I learned quite a few things there, and from recent "Warm Showers" people.
One couple from America (Dick (72) and Susan Rogers(70) biking around on a tandam.
A solo yorkshire man Tim, who will revisit, hopefully to give me real native info on biking in England. he had a Hewett hand made bike with brooks saddle, very tidy bloke, his bike looked brand new too!
Another American Couple from Vermont (Rick very active in the political area & Sally a keen cello player) came through also in there 60's, it's amazing just how active, us "wrinkleys" are these days!
Things have been "Moving On"
In the workshop I'm finishing off some commissions, two Jewellery boxes and a large Japanese style sideboard. Mike had bought these Sterling silver handles 30 years ago, which were made in England in 1856.
NZ Matai box with Tawhia, Kauri and Rewarewa details. The centre section fits a glass inkwell
NZ Totara carcase,Kauri doors, rippled Tawhai panels
I have yet to finish another two special boxes for a local woman who has three daughers. I made daughter #1's box, a couple of years ago and, when they heard of my upcoming travels ordered the other daughters boxes to be completed before May!
On the the clown front things have also been developing with me joining my music teachers group at Nelson's yearly "Masked Parade"
I also approached the Nelson Childrens Library and gave a talk/performance to 60 kids and adults.
So far: my best kokopelli gig was performing at Street Beats on two occasion, where I simply ran riot in Nelson's Trafalger street, playing my sax, riding the unicycle, even both at the same time, luckily everybody seemed to avoid being run over. Best thing about being a clown is, you can fall off, muck things up, and everybody thinks you did it on purpose,.....you don't have to be good, just funny!
Oh I love being spontanious....I joined a que, at the Eftpos banking machine while dressed as a clown, playing my sax and then shouted out "Is this where you get the notes"
Just up our road out in rural Nelson our neighbor, an englishman, (Kev) whose a little on the eccentric side, sings Sussex folk songs while he milks his goats. I went up for a visit and spent a pleasant evening milking and singing along with him.........so now I'm learning some NZ folk songs, so I can share them while I'm travelling.
Recent purchases in the form of an iphone and a busking amp are opening doors to lots more fun and these will be great tools for travel.
Next week I have the wood auction and managed to get the Nelson Evening Mail, to do this article on me which had Saturday night front page coverage, exactly one week before the auction.
Couldn't be better!
Fine wood worker Jimu Grimmett is selling his stock of wood and plans to travel to Europe to busk as a saxophone-playing clown.
Ever wanted to send a clown on his way? Now is your chance.
Neudorf fine wood worker Jimu Grimmett is taking his saxophone-playing, unicycling, big shoe-wearing alter-ego Kokopelli on the road.
After 25 years in the workshop, Mr Grimmett said it was time to go and meet people and he thought what better way to do that than dress up as a clown, jump on a bicycle and travel to Europe.
He has created his clown, Kokopelli, over the last six months when he was inspired to expand his busking repertoire into street theatre.
"It is just a magical experience. It teaches you to be right in the moment and to become someone else. It is just wonderful."
He plans to make his way across Europe into Spain, Germany, Switzerland and France before heading to Britain and Ireland.
Mr Grimmett is holding an auction on March 6 of much of his wood that he has collected over the years to help finance the trip. And yes, Kokopelli will make an appearance spraying water and getting up to similar antics.
Asked whether he thought that sort of carry-on might put off potential buyers, Mr Grimmett said: "I think it will make people want to buy. I hope it doesn't put anybody off, then I might be in trouble."
I'll let you know how the auction went.......
Cheers and caio
Jimu
Alias Kokopelli
Mark Culleton, with the Qoull on the esplande, surrounded by tourists, a fair dinkum Australian ...Mate! Both of them!
or the slow way…….
Guess which I chose?
Yup..... the slow way, on a Chinese Junk
The Low Isles is formed by the coral, making it one of the few like this and therefore unique in its structure. Snorkeling out there amongst the turtles, fish coral and other tourists, was a lot of fun! Apparently crocodiles sometimes do make it out to the reef & sharks are also fairly common! I swam in unison for 30 seconds with a 2 foot long turtle, but mostly in awe, with my nose on the Coral.
With all the tourist activity the fish are pretty tame, although they do have strict rules around no feeding and no standing on the living reef!
This one's called Elephant ear coral (obviously)
On the Cairns Esplanade, a great place for walking, viewing the local birds feathered and otherwise, and the signs like below.
Achtung… Crocodiles inhabit this area, Attacks may cause injury or Death.......so you've been warned!!! Also watch out for ferocious skateboarders, scooter fanatics and practicing cocktail waiters (tricks with the shakers).
Walking past all the ultra modern and huge tourist boats, I spotted a replica of the Duyfken, The Dutch ship that landed on Cape York Peninsula in 1606.
Looked really authentic….apart from its location in the Cairns Marina!
As a budding muso , it’s not everyday I come across a three story music shop full of goodies.
This is part of the range of drum symbols at Buzz Music!
A guitarists dream on two floors, not sure if they had a sound proof room……probably! Oh to visit such a shop with an unlimited budget and time to indulge!
Back on the Waterfront, the Cairns Festival certainly went out with a Fizz and a Bang, out over the lagoon.
The wild life on my daily dog walks around Yungaburra is fantastic, with many recordings of birds, frogs, always something to see, or to listen to.
This area (the Tablelands), is a plateau about 800m high & grows everything from wine, sugar cane to go with the coffee & tea. Tropical fruits and abundant wildlife including all manner of snakes, spiders and wonderful creepy crawlies, even the winters around here never get frosts with some days pushing 27 deg in September.
I managed to find the beautiful Wrights Road Creek within easy walking distance (a little known track down to the river), spending lovely afternoons playing my sax down there in the rainforest. Pretty sure I saw a Platypus down there....the photos don’t do it justice!
Many highlights of my time on the tablelands, and it will be the sights and sounds of the environment. Interestingly the people in the tropics seem to retire for the day around 8-9pm.
After nearly three weeks in the Rainforest, I went inland from Herberton looking for a flavour of the outback and found something like it (although I think I would have needed to go a further 100 klms to really sample the outback). I only saw one other car on this road and managed to chat to the occupants, a couple of NZ dairy farmers on holiday in their off season!
