Archive for the ‘Hobart’ Category

A Tiny Bit Marvellous

by Cassandra Wunsch

A Tiny Bit Marvellous is located on the ground floor of 445 Macquarie Street, South Hobart.  It is a sweet little shop which may or may not be the secret home base of the air-born calories that have been so negatively affecting my back-side of late!

Naked Ladies and fondant flowers at the opening of A Tiny Bit Marvellous!

A Tiny Bit Marvellous, a new cake-making-supplies business in South Hobart

Run by the delightful Sarah, who greeted me and my husband with an impressive spread of champagne, sushi and soft drinks, the store seems to be the ultimate expression of her own culinary flair.  She cheekily confessed she almost had to start the shop; she was already buying all the stock anyway!  As someone with their own obsessive tendencies (my husband doesn’t let me in the stationary sections of stores anymore… I admit, I have a problem) it all seemed perfectly logical to me.

Guests at the launch of A Tiny Bit Marvellous in South Hobart are greeted by Sarah

I was told that the building itself used to be a somewhat oppressive, deep purple inside, and that all the painting and re-carpeting had to be done by Sarah and her family.  The results were well worth the effort!  The interior is pristine white, and like a good kitchen, gives the comforting impression of being scrupulously clean and tidy.

Cake decorating supplies stock the refurbished shelves in the South Hobart shop

Everything you need for cake making, decorating and party supplies in South Hobart

A Tiny Bit Marvellous will have a website up and running soon, to outline all the wonderful things in stock.  In the meantime, customers can have a look at A Tiny Bit Marvellous on Facebook (which will have its own shopping cart shortly as well).  Or, of course, they are more than welcome to pop down to the shop and have a browse!

Hire cake tins from A Tiny Bit Marvellous in South Hobart

The ultimate in cake decorating supplies, in a sweet little shop in South Hobart

Cassandra Wunsch is a third-year journalism student at Open Universities
Australia.  She lives in Hobart with her husband Florian and daughter Taliesin,
and would like to continue to write full-time when she graduates.
Her personal blog is www.10percentinspired.com

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Map: A Tiny Bit Marvellous, South Hobart…

Estia Greek Festival

by Cassandra Wunsch

The initial outlook wasn’t good for the Estia Greek Festival*.  There was no denying it, when I arrived at 10.30am, the weather was less than ideal.  One of the organisers (who had pulled an all-nighter getting everything ready) told me the rain had started at about 7.00am and hadn’t let up since.

Tasmania turned on a damp start to the Estia Greek Festival in North Hobart

High Spirits All Round

Even with the lack-lustre weather, the organisers, food vendors and staff all seemed in high spirits.  A kind gentleman insisted that at the Estia Greek Festival I should be drinking ouzo, not lemonade.  He even offered to dilute it down for me.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I’d had a terrible experience on the stuff as a young woman (entirely the fault of my over indulgence rather than any fault of the drink) and am now quite put off by the smell.  Luckily I’m pregnant, so I had a graceful exit.

Quite often, I find “organisation” gatherings to be what I call triple C:  cool, calm, and corporate.  This wasn’t like that.  As a girl of proud Welsh descent I was a regular at all the Celtic festivals where decorum is a dirty word and a wee dram is breakfast.  I felt quite at home here!  Everyone was jovial, friendly and boisterous, calling to each other through the rain; a combination of jokes and friendly insults.  The one stand-out comment that was nearly my undoing?  “I need more marinated octopus!”  I’m a food wuss when it comes to things that still have eyes!

Greek and Australian flags: fostering racial harmony, tolerance and cultural diversity

Sharing the rich Hellenic-Australian culture, heritage and tradition with the broader community

The Estia Greek Festival was far from being an exclusive or insular occasion; there was a welcoming and open quality about the people.  They were happy to walk anyone through the nuances of the food, the dancing or the culture.  They were there to share themselves, and they did so with good humour and fun.

Traditional Greek Dancing

Though the rain forced the dancing children indoors, it didn’t slow anyone down.  Dressed traditionally and performing traditional dances (with just a little assistance from an adult for the littlies), they didn’t seem to mind being inside.

