Tonight we Humans of the Brochure were invited to come and see 2 teams of artists go head to head in Commit No Nuisance battle. 

While the artists were creating their magic , we were fed well by La De Da

Drinks were plentiful!

My mocktail was spot-on.  I did not feel like I was missing out at all.

We were entertained by beat-boxer Keeegz;

heard some energetic raps by hiphop artists Jemist and Ender III 

and mellowed out to the hypnotic sound of Toggle.

La De Da, a cocktail bar and function room, is above Haha Bar in Belconnen.  Its furniture has been created by local designer Tom Skeehan and the art on the walls is by New Zealand’s Erin Forsyth.

Humans catching up with each other:

The start of the art:

The vision is emerging:

The evening had a fantastic vibe!

My last glimpse of the art as I left.

I was not able to stay to see who won, but I heard that the team that used black and white came through with the goods this time.  I never knew things like this even happened.  It is a great idea!
To find out more about the artists I saw and to find out more about Commit No Nuisance visit : http://www.gooddesignclub.com/2014/06/16/commit-no-nuisance-exclusive-101-humans-round/

On Sunday afternoon the Humans of the Brochure were thrilled to be invited to go on a behind the scenes tour of Parliament House in Canberra.  Our guide, Shane Ryan brought the halls to life with his anecdotes and by pointing out little details that we would have missed.

This is the largest tapestry in Australia and it hangs at the very back of the Great Hall.  It depicts a eucalypt forest from Shoalhaven and took over 2 years to complete.
Halley’s Comet and a cockatoo are hiding in there! 

We ventured down to the basement where, according to Shane: ‘the non-contentious things happen’.  The basement is huge.  There are even street names and the hallways are large enough for the electric cars that zip around.  We did not see any on our tour, however.

We filed into each of the camera rooms for Parliament which are run by robotics.  Human staff control which camera is going live and make sure the focus is spot-on before letting the video stream live.

When Question Time is in session, the camera room requires 4 operators.  The amount of buttons and cameras in constant use made my head spin.

Next we went up to one of the 17 courtyards and met Paul Janssen, the long time landscaper of Parliament House.  Seriously, Paul looks just like Steve Irwin!  33 hectares of gardens exist in Parliament House. 

I believe he said that 17 landscapers are employed to keep the gardens up to scratch.
Pesticides are not used to kill pest, rather predatory insects are brought in and introduced to the gardens to combat  pests.  I thought that was a fabulous little nugget of information!

This is the Prime Minister’s courtyard:

So cameras had to be put away at this point, but you can see some great images of the following on the website at the bottom of the article.

We walked past all the offices of our current politicians. 
The President of the Senate has the biggest office, the Speaker has the second largest, and our Prime Minister works out of the third largest office. 

The most secret room in the house is the super-secure Cabinet room, opposite the Prime Minister’s office.  It has no windows.

The Member’s Hall in the core of the building is an example of the thought and symbolism that  is evident throughout the design of Parliament House.  
The centrepiece is a water feature which provides white noise to keep parliamentarian’s conversations discreet whilst at the same time is somehow a still pool; clearly reflecting the flag that flies far above it.  The apex of the pool has been left hollow so no one person can stand in the very centre.

These are some of the artworks in the Mural Hall which overlooks the water feature below:

We went to the top floor and walked out onto the area outside just under the flag where the gentlemen who maintain our flag were waiting for us.

The flag is 20 kg and MASSIVE!  Changing the flag is time-consuming and a little perilous! 

They had an awesome surprise for us.  We were able to unfurl and hold out the flag that replaced the old one a couple days ago now.  It was an amazing moment. 

We spontaneously broke out into our National Anthem.  Here it is below.  :)

To finish we were taken to the staff dining room for afternoon tea.

I was surprised at the attention to detail and meaning that I saw throughout the whole of Parliament House.  So much thought has gone into it.  It is a place for all us Aussies to be proud of. 

I was also surprised by the emotions it brought out in me.  I felt really patriotic!
Go and visit Parliament House yourself.  There are a range of tours.  I am taking the kids these holidays! http://www.aph.gov.au/Visit_Parliament/Planning_a_visit

The Humans of the Brochure were invited to go on a taste-and-see tour of Bentspoke Brewery in Braddon this evening.

Unsurprisingly, it was one of our best attended events thus far.  :)  I rarely drink and would know nothing about beer, so if you are hoping for a review based on beer and cider tastings, sorry!!
The uber-new Bentspoke Brewery is a bar, micro brewery and restaurant with highly regarded and established brewer Richard Watkins and his partner Tracy at the helm.

We walked into the pub part of Bentspoke and went straight upstairs to what looks like a European-style beer hall where the long tables were already full of happy customers.

 Here we are taking notes as Richard and Tracy tell us about their brews:

When you go, take time to look at all the little details in the décor that link this space’s name with what it does.  Richard and Tracy are keen cyclists.

 
The 6 fresh beers on tap are unique in comparison to what most other brewers are doing.  The Barley Griffin ( see what he did there?) an oregano infused beer is one of the showcased beers on tap.

