Last week I decided it was time to do it again. I planned the
day. Firstly I got Mel onside. It was great for her to have an outing but I
also needed her as a back up with Merv.
Mel was happy with my plan and she stayed over last night to ensure an
early get away.
The weather was warm, the sky vivid blue without a cloud. We were ten minutes late leaving and every
traffic light was red! The traffic, way past rush hour was still bumper to
bumper on the busy roads and highway. An hour later we crawled into a
disability car park space and unloaded the wheelchair.
We applauded the crosswalk which stopped the traffic stream long
enough for us to cross. Mel was the
first to call out in excitement as she spotted a scattering of sculptures on
the sand scattered below the walkway leading us to our destination.
Along with hundreds of other visitors I stop Merv in his
wheelchair and turn him to allow him to view the cubby house and a metal wiry
thing. It looks like construction had halted without notice. I take a photo
anyway. I later find it is named: 'House
of mirrors.' I grunt; fooled me!
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| Merv & Mel in front of Giant Baby |
There is a naked man sprawled casually on the grass in front of
the pavilion. Fortunately he is shiny
red and part of the exhibition. I take
another photo and the fun begins.
I am 60kgs and Merv is almost 90kgs. I am so relieved Merv's
chair has hand brakes as I manoeuvre his heavy load down a descent and quickly
straighten up to access the winding path.
The huge faceless babies are right in front of us. They have been part of the advertising and
the camera comes out again. It isn't
until we go on a path behind we realise there are three giant babies crawling
across the grass, bottoms up!
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| 3 Fat Men - Is this a step forward? |
We pass a number of sculptures and we spy a ring of 'Man on
ball.' They (more than one man) are
sitting in a circle in deep contemplation.
I slide the wheelchair between two of the
little men and snap photos.
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| Winding path to the beach area |
I send Mel ahead to check the accessibility of the downward path. We conclude it is wheelchair friendly. I use the brakes to slow us and decide not to
dwell on the thought of pushing Merv back up!
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| The Red Flamingos |
I easily reach the open space below and we marvel at the flock
of red flamingos in the crystal white sand.
They could pass for red swans from a distance.
I use the zoom lens; we aren't going to risk a walk on the sand.
There is a huge patch of half buried fitness balls of various colours. Sculpture? probably not, anything goes. The
artists are local, interstate and international.
There are numerous school groups, senior groups, families,
couples and singles on the sand. The
school groups have clipboards and worksheets.
It is great to see some of the artists entertaining them with their
stories of their creations. We continue
on our journey.
The path changes and so does the gradient. The wheelchair
grumbles and threatens to roll over in the sand. A couple passing by offer
their help and the man grabs the chair and we reverse back to the more even
path. The sculptures along the missed
path are easily seen from the path above the beach path.
I had hoped to see the sculptures on the 100 metre groyne. It is only accessible via the sand and a
variety of steps. I use the zoom lens to
capture the big pink blow up. Is it a rabbit or a mouse? I don't know. It is
the only thing on the groyne which stands out from a distance.
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| The Pink Blow Up on the groyne. What is it? |
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| The groyne so far away, Pink blow up easily seen here |
The heat is increasing and there is nothing else we can see up
close. We make our way to Beaches Cafe
for a welcome morning tea. It's a small
area but we find a table which we manoeuvre the chair to. Merv enjoyed a cupcake and spearmint milk
while I had a much needed coffee. Mel
and I had a date slice each.
Home we go with mostly green lights!
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