There was a storm approaching on my first afternoon in Kaikoura. I’ve hardly seen a sky so menacing. Very Lord of the Rings-like.
All posts by Sandra Graham
Kaikoura – Mountains and Sea
On one of my trips to NZ, I made a substantial stay in the little town of Kaikoura. It is about 2-3 hours north of Christchurch, locked between the mountains and the sea. Now, NZ is full of exquisite scenery, but Kaikoura is certainly up there as one of my favourites.
Night and Day
The Harbour Bridge viewed by night and day makes for a wonderful contrast. I suppose living out in the ‘burbs, I don’t get to see the harbour at night so very much, so it is a bit of novelty for me.
Luna Park – Rides
I’m not a fan of amusement parks, but Luna Park, and Sydney Harbour in general, certainly looked pretty at night.
Luna Park – Josh Pyke
My first time seeing Josh Pyke live. I have his two full-length albums now and they are good, if rather gentle and poignant listens. On stage he is a rather straight-forward performer. Aside from a few jokes he doesn’t talk overly much, but is generally at ease. What surprised me about the performance is how powerful his voice is. It is really quite a standout, and that’s not particularly evident from listening to his albums. Also his acoustic guitar work when he was playing in solo mode was clever. Had no idea he was doing these things from the record, and if Josh can tab what he’s doing I’d be really grateful!
Opera House Open Day – Mikado
We didn’t exactly see The Mikado but saw a few things lying around backstage:
Costumes
Props
Opera House Open Day – More equipment
Lots of lighting rigs lying around.
And a mixer that I want to get my hands on.
But the coolest thing is the hydrolics that things from below to the stage.
Opera House Open Day – Equipment
But the best bit was that we got to walk through the bowels of the Opera House. And there’s some serious equipment down there.
Opera House Open Day – Gondwana Children’s Choir
I’ve been in ad-hoc choirs before, even as a kid, but it’s something else to listen to these kids from the Gondwana Children’s Choir. There’s a brilliant energy about them, probably because their enthusiasm is unbridled.
Opera House Open Day – Concert Hall
I’ve been to the Opera House quite often in the last couple of years since they’ve started programming more contemporary acts. But I’ve never stood on the concert hall stage until last week! Man, it was some view…
Static and Silence 