Crankshaft has a lychee fragrance that I could smell.  It is currently their biggest seller.
The Dick Tracy is a ‘fruity nutty’ beer they have named after themselves.  Who is the fruity and who is the nutty?  Get to Bentspoke and find out over a pint.  :)

With an 18 tap potential, there are plans to brew more new beers soon

Richard talked to us about cider.  It is a palate cleanser.
Lots of ciders are back-sweetened with apple juice as they have been over-fermented and have no sweetness of their own. Bentspoke does not ferment its cider dry but ensures that it retains the sweetness and the apple flavour.
They use Granny Smith apples for tartness and Red Delicious for sweetness.
Richard told us:
'The secret to a good beer is getting the hops right. Not too sweet, not too bitter.'

Dan Watters becomes animated as he talks about the homegrown brews here:

The food was awesome too…..but it needed to be photographed first:

So moreish.

Ploughman’s platter with pork pie.  I didn’t get to taste the pie, but everything else on that plate is spot on.  No two flavour sensations  were the same.  I loved the crusty chunks of bread we had to tear into.  It was an interactive communal eating experience.  The best type.

Hot wings with malted blue cheese sauce.  The wings had a crunchy crust and were exquisitely juicy inside.  The blue cheese sauce; so tangy and smooth.

The chips were just fantastic!  The crunchy crust; I don’t know what it was but I seriously want to break in to their vault and get the recipe!!!

Cheese platter with cider-pickled onions and quince paste.  More of the bread chunks!  Best!

Richard and Tracy showed us where the magic happens upstairs where  the big tanks hold 2500 thousand litres or 5000 pints.

The beer ferments 7 days, then it is chilled down and the yeast settles down to the bottom.

The sacks that hold the ingredients are put to good use:

More examples of how Bentspoke Brewery incorporates bicycle ‘stuff’ into its décor. 

Check out the light.  Take a real good look:

And see those staircase railings?  They double as pipes that carry the beer downstairs.  It is a real wow factor to know that the beer you are drinking is being made on site.  And to have it all on display, happening around you gives the place a real buzz.  Like being in a  bee hive!

I love all the exposed pipes.  This is downstairs in the pub space:

What a great night!  Bentspoke is family friendly - there were several kids there eating dinner with their parents.  The place was packed and the vibe was warm and friendly.  You will find Bentspoke Brewery on the corner of Mort and Elouera Streets in Braddon.  I cannot see a contact number for them but they can take 170 people comfortably inside and have outdoor seating as well.

Our hosts had gracious opened their doors two hours before regular business hours so we Humans of the Brochure could get an up-close look at some of their exhibitions and catch a show.  Walking into the building felt like coming home.  In the 2 years before the 9 yr old started school, we visited every single gallery in Questacon every single Thursday.  I miss my Thursday visits.

We got in the doors just as the Balloonatic show was starting so we grabbed a super- quick facial injury from Dr Scar.  Her gore effects were incredibly realistic.  
 

I got suspicious looks from people all morning, as I walked alongside my bruised daughter.

Once inside the theatre for the Balloonatic, we were informed by our pilot that in fact we WERE taking a balloon flight…. to Mars!

Here he is showing us the iddy-biddy flame that would apparently be sustaining our flight. 

Our Pilot got a volunteer to help reveal our mode of transport to Mars.  Obviously Visit Canberra and Questacon have spared no expense for their favourite Humans.

Getting another volunteer ready to blow up the backup vehicle.

Liquid helium time!!

Don’t try this at home kids!.

Balloonatic was a highly entertaining half hour with much audience participation and hands -on learning.  My favourite moment in the show is in the video below but don’t show your kids if you plan on going!!  Spoiler alert!!!

After narrowly escaping a future in Mars, we checked out the Gravitram- a kinetic sculpture on the way to our tasty breakfast at the cafe.

The other Humans of the Brochure and their tiny Humans lining up in the café were all sporting propeller hats and/or facial injuries.

Trevor’s toothpick injury was especially severe.  I think it may effect the type of blogging he does in the future. 

Dr Yuri Blashtov , my 9 yr old’s favourite scientist from his preschool days was presenting a mini version of his very engaging Boom! Crash! Bang! Rockets show.  I could listen to that accent all day long.

At the H2O gallery a staff member explained a little about the Meander exhibit- two large moveable panels which demonstrate how water flows across either horizontal or steep terrain.

 The very impressive Hydrotram sculpture represents the water-cycle; from thunderstorms at the top all the way down to how rainfall impacts the earth. 

Next door at the Excite gallery  both Kara and I did the 6 meter Free Fall. You can see me in action below.  ( I wasn’t very brave.  It took them three goes of counting to 3 for me to let go). 

Here is Kara at the Jellyfish Vortex- using air pressure and mist to bend the ribbons above her.

We didn’t go into all  of Questacon’s galleries and areas of exploration today, but trust me- there is something there  to inspire every child as well as YOUR inner child.  Your little grey cells will be hopping!  

