Cathedral Rock National Park

The view from above - on top of Cathedral Rock

A granite boulder formation at Cathedral Rock National Park

The path for the Cathedral Rock walk

There were about 17 of us – 15 teenagers, two adults and a 10 kilometre walk through Cathedral Rock’s sub-alpine woodlands in the middle of winter. The trip had been planned and agreed to months before, but we weren’t ready for that kind of cold and exertion after a morning packed with visits to a water recycling plant, Dorrigo National Park, and several stops to admire and take note of geologically interesting areas. And after that long hike through areas of native grassland, eucalypts and banksias scattered around granite formations, we set up camp and spent a night freezing in the sub-zero temperatures and high wind conditions.

In retrospect our senior high school teacher and her husband were brave to take us on that trip at such a time. While I appreciate the experience now, at the time I was more concerned with complaining about the throat infection which resulted from the camping. But years down the track I can’t seem to get enough of those national parks.

Every time I visit my family in the countryside of northern NSW I’m eager to visit the national parks that dot the surrounding areas. Over the years I’ve become fond of not only the closest and most familiar, Dorrigo National Park, but also those around the New England Tablelands. The first time I went to Cathedral Rock I got sick, but the last time I went I was determined to do the shorter, 5.8 kilometre walk despite being sick.

The combination of sub-alpine heath, dry sclerophyll forest and the visibility of the New England Batholith make Cathedral Rock National Park a truly amazing place to visit. The view from Cathedral Rock is amazing, stretching out towards the see on one side, and more of the tablelands on the other. The walks vary in intensity, but options are inclusive, whether you’re an active seeker of a challenge or just out for a leisurely stroll around the area.

The tradition for me has been to get up early and aim for a lunch-time finish of one of the walks, picnicking with my family in the Barokee rest area, where many of the walks start. It’s a great place to admire the vegetation and keep an eye out for birds like the white-cheeked honeyeater (Phylidonyris nigra) and the odd wallaby (the common ones are Petrogale penicillata and Macropus rufogriseus) or kangaroo (mostly Macropus giganteus).

The Barokee rest area is 1385 kilometres above sea-level, so if you decide to visit in winter be prepared for the cold. The first time I saw snow was there, so that’s some indication of what to expect. But all in all, I would want to visit Cathedral Rock at any time of the year, in health or in sickness, because it is an amazing natural asset to the land.

Questions? Comments? Please feel free to have some input.

…or was it the other way around?

I’ve often stopped to think about the way I work – my reactions, thoughts, opinions. I suppose it’s part of my analytical side (there I go again), but it’s interesting to see when that comes into play and what has lead to something else.

Take journalism for example. I’ve always liked to write, although it used to be more imaginative, the creative side of journalism (no, I don’t mean ethically creative) appealed to me for a long time. The catalyst which  inspired my study path was seeing such complete cynicism and distrust for journalists among the community, despite most news being ethical. Yes, you get your bad apples, but that’s to be expected in any profession and journalism’s not an exception.

The practise of journalism can really change the way people perceive things. It’s no coincidence so many journalists say once you’re a journalist you’re it for life: always thinking “there’s a story in that” and thinking critically about everything, questioning more, asking more questions of the people around you. Hey, maybe even enjoying speaking to door-knockers and telemarketers every once in a while to see how they may react to your (hopefully) well-informed refusals to buy whatever deal they’ve come up with (I know I do).

This type of thinking can inform opinions on anything else in life.

A friend recently mentioned a biopic they planned on watching which I have reservations about. The circumstances surrounding the filming and the person who was the subject of the film did not, to me, speak well of the final product. As well I’ve heard from film critics that it isn’t that great anyway. When I told my friend I wouldn’t ever want to watch the movie, she argued it wasn’t so bad once you got past the factual circumstances. I don’t have a problem with producers and writers bending the facts in biopics for artistic purposes – creativity is one of the things which makes The Life and Death of Peter Sellers one of my favourite movies – but there are limits to what I agree with. Especially if the facts are already “stranger than fiction” (to use an apt cliché).

It got me thinking about how my experiences with drama (acting, film, dramaturgy etc) and my experiences with journalism have shaped the way I perceive things like biopics. I understand the need to generate money in a creative industry, I understand the need for interpretation within any film production, I even understand the stance a producer may take with someone personally invested in a production, but what I don’t understand is how a compromise can be considered ok if it’s ethically unsound.

I assume it comes down to money. Money makes the world go round, after all, so why shouldn’t it make industries go round as well. In fact, if you look at something like the Working Dog Production’s television show Frontline – a satire about a fictional current affairs program – it’s obvious that ethics are easily manipulated when there’s money (or ratings that will lead to money) involved.

Journalism, with the notoriety of cheque-books, word-twisting and sensationalist licensing no matter how rare is seen as a classic case of ethics not followed. Yes, I believe most journalists in Australia are ethical and follow the MEAA code of ethics, but the few occasions when money has proven more tempting have been highlighted to the public enough that there’s now a strong distrust in many circles.

