......so. Yep better safe than.

Mid week mumbles - 33 steps

33 steps, yes that's how many it took to cross the road that runs beside the park I took Chardy to this morning. I'm guessing that's at least 10 - 15 more than I would usually take to cross a road in my suburb at home.

I've mentioned before just how wide the roads are. They are really quite something, especially as many of them have no markings at all. That's, no white lines, no yellow or blue ones either. The width of them has caused me to reassess how long I need to safely cross a road, particularly with Chard, who can be a bit unpredictable and drag his feet when he feels like it. The other factor being the speed that drivers seem to think is appropriate. Obviously not all drive as if they are in the latest Ferrari, but enough think they are Lewis Hamilton to make me hesitate before crossing.

When I first arrived I even had to adjust my driving to accomodate the wider turning circles required. I kept cutting the corners short and had to make swift, ungainly adjustments in order to avoid mounting the centre structures.

Weekend 3

Where to start?

Friday evening was going to be my first taste of Kalgoorlie night life, but.......... like everything else I seem to do at present it didn't quite go to plan.

A new acquaintance of mine, who does not like to go out herself, arranged for a friend of hers to go with me. All I had to do was get the tickets to the musical.

So armed with the promise of seeing Kalgoorlie by night ....I began, the what seemed easy task, of obtaining tickets.

At about 12.30 Friday afternoon I phoned the booking office, (supposedly open between 10:00 and 3:00).

Straight to message bank. "Leave your name and No. etc. ........ will phone back."

Well true to their word they did phone back. 2.58 pm just as I was dismissing my excited Year Ones. Strangely enough I missed the call......... I phoned back a few minutes too late, the box office had closed.

Undeterred I cleared up, then drove to the small repertory theatre to see if I could get some more information......perhaps we could purchase tickets at the door.

No luck., totally closed up.

I sent a text to the person I was going with briefly explaining the problem. No response.

After ten or so minutes I phoned, still no reply. Hm this was not boding well for the evening.

And so it turned out.........by the time we did get in touch with each other, our enthusiasm for the outing had burnt itself out.

I stayed home and in true teacher style, was fast asleep on the lounge before 9.00.

Saturday, well I did actually go out for the evening.

It wasn't quite what I had imagined as my first foray into the bright lights, being a clothes party held at a friend of a friend's house.

Having said that, it was all very pleasant. I met some delightful people and ate a piece of chocolate pie that was scrumptious.

The following video is a taste of Kalgoorlie's sister city, Boulder.

Before you view it.....here are a couple of comments that locals made to me when I'd mentioned I was going to the Boulder Markets this Sunday:

"Well that should take you at most half an hour."

"It's crap."

"Allow 5 minutes."

Therefore I had been warned.........so have you.
The quality of the film is not too good, but I am taking the shots with an old digital camera. Yep, I know a poor workman blames his tools......what can I say.....

The history of Boulder is very closely tied up with that of Kalgoorlie. According to the curator of the Kalgoorlie Museum, while Kalgoorlie was primarily built for the upper echelon during the heady gold rush days. Boulder became home to the hundreds of blue collar workers brought in to work in the thriving mines and to provide the other necessary services. The difference in the two towns is quite noticeable and current real estate prices still reflect the imbalance.

Trying a New Thing

Hi, well what about this. I've just discovered a new gismo on this blogging thing. I can upload my little, digital camera made videos. No don't expect much, as this is my first go.......of course it may not work. But if it does I'll try and take a few others, to give you a real feel for the place.

Hey, I'm laughing out loud, it does work, but what a strange video. It's one I took it a couple of weeks ago and I didn't preview it again before uploading. A mistake, when you listen to it you'll know I didn't really expect anybody else to hear it.......rather pompuous and botanical.....(I read the notes from a poster).

One thing after another

I guess if everything was going smoothly, I wouldn't have anything to write about, well not much......but at the moment, if it's not one thing, it's another.

This afternoon they fixed my lock, I no longer need worry about being locked in/out again.

Also during the day, some unknown person, delivered the gas bottle I had ordered a couple of days ago. I need LP Gas for heating here. I was particularly happy to see the metal cylinder nestling close to my brick wall as the maximum temperature had dropped 11oC in the past 24 hours. Of course it should have been as straight forward as pushing down the button on the heater and bingo lovely radiant heat. But alas no, too easy.

It doesn't work, does it. So tomorrow I will make another phone call or two and find out just whose responsibility it is to check why the heater is not working. And yes, to all those in the know, I did turn the gas bottle on.

I've added some photos taken during an early morning walk with Chardy. As an overt tree lover I think this suburb looks quite lovely at this time of the day.

Phone Blues

Well not quite mid-week yet, but things have been a bit tense.

Yesterday was a ...... Telstra, get it sorted kinda day. I discovered on Mother's Day, that I couldn't phone my mum in the UK. Disappointing. So at work I called the large communication organisation and tried to sort things out.

First I was informed....."you live in Glendalough and have both a land line and an inet account attached to your new phone."

"No, I don't." came my quick, emphatic response.

"Are you sure (you know where you live)?" x3

Finally convinced she decided to frighten me.

"Well, you'll need to call Accounts, 'cos you will be liable for the bills, if they aren't paid."

Panic, paranoid stations, who is pretending to be me??

No one, as it turns out. Simply the previous tenant who didn't inform Telstra that she no longer lives in Kalgoorlie.

That should have sorted it, but NO.......there's more!!

At home I retested the phone. Now I couldn't even phone Perth. I was more restricted than ever. Yet another call to Telstra.

