Canberra in July

Hello!

Remember me? 

You wouldn't believe how crazy, busy, chaotic our lives have been these past few months.

With one junior season studying for his HSC and both junior seasons heavily involved in their soccer (we have had club games, school games, State Cup, Kanga Cup and now most likely Champion of Champions) to keep us busy every weekend since way back in February some time!
On top of our usual work and social commitments we have also had to move house recently.

Something had to give.

And one of the first things to go was blogging at Four Seasons.

But fortunately, one of the things NOT to go was my desire to take photographs! 

So we have a bit of backlog to get through.

Today's post is some photo's I took in Canberra when we were there for Kanga Cup in the July school holidays.

Lots of cold, foggy, frosty mornings to wake us up properly!

Telstra Tower on top of Black Mountain

The Observation deck offers great panaroma's of Canberra and Lake Burley Griffin.

's

Although it was rather cold out there!

An early morning frosty game

Mr Seasons and I managed to fit in an afternoon at the War Memorial

During last year's visit, the WWI rooms were closed for renovation. They are now open again.

I have always found the diorama's to be powerful expressions of a moment in time. I'm glad they kept them.

The new area is far more interactive to keep younger folk interested.

The rain held off until the last day.

This post is part of Saturday Snapshot

Canberra Art

During my recent holiday in Canberra I had a chance to pop into the National Portrait Gallery.

It only opened in Dec 2008, & this was my first opportunity to explore it thoroughly.

It feels like the very young space that it is.

It's light, open and airy.

There is a room devoted to early colonial statues and paintings, however, the rest of the portraits feel young and fresh and modern.

David Chalmers by Nick Mourtzakis
Chalmers is a philosopher and I think this depiction of the mind & consciousness
by Mourtzakis was my favourite portrait on the day.

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
by Guy Maestri

 If you'd like to see Gurrumul singing check out this link...

Nick Cave by Howard Arkley

Kate (Kate Grenville)
by Jenny Sages

Hugo at home (Hugo Weaving)
by Nicholas Harding

Robert Drewe (in the swell)
by Nicholas Harding

Robert Dessaix
by Robert Hannaford 

Self portrait
by Sidney Nolan
Sidney Nolan is particularly famous for his series of Ned Kelly paintings (below).

At the Canberra Museum and Art Gallery there is a Nolan Collection Gallery that features the works of Sidney Nolan...including many of the Ned Kelly series.

The photos I took are a little shiny thanks to the light reflecting off the glass, but you get the general idea!

This post is part of Saturday Snapshot.

Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial Canberra is a place I have visited numerous times.

For those of you who know how much of a history buff I am, this would come as no surprise to you!

My craving for historical facts and stories stems from a desire to understand.

I wish to understand how wars start and what are their causes & effects. 

I need to know how & why mankind treats each other as it so often does - very, very badly.

I seem to be on a life long search to understand why we seem to be ruled by so much inhumanity, injustice, racism, sexism, intolerance, prejudice, lies & hatred.

I struggle to understand how these values appear to dominate our combined histories even as most of the individuals I know are honest, decent, caring, generous & kind human beings who wouldn't hurt a fly.

The thing I like about the War Memorial is that it highlights time and time again the courage, integrity & determination of ordinary human beings caught up in events beyond their making. 

War is not glorified.

It is explained, shown & described in all it's gory, unpleasant, devastating detail.

We are invited to commemorate, remember & interpret.

Each time I come away uplifted by the dignity of individuals - the ones who survive the atrocities and deprivations of  war & conflict, the people who maintain hope against all the odds, those who continue on despite despair and those, especially, who work to change the world for the better.

Roll of Honour

My great grandfather's brother died in WW1 - Enoch Walter Richens.
For the first time, I finally found his name on the honour roll.

Window inside the Hall of Memory

Dome inside the Hall of Memory

WW2 exhibition

Diorama of  Tobruk

Painting of Tobruk that the diorama was based on.

Plane silhouettes.
My father-in-law tells the story of how he learned all these silhouettes by heart when he was a young boy. If the planes came over at night, he would be able to work out if they were enemy or friendly aircraft.

In the ANZAC Hall

This is part of one of the Japanese subs that got into Sydney Harbour during WW2.

This is the torpedo damage to one of the Japanese subs.
This exhibition was lit up by moving blue-green light (in case you wondering about the unusual effects).

Ben Quilty's Captain S after Afghanistan.
"For his official war artist commission, Quilty has created large-scale portraits that focus on the intense physicality of these soldiers and on the emotional and psychological consequences of their service". 

Vietnam War helicopter.

There was a special exhibition called ANZAC Voices on while we were there.

It will run until Nov/Dec 2014...when the newly redesigned & redeveloped  WW1 rooms will reopen to the public.

All the staff we spoke to were very excited about the renovated rooms.
I've always loved the WW1 diorama's & can't wait to see how they've been refreshed.
Looks like another visit next Kanga Cup!

Kanga Cup, Canberra

We've just had a wintry week in Canberra for an International Football Competition called, Kanga Cup.
We had one boy playing and one boy refereeing.

This is our third year participating.
Each year the boys play at a higher level and progress further up the ladder.
But more importantly, it is a week long bonding fest!

They had so much fun together and really gelled together as a team.
They are a delightful group of young men - it's a pleasure watching over them.

Despite of, or maybe because of the extreme cold, the parents have just as much fun on the sidelines and after hours as did the boys. Team dinners are a highlight for both boys and parents.

Our eldest also had the honour of being asked to centre ref one of the finals.

Fog around Black Tower Mountain

Early frosty morning starts tested everyone's resolve!

Frosty fields & icy winds kept everyone on their toes.

Lots of layers in this selfie!

Team spirit.

Some of the dedicated band of followers (& another cold front moving in.)

Our tourist park was surrounded by Bruce Ridge Nature Reserve.
The gum trees were spectacular (as were the wintry blue skies).

In the middle of the Woolworths shopping centre at Dickson, we spotted a couple of early blossom trees going off!
I couldn't resist a few pics. Their scent was divine.

To cap off a glorious week of non-stop soccer, I also had the chance to visit a couple of art galleries and museums! Canberra is not only our national capital, but it's also the national centre for some pretty amazing art & cultural experiences.
But more of that next week :-)