I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the ACT, the Ngunnawal people. I acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Something For Kate OR When Flowers meet Fibre

I promised Kate to take her on a tour of Floriade this year, so Spidey and I visited on Sunday to check out the Alice Springs Beanie Exhibition with a view to a Picknit, and also to meet up with Helen Rippin - the dye-diva of Waratah Fibres (sadly, no website or blog).

For foreign readers, Floriade is Canberra's annual spring festival. Bulbs en masse together with garden displays and other activities. This year's theme is Aussie Myths and Icons. There was a Yowie, Kate, but no Sasquatch ;). I didn't photograph many of the myths and icons, mostly because the interpretative signage was pretty bad and we couldn't decipher some of the displays.

Flowers.






Myths and Icons

Possibly the Sydney Opera House made from bamboo?



The Melbourne Cricket Ground (also home of Australian Rules Football - the posts are the Aussie Rules goal posts)


Dunny complete with red back spider

Ute

Fibre

Shark Bite Hat

Tea Party Hat

Evil women bearing fibre (Helen Rippin on left, Spidey on right)

Large bag of dye-diva fibre. I only bought 50g - promise.

Daisy display which depicts sheep

Actual sheep (Spidey has dibs on this one)


A TTWC makes a pilgrimage

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

How lovely! Thank you for the beautiful pics - I love those arches of bamboo, whatever they are meant to symbolise. And finally, someone has found a practical use for a Kingswood ute!
I so love the enormous sweeps of colour at Floriade - none of the other festivals I've ever been to can compare. Again, thank you.

Donna Lee said...

That is lovely. I have the good fortune to live near Longwood gardens, one of the DuPont family estates that they turned into a garden and they change the displays for each season. Even in the winter there is a lot to see in greenhouses scattered all over. But it's nothing like that. AND you get fiber!!!

Bells said...

gorgeous photos Taph. i can't wait to go again this year.

Olivia said...

the photos are marvellous. I must make sure I actually get there this year.

TinkingBell said...

Lovely photos - I live Floriade and envy you getting along there - love that fibre - You're so good - only 50gr? Well done!

AMCSviatko said...

Great coverage - now I don't need to go!

:-)

Margie said...

I can't believe it's been a whole year since I was there! Woweeee.

Anonymous said...

Gotta love tulips.

The tulip farm out on the federal hwy is really nice too. And they had ceramics and dutch pancakes - I can't remember any fibre though.

Five Ferns Fibreholic said...

Talk about coming full circle. I remember walking through commonwealth park and seeing them plant bulbs.

Love the hats. I could see myself wearing the tea party hat just to embarrass the teen.....evil laughter!

Congrats on the fibre restraint. Although I am scratching my head wondering what you can do with a mere 50g. :)

DrK said...

ah yes the usual parade of aussie stereotypes by which we continue to perpetuate the myth. oops sorry did that come out loud? im such a bad cynic. i should just enjoy the flowers, which really do look spectacular, and make me feel a litte bit canberra-home-sick and remind me how much i miss you guys!