New exhibits appear regularly and the shows change also.  The Q shop stocks fantastically innovative toys that will get kids off the internet and into creative mode.
Get to Questacon if you are a local!  The 2 year  membership is the best value for money.  Sooo worth it!  If you aren’t a local, set aside at least 3 hours on one of your days for a visit.

The Humans of the Brochure attended the  Poacher’s Way function tonight out at Poacher’s Pantry, a short drive out of Canberra.

Poacher’s Pantry is a smokehouse, restaurant and wedding venue and I assumed that for the Poacher’s Way event, we would be learning about their ‘way of life’.  Silly me.

Poacher’s Way is actually a collective of regional “artists, chefs, winemakers, galleries and rural retreats”.  (quote borrowed from the Poacher’s Way website)  Each unique, memorable and inspiring in their own right- these businesses are linked together by a passion for what they do. 

(Here is a Human Brochure grappling with a paper brochure:)

In fact many of the people we met tonight left their corporate jobs to follow their creative dream. Susan Bruce from Poacher’s Pantry told me, ‘Poacher’s Way is a 12 months of the year experience’,   There is so much to be part of and to experience.

Our evening was a just  tantalizing glimpse into the eclectic genius of the businesses that make up Poacher’s Way.

We sampled some of the delicious tastes from Poacher’s pantry itself. http://www.poacherspantry.com.au/

Lamb Shoulder tarts:

Duck Pancakes with Hoisin Sauce:

There was an incredible edible (!!!) garden created by Mel and Hanns.  Well, actually by the time my camera found it, quite a bit of it had been eaten!

One of the culprits demolishing the edible art:

I  didn’t get a chance to talk to the representatives from Silo bakery, but I tasted some food from their table.  The bread is hearty and rich, while still being soft.  The cheese was bitey and I couldn’t stop eating it.  I felt like Heidi out of the novel Heidi.  :)  Silo Bakery is in Kingston, Canberra http://silobakery.com.au/

While I didn’t meet every member of Poacher’s Way, I did chat to several.

The Bungendore Wood Works Gallery has such a variety of products.  Even wooden earrings! 

They create one of-a-kind pieces as corporate gifts.  The Governor General once ordered a gift for the Pope from them.  The Gallery is housed in a gorgeous building if memory serves correctly.  And breakfast in their Café Wood Works is delicious and a necessary part of the visit.  http://www.bungendorewoodworks.com.au/

Also in Murrumbateman is Country Guesthouse Schonegg .  I am already in love with this place.  Schonegg is Swiss German for ‘pretty corner’.  They truly are in a pretty corner of the world.  Adventurers can base themselves here as a gateway to other Poacher’s Way experiences, or you can just come for a spa weekend.

Evelyn from Country Guesthouse Schonegg meets Erna, our 101 selfie queen.  :)

Personally, I am going to go there for the Black Forest pancakes.  Who’s in?  http://www.schonegg.com.au/

Robyn Rowe Chocolate is based in Murrumbateman too.

Robyn studied chocolate making in Belgium.  She combines age-old European chocolate techniques with innovative Australian flavours sourced locally. 

The chocolates are Fair Trade.  I loved the smooth texture of the different fillings. Lime Coconut Zing.  So good!!!

Her Centenary chocolate for Canberra’s special birthday is sea salted caramel.

There are no words for this Decadent Dollop Chocolate Sauce…..

Robyn assured me that the 3 most important things when tempering chocolate are time, temperature and movement.  I am looking forward to going out to Murrumbateman so I can see her in action.  http://www.robynrowechocolates.com.au/

Old Saint Lukes Studio  is a pottery and gallery out at Gundaroo. Ian and Moraig McKenna are both gifted potters in their own right each  with very  unique styles.  Falling ash from their wood- fired kiln adheres itself to their ceramics creating amazing effects.

This pot lay on seashells on this side in the kiln…

…and got the texture from falling ash on this side.  http://thepoachersway.com.au/host/old-st-lukes-studio/

They keep Jolly Miller cider (made by local Ron Miller) on tap.

The Crowes Restaurant’s chef Tim produces amazing food; I know- I sampled it.

Tim’s Smoked Chilli Oil is a fantastic present idea for chilli lovers. 

I wanted to buy the biggest bottle available of his Garlic Oil:

Sam Burns, Jake and Dan from Two Before Ten in Canberra are passionate about being innovative with coffee.  They continue to experiment with how it can be served in fresh and exciting ways.

Tonight I tried their Cold Brewed Coffee.  So good!  This is where the Ground Coffee beans are soaked in water overnight.  Basically a steeping process.

I also sampled a 101-a heady mix of Cold Brewed Coffee, Tequila and freshly squeezed apple juice. Refreshing!

Travis downs a 101!

Two Before Ten operates out of  Canberra House and are open for breakfast  from 6:30 am.  http://www.twobeforeten.com.au/

This tiny taste of Poacher’s Way left the 101 Human Brochures buzzing.  Many of us are already planning our own little group jaunts out to each of those areas for day trips to explore further. 
Choose YOUR own adventure- the Poacher’s Way.  http://thepoachersway.com.au/home/

Our Humans of the Brochure visit to the Australian War Memorial tonight began with us attending the Last Post Ceremony at the Pool of Reflection.  The Ceremony is held here every day (except for Christmas) at 4:55 pm. 

