Manley, Culture and Friends

“Don't mess about with the harbour cruises, they're expensive,” said Caroline in her forthright way. “Do what Sydneysiders do when they want to take a trip on the harbour. Get a return trip to Manley.”

Good advice. Harbour cruise – 30A$, return to Manley – 14A$, so no contest. Many of the ferries on Sydney harbour are curious reversible craft, with propellers fore and aft, so no turning round is involved. The Manley Ferry goes every half hour and takes half an hour to cross the bay, on the way passing the exit to the ocean beyond. It was a gorgeous day, heating up rapidly under a fierce sun. I sat outside at the front under an awning but still didn't manage to sit entirely in the shade. The Akubra was essential, but still I had to squirm around a bit to prevent my arms and legs going up in flames. The only minor complaint was that a lone man (hey, I'm a lone man) came to sit beside me to eat a Big Mac and fries, scenting the air with that familiar stink of soggy bun and gooey,grey meat. I saw him later stripping off on the beach at Manley and the Big Mcs had nothing for his figure.

I didn't strip off, in spite of a long call earlier in the day from one of Caroline's co-workers who was absolutely insistent that I had, just had, to go snorkeling at the Fairy Bower marine park. “No bathers? Well buy some and a snorkel and mask, it really is a fantastic sight, you have to do it. It's worth it, I promise you.” Instead, I took the long walk to Fairy Bower beach (I have no idea how it got that name), then up the cliff to some wonderful views of the snorkellers a long way below, flapping their way through the surf above the coral. I also encountered a solitary Eastern Water Lizard, a huge, spiney thing that squinted at me through narrowed eyes from a rock. I wondered what my cat, Pepin le Bref, would have made of it, given that he is frightened of very little.

Returning on the ferry to Circular Quai, we passed a beautiful brigantine (I don't know if it was technically a brigantine, but I do like the word), slowly chopping through the swell. Back on land, I made a trip to the NSW gallery, recently renovated, to see the Asian collection. Some wonderful artefacts here, plus an exhibition of paintings inspired by the early Japanese work, The Tale of Genji. The paintings are wonderful and the curator had included contemporary Manga comics to show the continuity of Japanese pictorial story telling.

Jo Cave, ex-CEO of DACS with whom Rosie worked so closely when she was on the Board, came round in the evening and we all went out to dinner at an excellent local Thai restaurant. It was lovely to see Jo, as we were able to talk about Rosie and I really felt a warming sense of continuity – Rosie may be dead but she lives on in the memory of us all. Jo has taken up the position of CEO at Viscopy, the Australian sister organisation of DACS, where she has the job of ensuring the Australian government implements Artists' Resale Right. It's going to be a tough job and already there is huge push back. I wish her luck and I hope she wins but I am not convinced... yet.