If I wasn’t a critical-thinker before I took an interest in journalism, I probably wouldn’t have wondered why there was such disparity between the perception of journalists and the actual role of journalists as voices for the public, reporting in the public interest. If I didn’t think outside the square I might not have even noticed. My assumption that journalism shapes my views isn’t quite right because I already thought this way before I took up the practise. But my awareness of these skills might not be quite so sharp had I not studied journalism and drama (which involves a lot of self-analysis).

So what informs what?

In the end it doesn’t really matter. The important thing is thinking about how you form opinions can sharpen your perceptions and impressions of people. The skills I’m talking about are important in journalism and drama because they inform the practises. I think they’re important for everyone because they allow us independence of thought, regardless of whatever bias the information we get may have attached to it.

Tuesday

Who would have known walking around with a stocking on your head could be so much fun? Well, I certainly didn’t until we had our group dress rehearsal today. Not only did it bring about stomach-cramping laughter, but also some great photos (which I might even try and post tomorrow after the performance).

I’m looking forward to tomorrow, but I’m also feeling exhausted already. And the idea of three more non-stop study days is not very appealing. But, I shall persevere!

At the moment I should get back to fixing up this video for tomorrow. Most of my group thought it was “perfect” (to quote one girl), but I noticed a few sections which were edited badly. So, onward with the video.

More tomorrow (if I don’t feel swamped that is).

The Death of the Theatre?

We had a debate today. Team Affirmative, as I decided to call us(one “witty” guy wanted to call us “Team Dan”, but I suspected that was an ego thing of sorts), was arguing that theatre is dead. So…is it?

We argued that theatre, as defined by Aristotle some 2000 plus years ago, is not alive. Performance, on the other hand, we believe is very alive. See, theatre, with a linear narrative and fourth wall, only appeals to a small percentage of todays society. Performance is everywhere (and if you read the work of someone like Schechner, everything).

Team Negative argued this was just an evolution of theatre and could still be called “theatre” as such, but I tend to disagree. If, as scientific theory compelling suggests, humans evolved from some form of ape, why then are we not still called apes? Because we have evolved so much that we could hardly be called apes? Isn’t that the same as with contemporary “theatre”/performance? I would argue yes, but feel free to rebut.

You might have also noticed my headline for today is alluding to Roland Barthes’ essay The Author is Dead, which states that authors are no more than the people writing, and the readers are the ones creating meaning. In his essay, Barthes suggests “death” is a metaphor for a power exhange, or an evolution of sorts. If we apply that same “death” metaphor to the changing face of “theatre”, it could easily be seen as dead.

Either way, it was a very interesting discussion and a number of Team Negative attacked me in their rebuttal. I’ll admit one of them had a very good reason to do this (I got my theories mixed and my words muddled), but I like to think I got the most notice because what I was saying made them think. And, for me, that is the important thing about debates.

Sunday

A short post today I think, because I almost forgot (again) to make one. I’ve been working on an essay most of the day, and I feel surprisingly good. Yes, it’s true that at one stage, in the late afternoon, I had to run around my study area and do a bit of a physical shake-out to re-focus myself, but I still got a lot done.

I’m now entering the Dreaded Week 13 at uni, and I’m not looking forward to it. But I am looking forward to the end of the week, so that’s something to keep me going. And tomorrow I have an appointment about my drama future, so it will be nice to have some more organisation. Until then, I think it’s time for bed.

(And for once I have managed to write a short post!)

Saturday – Plays and History

Do you know what I enjoy about studying plays for drama? Part of it is my enthusiasm for drama, but part of it is the history you get to learn. At the moment I’m writing about Kushner’s Angels in America and Kaufman’s The Laramie Project and I’m learning so much about the United States political history.

At school here you tend to get taught a minimal amount of world history, and a lot about Australian history, so things like Reaganomics and Clinton’s policies escaped me for a long, long time. Being able to read about them now, and find links between politics and the plays is proving particularly interesting.

Yes, I have changed my tune (again) about university work. I’m enjoying it at the moment. But I know next week will be my Week of Hell, so making the most of this assignment means I can try and keep sane for everything else I’m not so enthusiastic about. And it’s not often I get the chance to write about a play one weekend, and go and see it performed the next. I’m really glad this is the case with The Laramie Project.

When I first read The Project, I was amazed by it’s scope and the effectiveness of the docudrama genre (some people call it Verbatim Theatre, but I disagree with that). And also by how much the words effected me. I’m a little ambiguous about seeing it next weekend because I know it will be great, but also very moving. I’m not usually one to cry in things, but I have a feeling I’ll need a box of tissues handy next Saturday night.

Anyway, I think I’ll turn in for the day (in terms of writing at least). I have to go to the shops and then make dinner for Sister Dear and I.