Fingers crossed Tony, in Adelaide, finally pressed all the right buttons and I am now connected.
The world is my telecommunication oyster yet again.

Tomorrow I will meet a locksmith, because early this morning I locked myself in. Fortunately the phone was working, so I could call and get some help.

Double Gs

Poor Chardy, walking is not the fun it's cracked up to be.

Double Gs abound in Kalgoorlie at this time of the year. What are they? I hear you ask.

They are small seed pods that spread themselves around by using deadly, needle like hooks which attach themselves to unsuspecting dogs' paws, oh and bare feet, "Ouch!" .

I know about them because they are not exclusive to Kal. It just seems there are more of them here and Chardy is finding his fair share. It can be quite dangerous too. He has taken to simply stopping. I have explained to him that the middle of the road, with oncoming traffic, is not a sensible time to hold ones paw up. Has he listened to me. No, not as yet.

Sunday afternoon seemed a good time to take in the Kalgoorlie Museum.........so I did.

The overhead gangtry has straddled two mine shafts in its time. The last was called Ivanhoe, hence the name.

Ups and Downs

A Quickie

• Post Office

Must get there before twelve...... have to pay that speeding fine before my licence is up for grabs...........I don't believe it.......CLOSED on Saturdays.

What is this a hick town???

• Into the Telstra shop

"My landline isn't connected yet?"

"Phone this number, they have more technical equipment than we do. They can tell you how long it will be." (Hick town??)

Four minutes on shop's in house phone.


"Your new number is........."

Yea, I am connected.

• Dome Coffee House

for a latte and florentine (I love them)

• Follow people - yes I am nosey, or curious I like to think.

Wow...they have a Target ....... not a hick town at all

• Car Wash

Fight with a hose thing......car a bit cleaner than when I went in, but not much.

I'll get better at this Saturday morning thing!!!

Fence Expose

Fences and the width of the roads are standouts in Kalgoorlie.

It seems about 95% of houses sport front fences here. This is such a contrast to the majority of Perth suburbs that I find it quite astounding.

During a recent discussion about the fence phenomena a recent acquaintance told me that her young son, who had recently purchased a house in one of the newer suburbs, had remarked that he would need to buy a front fence.

When I asked why fences seem to be such an integral part of the local landscape, another friend replied that she thought they give people a sense of security and/or ownership.

On reflection as some of them are hardly more than low pickets, I think the latter is more likely. Or perhaps it is simply a hangover from the early days when Kalgoorlie was a rough mining town . People may have genuinely felt the need for added protection from........who knows what. Or dare I say it is a legacy handed down from the old country and the immigrant prospectors who came to rob the land of its riches.

The fences themselves are as different and individual as the houses they defend. It is rare, on the streets I walk, to find two the same. A plethora of materials have been used, and of course that includes living varieties as well.

I am supposing that the locals don't even notice the great array of fencing that surrounds them.

But, obviously on a unconscious level they do, as it seems they go to great lengths to make sure theirs is different from their neighbours'.

Mid Week Madness

Wednesday, Wednesday .........what day!

Oh No, morning tea. Nothing like working at a place for a week and a half and being nominated for the dreaded, "morning tea".

Every teacher knows that it's a chore. No one would disagree that having morning tea once a week is great. For the uninitiated, that means a few colleagues get together and put on yummy, often fattening delights.

BUT usually newies are given a little time to get to know the system, the layout of a place, the heirarchy. I mean who would be so unkind as to roster someone to bring in morning tea less than a fortnight after they had started.

Well yours truly was. To be honest it worked out ok. Simply added another brick to the stress wall.

After dragging in the Esky full of food to be consumed later that morning, I started my teaching day.

It was a sh....... of a day and to be honest, best forgotten.

Being sworn at by a young person who is not yet waist high makes me wonder what I am doing in this profession. Luckily when I turn around to be greeted by beautiful, shining, often toothless smiles, I remember why.

Weekend 1

I had time to catch my breath. Chores Saturday morning, nothing new there.

Saturday afternoon, I thought I'd better find the shops......more especially one from the large supermarket chain I am used to. Was I disappointed? No, not at all. It was much BIGGER than the one I use for my weekly shop at home. More surprisingly, I wasn't scared by the prices............Go Kalgoorlie!

Mind you, being new to town, I was trying hard to look like a local and blend.
I almost succeeded until..........The Checkout!!!

Hm, I was busily unpacking my rather full trolley when it suddenly occured to me that the checkout chick, or should I say guy, was giving out frosty vibes. Taking a second or two to look around, I realised I had done the unthinkable. Unpacked my loaded trolley in the Express Lane.

Oh no, I was sprung. Only someone new to town would dare to unpack a full trolley in the Express Lane.

Making a swift getaway, I spent the remainder of my day hiding away in the little unit I now call home.

The Arboretum is a haven for dog walkers like myself. Chardy and I spent the best part of Sunday morning discovering this delightful parkland. It is planted with the flora of the Goldfields and contains many local varieties of eucaplypts.

Later in the day I drove myself into Boulder, Kalgoorlie's sister city. Very quaint. I will go back and explore further.

IThe other thing I discovered today is I can walk right into the centre of town. It is so close!!

TGIF

Yes, it is Friday......................p.m., wonderful.

Sitting in my PJs, sipping a glass of red and thinking that I survived the week.

Actually I haven't even been here a week. I can hardly believe it is only 6 days since I left Perth.

This evening I only have good things to report.

- Chardy is settled

- my missing table arrived just before 8 am this morning

- the plumber fixed my leaking cistern (no don't even go there)

and best of all I have two whole days to work out; how to use the washing machine and where to buy some decent vegies.