We were recently in Bondi and caught up with Uge from Aquabumps. Asking how we might get back to the city he suggested we hire a Lime E-Bike, ride across to Rose Bay and get on a ferry. Awesome idea I thought.......I am a bit of a rider and look fabulous in lycra so off we went looking for those hideously ugly bikes. In the distance we spotted a couple of lonely ones dumped unceremoniously by the side of the road. So there we are standing at the bikes wondering what the hell we do now. After what seemed like hours we had navigated the complicated download and set up process, paid our money and wobbled off in the general direction of the city. I hadn’t travelled more than 100 bone jarring meters when my bike stopped working. What a piece of Sh1t, luckily there was another one close by also dumped like an unwanted pet. I should have know the experience would be ordinary just by looking at the basket on the front and the daggy helmets provided. I jumped on that ugly two wheeled abomination, went through the BS to get it going and raced off to catch up with Jen. What I forgot to do was grab her precious 100% cashmere 'Christian Fletcher' scarf and glasses out of the basket so all up the five kilometres of riding cost more than if we had hired a helicopter to get us back to the hotel. I actually did enjoy zipping through the suburbs and backstreets but Jen, not so much. She has since deleted the Lime App off her phone and vowed to never ride one again. Her life had flashed before her eyes along with the speeding traffic. I told her she was being dramatic! Sydney drivers love cyclists.
So you may be asking what am I doing on the east coast? I was invited by Leica who are currently holding two exhibitions of my work in their Sydney and Melbourne city stores. It is such a privilege to be an ambassador for an iconic brand and what a joy it is using their cameras and lenses. If you are in either city make sure you pop in and have a look. Just don't hire a Lime bike to get there.
We're very sheltered in Dunsborough so seeing a normal looking person suddenly have a violent, psychotic episode outside a beautiful, old, historic church in Sydney (he had a big beef with God) and a fentanyl zombie on the street of Melbourne, was pretty confronting and unstettling - the worst we see in Dunsborough are Millenials ordering oat milk skinny decaf ice latte's. So after the official opening of my second exhibition at the Leica store in Little Collins Street we decided to GTFO to beautiful Lorne. What a lovely place, more like Dunsborough, great coffee shops and beach culture. We loved being there. The south coast Victorian weather - cool, grey, windy, wet - didn’t stop us from enjoying the beaches and taking long walks and I managed a few photos I liked. I could live there and there wasn't a Lime bike in sight!
Now happily back at home in sunny Dunsborough, for, what I was expecting to be, the quiet life until the place almost burnt to the ground a few days ago. That was stressful. I think a Lime bike caught fire or was possibly set on fire by someone who rode one more than 100 metres! Actually we don't have Lime bikes and I think oat milk, skinny, decaf iced lattes are banned in all coffee shops.
On a happier note - upcoming event next weekend - Labour Day Long Weekend - is the amazing annual Dunsborough Arts Festivaland Sculpture By The Bay. It's one of our favourite weekends down south. My gallery hosts the small sculptures - it's so great to see my work alongside the amazing sculptures. The weekend is full of activities - concerts, fireworks, art markets, X-Factor, sculptures, workshops and more. Do yourself a favour and put it in your calendar. E-bikes are welcome unless they are light green!
My wife's advice is take an Uber!
