Playcare Parables

The annual Whale Festival launched this weekend in Hervey Bay.  Pickle, BigTed and I went to the Blessing of the Fleet on Saturday, toured the whale watching vessels, perused the market stalls and watched the fireworks finale with delight.  

Following on with the whale theme, I went to Pickle's playcare today and had a lovely time reading "The Snail and The Whale". It's a lovely story featuring an unlikely adventurer, an environmental lesson, teamwork, and the wisdom that no matter how small you are, you can still make a difference. 

If they'll have me back, I'll go back around Halloween to read "Room on the Broom" and at Christmas with "Stick Man"... When could "Tabby McTat", "Zog" or "The Smartest Giant In Town" fit, I wonder?

In case you haven't guessed, I Pickle may be a *bit* of a Julia Donaldson fan! I love the lyrical rhythm and rhymes of her stories. And Axel Sheffler's illustrations are gorgeous.  While "The Gruffalo" stories are well known, it's unusual to see the others in Australia. 

Do you have any favourite kids books or authors you hope your kids select when you read to them? Do you prefer rhyming stories or standard story books? 

Cheers, KangaRue :)

Being Bolshoi in the Bay

I'm excited that tonight's performance of the Bolshoi Ballet in Brisbane will be shown as a live simulcast at Hervey Bay's Seafront Oval. And best of all, it's free!

Image used courtesy of Qpac - the Queensland Performing
Arts Centre, where the ballet is being performed.

I've seen a number of opera and ballet live simulcasts in London before, with picnic and blanket in prime position outside my old office in Canary Wharf. Getting the opportunity to see Russia's elite perform Le Corsaire along with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra is a great opportunity. The Bolshoi haven't been to Australia in almost 20 years and Le Corsaire has never been performed in Australia before. Having access to events like these is definitely a SilverLining on my relocation!

I'll be bringing my Mum (aka Bubba, one of the Grandparentals) to see the Bolshoi's largest and most expensive ballets, from the comfort of a blanket and chairs, while we sip on some wine and nibble on a picnic. Why not bring your own and come join us?!

Date:  Today, 4th June 2013
Time:  Live coverage from 7:00pm, performance starts at 7:30pm
Venue: Seafront Oval, corner of Main Street and The Esplanade, Pialba
Cost:  FREE!

Cheers, KangaRue :)

Bay Beats is on!

The inaugural Fraser Coast Music Fest has started! There's a great line-up, hope to see you there...

 

While it's too late to effuse about Frank Benn, I'll definitely be in front of Stage 1 for Forbidden Road, Arcade Vandals, The Bobkatz and Dogwood Crossing. Come find me and Pickle!

Cheers, KangaRue :)

 

Auraview - Last Band Standing Winners

I'm just home from a sensational night at the Last Band Standing (battle of the bands) at Hervey Bay RSL. The finalists were all superb, and I'm thrilled that one of my favourite bands of the night, Auraview, won!

The event was a great showcase of live music talent available in the area. Original songs, energetic and tight execution. Just brilliant.

Arcade Vandals put up tough competition. There will be another chance to see them at the Fraser Coast Music Fest. I'm hoping that Auraview will also be performing there (no confirmation yet, so fingers-crossed please). Unfortunately I missed most of Locus, as the venue was at capacity and I had to wait until enough people left before it was my turn to enter, but I heard good things from others in attendance.

I'm absolutely buzzing after a great night out.  Big thanks to my Mummy for babysitting Pickle, so I could have a cracking night out.

Cheers, KangaRue :)

Eye-candy alert!

Sporting prowess, absolutely. But let's be honest, there are going to be some seriously hot guys (and girls, I'm all for inclusion) at Seafront Oval this weekend.

Three-time Olympian, Joshua Slack, will be amongst those competing, as detailed in this Fraser Coast Chronicle article.

Another free event.... Pickle will have a blast watching the balls bounce (minds out of gutter people!)

I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours over the weekend... A Mothers Day present to myself perhaps? ;)

Date:  Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May, 2013
Time: from 9am round-robins Saturday and 8am finals on Sunday*
Venue: Seafront Oval, corner of Main Street and Charlton Esplanade, Pialba
Cost: FREE!

Hope to see you there!

Cheers, KangaRue :)

*launch information, timing to be confirmed

Bay Beats

There's a music festival coming to Hervey Bay! I thought my days of attending easily accessible day or weekend long music festivals was left long behind me in London. So the inaugural Fraser Coast Music Fest on Sunday 2nd June, 2013 is a definite SilverLining in Pickle's and my new simplified life. Even better, it's FREE!

The day will be filled with music by local bands and artists across three stages. I've been somewhat - pleasantly - surprised at the level of home-grown talent. I've been lucky enough to see a number of performances in the five months since I moved to Hervey Bay, particularly enjoying Frank Benn, Dogwood Crossing and Sam Hutchinson, who will all be performing at the festival.

I'll definitely be taking Pickle along, as he loves listening to music, and it promises to be a family friendly event. There will also be stalls, rides, a kids activities tent, a car show, food, a bar, and a laser-light show finale, so it sounds like there's something for everyone. Tell your friends - if this year's event is a success, there are plans to expand it to a two-day festival next year... See you there!

Location:  Seafront Oval, cnr Charlton Esplanade and Main Street, Pialba (Hervey Bay)
Date:  Sunday, 2nd June, 2013
Time:  9:00am to 9:15pm

Are there any other local bands or artists I should be keeping an eye out for?

Cheers, KangaRue :)

This is not a sponsored post.


UPDATE:  Arcade Vandals are through to the Grand Final of Last Band Standing (battle of the bands) and are confirmed for the festival.  I've been told they're a good band to watch, as is Auraview (also through to the Grand Final).
Anyone know if Auraview will be at the festival?

Family Fun Day

I am living in an absolutely beautiful part of the world right now. Kilometres of pristine beach for swimming, fishing, snorkelling, diving, windsurfing, stand-up paddle-boarding (I really need to try this one), kite-surfing*, windsurfing, kayaking** and sailing. There are two great bike paths, a more direct one that runs through the centre of town (that I use most often) and a meandering but more scenic one with stunning views out over the Pacific Ocean.

And while there are loads of activities and events, there seems to be little effective communication. There are three local papers, but they often seem to report what already happened this week - and I often think "Pickle and I would have liked to have done that". With that in mind, I have plugged into various Facebook pages, websites and e-newsletters with the hope of keeping on top of events that both Pickle and I would enjoy, and will share them here in the endeavor to get the word out, and maybe even make some more friends in the community.

The next free event that I've come across is the Family Fun Day put on by the Hervey Bay Community Centre. It sounds like a blast with loads of games and activities planned: jumping castle, face painting, music, dance, market stalls and a sausage sizzle.  Hope to see some of you there!

Location: Hervey Bay Community Centre, 22 Charles Street, Pialba
Date: Saturday, 11th May 2013
Time: 10am to 3pm

I'll keep you posted with upcoming events. There will likely be a focus on kid-friendly and foodie events (where my obvious interests lie), and while not all of them will be free, they will be budget-conscious.

Are there any types of events in particular that you'd like to know more about in advance?

Cheers, KangaRue :)

*does it count that I held on to the back of my friend doing this, and only let go when we really started to fly?
**planned for the near future - if it's not too embarrassing, I may blog about it. Actually, if it's really embarrassing, I'll probably blog about it sooner!

This is not a sponsored post.