Each day, one of the men or women whose name appears on the Roll of Honor is commemorated.  Their stories are meticulously researched and told by War Memorial historians.

The ceremony ends with the poignant Last Post.
Tonight’s ceremony was for Signaller Sean McCarthy who lost his life in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan in 2008.

After the ceremony, our group was treated to a behind-the-scenes tour with Peter Burness, senior historian and  the War Memorial’s longest serving employee.  He was well informed and humorous with many personal anecdotes about the areas he was showing us .

Some random facts we learned:
The sticking of the poppies into the Roll of Honour only started in 1993, after the body of an unknown soldier was brought back from France and buried in the chapel to represent all Australian soldiers killed in war. 

Servicemen in bomber planes were the most likely to die very young.
Many men flying huge aircraft still didn’t have car license
The tail gunner was the worst job.  The poor man was bundled into the belly of the bomber with his knees in his face.  He was secluded from the others and absolutely freezing.  There was zero hope of escape if there was attack or damage.

The Australian War Memorial was the brainchild of Charles Bean, an official World War 1 historian.  It was completed in 1941.

The War Memorial has 3 parts:

The Commemorative Area, the Museum (with the galleries) and the Research Centre (for records)

The Hall of Memory is a beautiful peaceful chapel.  Each of its 4 walls have mosaics representing  a Sailor, a Servicewoman, a Soldier and an Airman; 3 of its walls have stained glass windows  detailing images of these also.  Both the mosaics and glass windows were created by Napier Waller who lost his arm in World War 1.

The roll of Honour which is featured on bronze plaques around the Memorial Pool, commemorates the Australian servicemen and women who lost their lives in conflict.  Only their names and not their rank appear on the list.

The museum is laid out with care and intent.  There are interactive, engaging sections in every room.

The remains of the first Australian aircraft shot down in the war against Japan.

Lots of sections have video interviews or commentary.

I was moved by this graphic image of a fellow Gunnedah boy, Len Siffleet, the moment before he was beheaded in 1943.

As always, I found the photographs the most moving.

Ask about the interactive kids area where everything is hands-on.  They can climb into this helicopter…..

….and experience life on a submarine!

We finished our brilliant evening with some lovely cheese and fruit platters.

The Australian War Memorial is open daily 10-5 (except on Christmas Day.) http://www.awm.gov.au/

It isn’t important who won the game between the Raiders and the Broncos.  Let me instead detail the important facts:

There was a ball. 

There were lots of men trying to pull each other off the ball.

There was kicking from both teams as well as from the cheerleaders (yay, Clare!) who were thrilled to benefit from some personal tips from our very own dancer Jamie Winbank .

There was a mascot race.  I have no idea who actually won as I became engrossed watching our own Raider mascot try to take down the Club Lime mascot.  Below is the moment where our Viking spotted the opportunity to take out the poor lime-suited mascot.  Boy, oh boy, it was all happening tonight!

There were hot chips from our amazing hosts from Visit Canberra.  How did they know that our tummies are bottomless pits?

There was Raider’s spirit oozing from Kim-Marie’s dancing.

There were fandannas from Housh who had about a dozen spare.  :)  We wore them well.

There was a photo opportunity with the Raiders most vocal fan- Stu who, when asked explained: ‘I live here in Canberra, I support the Raiders.’

And most importantly there was NO rain! 

Lonsdale is all about the coffee:

I wanted to have a macchiato as well as my cap.  Wait- why didn’t I?

My smoked ham and aged cheddar-mornay toasted croissant was yummy. 

The eggs Benedict looked good too.

Lonsdale doesn’t take itself too seriously:

Thanks for a great start to the day, Lonsdale!  If you can’t guess what street this place actually is, you need help.  :)  Go to the site to find where else they are.  http://lonsdalestreetroasters.com/

The 9 yr old and I had a lovely drop-in at the Handmade Markets today in at the National Convention Centre today.  The budget is low at present so I really went along to say ‘hi’ my crafty friends from Human Brochure.
I will have to do a little post specifically about the bag Theresa from A Little Bird Made Me is going to design and create for me soon!  I am excited!

Anyhow, we were short on time so we headed straight for the ice-cream trolley (as you do in winter!)
Frugii!!!
(The photos suck…. sorry, I was working with a smudged smartphone)

John from Frugii spotted us looking at his selection of ice-cream and assured us that we could have as many samples as we like without having to buy.  Boo-ya!!
When the 9 yr old chose to sample the Dark Chocolate Gelato, John came out to explain how he actually makes the gelato from cocoa beans that he roasts and grinds to perfection himself.  It is a complex process! 

We sampled the Dark Chocolate Gelato and enjoyed its delicate flavour even more after knowing the work that goes into making it.

The Salted Butter Caramel is my favourite.  I could taste the salt, the butter and the caramel!