Friday

A short entry is in call for tonight I think. I’ve had a mad hatter of a day today. Firstly, I went to uni, handed in an assignment and rushed off to my Media Law class, almost colliding with my lecturer in the process. That was, of course, fun.

The class was great, a revision type thing for the exam next week which got me thinking about that on top of everything else I need to think about. After that I raced up to the bus stop to catch the inter-campus bus to get to my group meeting. On the way I realised I had a message from my dad about some projects I have planned for the summer holidays.

Group meeting. Ok, we got stuff done and I don’t feel so bad about it all now. But it didn’t help that two of the members got really stressed and inadvertently took it out on the group. Yes, fair enough one of the other members was playing director and sounded patronising about it (note the word sounded though because I don’t think it was intentional). And yes, we were a bit rude when one member started saying they had an assignment and couldn’t meet up the day before the performance, but those were not fair reasons for people to leave almost in tears and blunder off like Heathcliff on a bad day. Seriously.

On the other hand, play rehearsals tonight were lots of fun. So it was good in the end.

Thursday

I woke up to the sound of construction work this morning, and despite the late night last night, I managed to get up and prepare for my long day of uni work. Surprisingly it wasn’t as bad as I’d anticipated and once I got started I was ok. I think my mind blocks certain things to stop me from getting (more) stressed, and sometimes it must forget to unblock certain things when I’m trying to work. Unlike with some computer issues, there’s not really a methodology to the unblocking process.

Still, I got things done. And I even had time to read the news online. Now don’t get me wrong, I love newspapers (I don’t know many “young people” who do, but I do), especially the bigger ones, but I don’t like spending money on them. So online it is at the moment.

Of course, with the Federal Election closing in on us all, a lot of the news was about that. Apparently Prime Minister John Howard plans to open a training facility in the Greenslopes Private Hospital (Brisbane, QLD). This is (I think) actually in Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd’s electorate. Tactic? Or is Howard addressing the crumbling health system?

With a decreasing number of nurses and doctors being trained in Australia, the opportunity to be trained in a private hospital is certainly something that needs to be considered. However, the proposed project would be done in association with the University of Queensland. Now I’m a fair opportunity type, and very much against university bias (I both acclaim and criticise most universities I know of). But it sounds very much like this project would be readily available to UQ students, and perhaps not to the other major Brisbane uni’s – Queensland University of Technology and Griffith.

Would students from Brisbane universities other than UQ get opportunities to work at Greenslopes if the project went ahead? Shouldn’t all medical students have the same workplace training opportunities?

I’ll be voicing my opinions about things like this as the election process continues.

Wednesday

A late post, and with only two minutes left before 12am, I’m guessing it will end up being my first of two technically Thursday entries. Oh well, I’m still counting it as daily.

Group work continues to be a bit of an issue. Fortunately we will be getting together on Friday afternoon to work things our further. I am hoping that we’ll be set for next week by the end of that four hours. If not, they might just end up seeing the Bad and Rarely Seen Side of Amy.

I apparently have a package I need to pick up from the post office tomorrow. I’m guessing it’s some articles I asked mum to send me, but I have no idea why she would have had them sent via registered post. It’s a bit of a mystery. I tried to solve it late this afternoon, and apparently the person who “tried” to deliver it (people were home all day, so I doubt there was much trying) hadn’t got back to the post office. Oh well, at some stage tomorrow I’ll need a break from work, and now I have an excuse.

With the Federal Election campaign well underway now, I have realised there is a good chance I’ll be out of the state on election day. My first election, and I will be doing it probably by postal vote, which actually means I get a bit more time to figure out if I’ve done everything right. Ah, the joys of being a civic-minded citizen. Actually, I found a rather pertinent “letter” from the Opposition Leader in our letterbox today, all about doing postal votes. Hmm, maybe someone know it would be an option for me… you never know…

That’s about it for (tonight? today?) now. I’ll be back at an earlier hour (today? tomorrow?) later.

Books, books, books

I spent about two hours today in the library. It’s amazing how time will disappear when you’re walking through the isles, looking for the right call number, checking indexes, looking at the contents pages. Amazing, and also rather time consuming.

With that in mind, I was very tempted to not bother writing a blog entry for today. However, I want to see how long I can keep the daily banter up, so I’m continuing.

I have just been asked by my Sister Dear whether I have ever written about Joseph Mallozzi’s blog (www.josephmallozzi.blogspot.com) in my blog. The answer would have been no, up until now. His blog entries are a mix of wit, insights and anecdotal stories which I enjoy reading daily. And one of the reasons I so enjoy it is because I can torment Sister Dear by starting a sentence with “In Joe Mallozzi’s blog today…” Ah, the sighs of exasperation ensue!

For some reason she doesn’t like hearing my stories about reading blogs. Oh well, that’s just fine by me (it keeps me sane, you know, tormenting her).