Floods and Rain

View down Dynon Rd.

After along day with clients yesterday, I stayed and had dinner with Anne, Paul and Alistair (Stuart is back from Paris on Friday) at a Chinese Restaurant with a view to the Dandenongs. 

Gradually the view disappeared as a storm hit; torrential rain which continued overnight. Woke me twice with the noise on the roof. I expected that Dynon road would be flooded as it was fairly full of water when I came home last night.  As usual the junction of Kensington Rd and Dynon road was awash but mainly up Kensington Road. Impassable for about 200mts. 
As the traffic carefully travelled in the middle, a 4 wheel drive obviously rejoicing in the chance to use  its off road features, surged past us all sending water washing over the top of all cars it passed. 

Queens Rd next to Albert park lake.

Newspaper pictures of Queens Rd are amazing , not a place I have heard to flood before!

 I went to the National Gallery on the ever wonderful Myki-Seniors-free-travel card to see Unnerved an exhibition exploring a rather dark vein in contemporary New Zealand art. The psychological or physical unease underlying many works in the exhibition is addressed with humour, parody and poetic subtlety by artists across generations and mediums. Bringing together a range of works from the collection of the Queensland Art Gallery, Unnerved engages with New Zealand’s changing social, political and cultural landscape as the country navigates its indigenous settler and migrant histories. If the vision is unsettling, it is also compelling and Unnerved: The New Zealand Project offers us new ways of seeing one of our closest neighbours.

It has a huge blow up rabbit in the foyer  called McMurty to remind us of the devastation wrought by introduction of rabbits to New Zealand (as well as Australia). 

There was a great gallery of digital photographs that were stunning as well. A very disturbing movie about children living in a house with fighting parents (never saw the parents just their voices) and the children protecting themselves. Very chilling. Some stunning black and white photography that you would enjoy Celia.

After I walked back to the train I enjoyed the sight of the Fountains now running again having been empty for so long.

The work on the Hamer Hall is coming along. Due to reopen in mid 2012

 

They were setting up the Speigel Tent in the forecourt and at the curb was at tram on a truck. An old style one so maybe being set up for something??  There has been a lot of comment about making use of the old trams. A cafe would be good there instead of just the clear plastic covered coffee place that is there now..! Or maybe just moving it!!