The Pavlova ice-cream had the crunch of meringue in it.  What could be more Australian than that? Well, perhaps the Musk Stick flavour!  Musk sticks were my favourite Australian lolly growing up and the taste made me all nostalgic.

After all our sampling, the 9 yr old chose to go with a cup of the Dark Chocolate Gelato.

Taste some Frugii ice-cream or gelato yourself.  John’ wide range of flavours are made entirely from organic products, with no artificial colours or  flavours.  At the weekends you will find him at either Capital Regional Farmers Markets, Old Bus Depot Markets or Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets.

http://www.frugii.com/

I was right about the food.  Kitchen Witchery ( http://kitchenwitchery.com.au/) catered the event.  The canapés were  varied and the taste sensation were exquisite.

We  feasted on:

Chinese BBQ duck wrapped in petit shallot crepes

Tiger prawns on forks topped with avocado salsa

Smoked lamb fillet served on garlic croustade with aioli & smoked tomato

Smoked eggplant pinwheel crepes with hommus & paprika

and Soy glazed chicken, watercress & cucumber rice paper wraps

OK- lets talk about the Archives.  :)
There are actually thousands of documents and photos from our nation’s history stored at the National Archives of Australia.  The way in which they are so accessible to us is a testament to our democracy and nation’s desire to learn from its history by being transparent.

The displays are honest and evoke strong emotions at times.

Most of my post about the night will be through pictures.  You must come and see it for yourself.  You will leave with a richer understanding of the story of our amazing country.  Be sure and talk to the staff that work here as they are passionate about the stories behind the displays and will bring them to living colour for you. 

Before we get to parts I took photos of; we were given access to an area where no photography was allowed.  Here we got to see up-close, the
Royal Proclamation of Inauguration Day, written out on vellum and signed by Queen Victoria.
We also discovered some of the alternate names that got kicked around for our nation’s Capital.
Try Wattleton, Austral or Eden out and see how it rolls off the tongue.  :)

Some things that fascinated me:

A 50 word dictation test was enforced on for all non-Europeans entering Australia between 1901 and 1958 under the Immigration Restriction Act. This test could be read aloud in any European language of the tester’s choosing.  In this way failure could be guaranteed, if the tester felt the applicant was undesirable due to racial background or character . Failure of the dictation test meant deportation.  Below is an example of the 50 word dictation:

After World War 2, Australia embarked on a massive seductive campaign to attract European migrants to its shores to further establish the nations’ development and prosperity. 
These migrants were initially housed in large hostels hastily set up in former army and air force barracks until they found permanent work and homes.
After the glossy advertising of a new start, many migrants found the reality of the stark life in the hostels overwhelming.

Here is our group being taken through the A Place to Call Home? exhibit that explores what life was like for those migrant families.

We learned about the bland food served up at the hostels.  There are even recipes to look at and cook at home. 

The old books are seriously impressive.

Tut tut!  These cards were seized by customs officials.

This next photo I found confronting and poignant and heartbreaking.  The National Archives houses the 1972 Larrakia petition where 1000 Aboriginal people signed a document calling for land rights and political representation. They tried to have this document given to Princess Margaret during her official tour of Darwin, but in the effort to hand it over, it was ripped in a scuffle by over-zealous police and the attempt failed. The petition eventually made it to Buckingham place along with a polite letter of apology about the petition’s condition. 

Below are the ballot balls used for conscription for Vietnam war 1965-1972.

We all wanted a photo display like this one.  Maybe you or a loved one are featured here.  Come and take a look:

Images speak so much:

It is so interactive:

The images and personal quotes are captivating.

Here are the contents of Prime Minister Harold Holt’s briefcase directly following his disappearance from a Victorian beach.

This display shows how preservation of documents has changed over time:

I am coming back soon to have a nice slow thorough browse.  Learn more here about planning your own visit: http://www.naa.gov.au/

Penny!  Can you see her?  Kind of smack dab in the middle of the photo?

This orange robot is probably Penny’s boyfriend.  He wasn’t actually programmed for a job this particular evening, so he was just chair-dancing to pass the time..

We met the CEO, Ross MacDiarmid, who reminded us that every Australian coin we own has been made right there at the Mint.
Ross then proceeded to make the children’s eyes as round as saucers as he spoke in hushed tones about the 2 verified ghosts at the Mint.
The Whistling ghost can be heard in the downstairs vault, whistling happily as though it is working away happily.
The Disappearing ghost in the basement presents as a very familiar face and then when an employee takes another look, there is actually no-one there.  The staff have come to the conclusion that this ghost is probably a deceased former employee who really loved his job.

We encountered a historical story teller who regaled us with tales of the forger, William Hershell and the early days of Australian money.

Here are a few of the coin displays.

This is where the action happens!

You MUST check out the Coin Cascade down the impressive glittering staircase.  It represents the journey of how a coin comes into being.  At the top of the staircase are ‘blanks’ that turn into 5 cent coins as the steps progress down.  It is a piece of art.

The hanging coin display was modern and beautiful.  It took me a moment to work out what I was looking at.

