Travel Zulu

I was down at the Melbourne docklands just a couple of days ago, when I looked up and saw a giant cow in the tree!

I started counting exactly how many beers I had at lunch, then had a thought “urban art”. After doing a quick search in Google, I found the docklands homepage with this information:

This intriguing work has a water-based thematic connection to Melbourne Docklands. Many years ago, a violent flood swept up herds of cattle in the Gippsland area of Victoria before subsiding and revealing the carcass of a cow stranded at the top of a tree. At 5 tons of bronze and 8 metres high, Cow up a Tree creates a surreal experience.

The work also makes reference to Australian artist William Dobell who, during World War II, served as a camouflage labourer and worked on papier-mache cows that were moved around the base of airfields in the hope of fooling Japanese pilots. The artist contemplated what would happen during a flood on Dobell’s airfield.

It was 39 degrees yesterday in Melbourne. Bushfires raged across the state and even interferred with power transmission lines, temporarily cutting power to some parts of the city. Traffic signals and trains were also effected.

I didn’t take my camera away with me this time, but his is one shot from my mum’s camera.

This is the first post in my first ever travel journal. After spending about the past 10 years in Japan, I am finally back in my home town Melbourne, Australia.

I don’t plan on spending too much time here. I am preparing for a longer trip right now. I have plans to either travel through a Australia up north and on to Asia. My other alternative is just to get the cheapest flight available and then travel through Asia.

Asia, especially south-east Asia is cheap to travel through so would prefer to spend longer there. Tomorrow, I am off to Lakes Entrance with some of family. It is about three hours drive from Melbourne. It is a great spot near the beach where I visited for the first time many, many years ago.