Finally, it was time to make our own coin!  This year the special coin that  the machine creates is one that commemorates Matthew Flinders, the first explorer to circumnavigate Australia.  It was exciting to see my own coin appear like magic!

See my coin coming??

Travis makes his coin while others look on eagerly.  :)

My mini-human was looking for the coin to commemorate the year of his birth.  So many amazing coins for collectors here.  Bring your wallet!

There are a couple things to note when you visit.

Weekdays are the best time to see robots, and the kids are going to want to see these massive robots.  :)

And, very importantly: don’t come thinking you are going to be able to get away with some kind of dumb heist.  I have seen and heard about the security measures that are taken.  Don’t bother.  You’ll be toast. 

Go to the website of  the Royal Australia Mint to learn more about your visit! http://www.ramint.gov.au/

We Humans of the Brochure spent a memorable, fairy- light-strewn night out at Cockington Green Gardens, Canberra’s own miniature village.  Mark and Rob have been creating intricate building replicas here to delight local Canberrans, as well as interstate and international guests for 14 years.  This is not only a miniature village; the Gardens feature a miniature maze, the Parson’s Nose Garden Cafe and a miniature steam train. 

Iconic buildings from 30 different countries are also represented to the smallest detail.  This is a work of love and attention to detail.  There are funny and cute little details to look out for.  Flynn is pretending to push a trolley like the little person to the right of him.  :)

Take a moment to see Flynn’s take:

Make sure you stop and really take time to admire the handiwork on display here.  The average miniature building take 1000 hours to create.  This one, a replica of Turkey’s Kucuksu Pavilion took 3000 hours!!

Proud little Aussie

There is a little waterfall.

There is a sweet little shop to help kick-start your own miniature collection.

Café!

We have and will continue to keep returning to Cockington Green Gardens for a fun couple of hours out.  It is open every day from 9:30-5pm bar Christmas and Boxing Day.  Get stuck into the adventure yourselves!!
Go here for more info.  http://www.cockingtongreen.com.au/

Phil, our Dinosaurs At Night tour guide was a fearless, highly interactive and witty leader through the treacherous prehistoric world we crept through.  The kids were enthralled the entire time, hanging on his every word and I learned a lot myself! One of the highlights was the piece of dinosaur poop that we could hold and even lick!!

The museum houses the biggest store of prehistoric and dinosaur-related merchandise in Australia

I won’t rattle on anymore, rather, I’ll let you look at some photos of the museum and also listen to a few videos of my mini-Human chatting about exhibits there. Information about the Dinosaur Museum is at the end.  :)

Dinosaurs on the highway!

Rubbish bin!

So many to look at and interact with.

Biggest Dino store in Australia!!!

So, you will find The National Dinosaur Museum off the Barton Highway at Gold Creek in Nicholls. Seriously, it is the easiest thing to find in Canberra…. follow the life-sized dinosaurs that are just off the Barton Highway.  They hold birthday parties, have an interactive prehistoric playground and do guided day and night tours.   Learn more here: http://www.nationaldinosaurmuseum.com.au/

Thanks again to all the wonderful staff at the National Dinosaur Museum!

The only thing I have successfully grown is dandelions.  No plant thrives or does what the packet says it should under my care.
So tonight’s visit to the botanical garden was a challenge to me!

Here are a couple of highlights from  our afterDARK tour.

Our first stop was the rainforest- we looked at the layers of a rainforest- how the canopy that provides the cover they need for the understory. 
Moving on to the Rainforest gully, past a busy possum we came to the warmer end of the rainforest.  

We were shown a plant that houses a type of spider that only live in rainforests.  These particular spiders are thriving here which is indicative of how well this rainforest is doing.

We saw a Wollemia Nobilis- an ancient and rare tree which is another one of  the successes of the botanical garden.  It is thriving here.

Our group then spent a full minute with no light at all, just absorbing the sounds as a hive of gentle activity buzzed all around us.  It was the best!! 

We reached a waterfall and what stuck in my brain was finding out that there is a frog called the Maniacal Cackle Frog (the scientific name is Perons Tree frog).  We didn’t see or hear any, but here is a video of what they sound like.  I am coming back to see one!

 We reached our final  destination:  the Red Centre; it was magnificent by night- I am so interested to see what it is like by day.

The plant that captured my imagination here was the porcupine grass rings-  the centre of it dies early on and suddenly there is a ring of spiky protection around which emus and other animals come to lay their eggs.

Our guide was passionate about what she was showing us and that enthusiasm was contagious.  All the information was easy and palatable  even for a plant noob to understand.
Our tour ended at the Red Centre, where the wonderful folk at the Botanical Gardens and the staff of Floresco in the Gardens Cafe had put on a spread of yummy nibbles for us.

We ate:
Smoked salmon crostini
Duck rillette on brioche
Kangaroo ragout
Bush tomato soup

All were amazing!!

I have now been to Australian National Botanic Gardens in the daytime for breakfast and done the child friendly activities; I have gone there for the Sunset Cinema,  and now have experienced the afterDARK
tour. I actually recommend doing the afterDARK tour first as, it leaves you curious about what everything looks like in the daylight.  With limited visibility you are relying on your other senses on your journey, which I loved.

There are free guided tours here twice a day.

Go here to see what events are happening at the Botanic Gardens this month:

http://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/whatson/index.html

Tonight we went to the National Portrait Gallery to take a tour of two of its current exhibitions and to hear from award-winning Aussie photographer Peter Brew Bevan.

I wish I had encouraged myself to reflect more about the night in advance and let the significance of what a privilege to hear from such an esteemed photographer actually sink in.  That way I could have really anticipated the experience and anticipation is half the fun, right). 

We started off with drinks and more amazing food as we had a very light-hearted and warm welcome from the director. 

Ok, let me pause to showyou the obligatory food pics. Our delectable canapés were catered by Sharon of Trippas White Group who is also head chef at the National Portrait Gallery.

This was a beetroot and goats cheese tartlet with candied walnut.  Best pastry, so buttery and crisp.  The taste combination was fantastic.

Gruyere and mozzarella Arancini with aioli. Best arancini I have had.  Oh, so yum. .

Five spice prawns with lemongrass and chilli dipping sauce.

Seared scallop tomato and fennel salsa and dill. salivaion city.

 Then the staff showed us a video of how seriously they take themselves.  Must watch!!!

The first exhibition we saw was Portraits From Prime Time.  Recognisable Australian faces from both the small and big screen smiled  or glowered at us from every wall.  8 photographers took part in this exhibition, one of whom was Peter Brew Bevan.

Each portrait features quotes from the photographer  and there are videos to watch as you walk around, letting you get a sense of what the photographer experienced in the process of the photo shoots.  I loved this aspect.  Portraits tell a story and it was fascinating to hear the backstory of the story.

I had so many favourites.  Here is one I really liked:

I especially loved how unique and tangible this next part of the exhibition was.   What a fun iconic Australian idea!

Quite a few of the portraits made me think of candy; so vibrant and bold in color.  Mmmm, candy…..

'A housing for his camera'???  I never knew you could get a mute thingamybob for the camera click!!!

The second exhibition National Photographic Portrait Prize 2014 took my excitement to another level because the subjects were ordinary people photographed extraordinarily well.  The ones that really captured my imagination were those more photojournalistic ones that caught the subject halfway through a story and left me wanting to know where they had come from and what is happening to them now.  These are a few:

It is seriously hard to make this kind of pose look casual and intense.  Notice me in the reflection (yup, that is why the pic is really here, haha)

After our look through the exhibitions we sat down to hear the curator interview photographer Peter Brew Bevan.

It was an interesting insight into the crazy busy life he leads.  We heard how Peter started off on his photographic journey; what it is really like to photograph the stars and we gasped at his hair-raising story of defying death in Jakarta alongside the person he had been commissioned by Reader’s Digest New York to photograph.

It was my first visit to the National Portrait Gallery but I am hooked and will return to look at these two galleries in more depth very soon.  If you want to be inspired to photograph differently (whether you hold a $2000 or $50 camera in your hand), GO! 

Both Portraits From Prime Time and National Photographic Portrait Prize 2014 exhibitions are in the gallery  until the 9th of June.

Find the information here:

http://www.portrait.gov.au/site/gallery.php

Tonight’s Human Brochure event was at the Museum of Australian Democracy which is in Old Parliament House.

Upon arrival we chatted over drinks and delicious hors d’oeuvres.  Below left are the beetroot and goats cheese marshmallows.  They were definitely of a marshmallow texture slightly sweet, very more-ish; I had several. On the right are the truffle chicken nuggets.  They were like a very tasty chicken pie in a nugget.  So good!

  My group (Our Kitchen Rules) headed downstairs to the original kitchen where 3 meals a day were prepared for politicians and staff.

There Craig, head chef of the restaurant upstairs prepared and plated 63 Degree eggs over a spring onion emulsion, topped with mushroom foam, and toasted crunchy breadcrumbs.  Really good! 

Kim-

Marie’s face says it all.  :)

Some of the ladies plating up their eggs.

Kim-Marie enjoying her egg.  :)

It was also surreal to see all the massive industrial sized machines: potato peelers, chip slicers and deep fryers that produced the kitchen’s famous hot chips.

Below is a typical lunch menu from

1927 when the kitchen would produce 1000 meals a day.  The politicians ate all 3 meals on site so it was a constant hive of activity.

Check out that butter-sculpted swan. Check out that pig!

Craig was generous enough to share his 63 degree egg recipe with us.  Thanks, Craig!

We came back together for some dessert: coffee cream filled eclairs and perfect churros in chocolate dipping sauce.  All this great food coming at us is a bit of a concern.  We humans are currently discussing some kind of fitness regime to combat the layer of fat we will start to acquire from all the amazing food we are having.

While one isn’t usually able to feast on 63 degree eggs in the old kitchen at Old Parliament House, you CAN have a guided tour down to see how it was run, and you CAN taste Craig’s inventive creations daily at the restaurant. 
Go here to see what is on at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House:   http://moadoph.gov.au/ 
Till tomorrow’s adventure at the National Portrait Gallery- ciao!

This can be done 2 ways.  First,  you wear the same three rotating outfits to work for both summer and winter.  Second, you get out a tape measure and with Google’s assitance, work out where to correctly  measure around your extremities.  Armed with this information, you choose your wardrobe from Ebay.

The last time I did this, I inadvertantly purchased 3 mini muumuus from a Vietnam.  From which I learned that I am quite a bit taller than your average Vietnamese lady and I must have been using the wrong measuring units.

On Saturday I decided it was high time I venture out to find a new outfit at a non-virtual store.  

After browsing for an hour and not seeing anything that would suit, I stumbled innocently into Over-eager Rookie Salesman’s sights.  Our interaction went thusly:

'Hello, dahling, can I help you with anything?'

'Um, yes, I am looking for a tunic dress that I can wear a long sleeved shirt under.'

' Ah, I see…… Well, ok.  First, I guess you  are aware that you are generous in the bust area as well as the hip department.  So lets have a look over here for something that will compliment your shape.'

I, now wanting to punch him in his smiley face, follow him meekly to a set of garish dresses which were probably designed to hide generosity such as I was cursed with; clutching my sweater around all my generousness to hide it from the world.

The dresses he points out are sooo not me.  Way to busy, way to bright.

I spot a plain black tunic in the corner shining like an oasis in the desert.

The sizes it comes in are XS, S, M, L and XL.  Because of my ‘generous’ proportions, I automatically reach to the back end of the rack to  pull out a size L.  He stops me.

'Dahling, what size are you in numbers in other shops?'

'Size 10'

'Alright, you need to take an XS.'

In the changing room, I put on the dress which is actually swimming on me and it dawns on me that this is actually a plus-size clothing store.  He is hovering outside and now makes as if to pull back the curtain and come in, so  I press the curtains tight against the wall and call out that it is WAY too big. 
He yells back: ‘Hold on, I’m fetching you a big belt as an accessory.  It will go nicely with your shoes.  Did I say how much I love your shoes?’

Day 5:  My daughter's eye.  I am still using the poor man's macro and adding a bit of texture in Photoshop.

Day 6: I found this tiny beetle struggling in a spider's web.  After photographing it, I rescued it.

Day 7: Piece of a wattle flower caught in a spider's web.  To my eye it looks like an artistic sun.

Day 8: Winged bug on a branch.

Day 9: Takeaway!  This ant was busy carrying his moth home.

Today's effort is a discarded snail shell I found in the backyard taken with my poor man's macro.  I also added a texture in photoshop as that is something I am curious about too.  365 Day 2Snail Shell

The reality is that a lot of my photos will probably be last minute, like this one.
I bought a $25 doovey off ebay a couple years ago that you attach to your most basic lens and it becomes a poor man's macro.  It is a lot of fun to use.  :)

Here is day one:

The other day, we set off with great anticipation to see the new delicious addition to the Rutherford family. Raven is a little earth mother and so relaxed with her growing brood.

Harper is such an alert little girl. She gazed at me with very knowing eyes, and wanted to see everything I was doing. She narrowed her gaze at me as I rocked her slowly. There was no gentle lulling to sleep for this little one. Several feeds later, Little Miss Harper still wasn’t having a bar of falling to sleep and letting me contort her cute little body into the obligatory newborn poses.

As it turned out, she granted us about 4 minutes of shut-eye. We sprang into action. All the other precious rosy-cheeked Rutherford sisters gathered around for a couple of pictures. Raven popped into the frame as well. Daniel unfortunately could not be coaxed into a photo. :)

I asked Terry what his secret to the world’s best pizza was, many years ago,. It is true, no other pizza tastes anything like it.
His answer was simple: quality ingredients and simplicity.
I think there is more to it than that. Terry’s pizzas don’t have a tonne of cheese, and there is none on the top. The cheese is underneath, so it doesn’t overwhelm and dull all the other toppings. This also prevents the crust from going soggy. Each ingredient stands out equally as the ‘hero of the dish’ (chortle), and the pizza crust is thick and crunchy without grease. Oh man, I am workin’ up an appetite just writing this!!!!
The service is fantastic. Most of the times I have gone in, Terry himself has served me, with a quick grin and genuine modesty at my raving. He is always up for a yarn (Aussie-speak for conversation), even though the orders are coming at him thick and fast and the phone is ringing away like a boiling kettle.
So………If a large body of water of oceanic proportions happens to be in the way of you and a Terry’s pizza, you are excused for not making the effort.
As for the Aussies among us, no excuses. Hitch up the nearest roo, give it a swift (yet-RSPCA-approved) kick up the flank, and hop along to Terry’s.
One of our friends was such a Terry’s fan, he invited all his university friends from Newcastle to his parents property and had a massive Terry’s pizza for his 21 birthday CAKE!!!! Now that is a fan! That is dedication. That, is what a Terry’s pizza will do to you.