Children from the Tasmanian Greek Community demonstrate traditional dances

For the last number, the MC invited the audience onto the dance floor to join in, and a lot of them did!  There was a great deal of laughing and bouncing out of time, but neither the children nor the impromptu participants seemed to care or even notice.

Hellenic School: Greek Food

After the dancing, a teacher from the Hellenic School gave the crowd a demonstration of making traditional Tatziki.  She spoke of inherent problems, like calling her grandmother in Greece to ask for recipes.  Metric wasn’t the order of the day.  Sugar for example was measured by ‘feta glass’.  She confessed feta hadn’t been sold in those glasses since the 1950s!  The final advice was just to wing it.

Hellenic School teacher demonstrates Greek cooking to the audience

By that time it was almost 1.00pm, the skies had cleared and the crowd outside was bustling between stalls selling various foods and drinks.

Crowds of people enjoy the Estia Greek Festival as the sun begins to shine on Hobart

With the sun came the kids!  Denied their earlier street performance, they came out again to give an encore in the sunshine.

Dazzling the Hellenic Festival crowds with colour and traditional dance

A celebration of all things Greek at the Estia Stree Festival in North Hobart

Estia Greek Festival: Fun Tasmanian Family Event

All in all it was a great experience and I’m glad I toughed out the initial gloomy weather.  It was well worth the effort.  Once the sun came back out and people started packing in, the Estia Greek Festival proved to be a great family event.  Children were stomping in puddles and a couple of lads wore Greek flag capes.

I’d like to thank everyone who pointed me in the right direction and was so nice to me while I wandered around (quite often managing to put myself perfectly in the way while trying to be unobtrusive).

*The Estia Greek Festival is held annually in autumn, under the auspices of the Greek Community of Tasmania.  They are based at Hellenic House in North Hobart.  2012 festivities continue until 17 March (see the calendar for event dates).

Cassandra Wunsch is a third-year journalism student at Open Universities
Australia.  She lives in Hobart with her husband Florian and daughter Taliesin,
and would like to continue to write full-time when she graduates.
Her personal blog is www.10percentinspired.com

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Map: Hellenic House, North Hobart…

World Party Hobart

by Cassandra Wunsch

Editor’s Note ~ World Party Hobart: we thought you might enjoy reading
about this fabulous, inspirational event.  Held at Princes Wharf
over the weekend, we were very glad when Cassandra “volunteered”.
She’s such a dedicated soul, given the 38C forecast.
And this article shows just how far she’s willing to go to get the real story
(just how we like it at Think Tasmania).  Thanks a million CJ ~ Tania

There are two types of Tasmanian: the kind that was born here, and the kind that moved here.  At no time is the distinction more obvious than on one those rare 38 degree days that swoop down on unsuspecting Hobart occasionally.  For those souls born here it’s a time of unbridled excitement!  Bikinis and swimmers that only see the light of day once every two or three years are hurriedly unpacked.  Young people by the score flock to beaches and lawns to lay about in the wonder of heat.

Hobart turned on a heat wave for the staging of World Party Hobart 2012

I belong to the second group.  I was born in New South Wales where two weeks at the height of summer are spent in rapt contemplation of the ceiling fan, while you lay flat on your back on the floor, daring anyone to even think about touching you.  I moved to Australia’s ice box to get away from that kind of thing!

Let’s Get this World Party Started in Hobart!

In any event, it seemed there was more than enough enthusiasm to overcome the inevitable sluggishness that comes with intolerably warm days when it came to attending World Party Hobart.  Hosted inside the Princes Wharf building on the water was a promising array of food stalls with some tantalising (if conflicting) odours to tempt the adventurous.

Of course before I could see any of this, I had to get in the front door.  Outside on Parliament lawns, the local radio station 7HOFM (hold the giggles please mainlanders;  I know, I laughed when I first moved here too)  was hosting a fairly raucous display for the Kangaroos (the North Melbourne Football club).  Autographs were signed (and one or two chests from the looks of things!) and loads of free merchandise was handed out to star struck fans… in-between what I confess seemed to be a rather random ‘best-dressed’ competition.  The fact that you can hold a random, unannounced best-dressed competition in Salamanca on any given Saturday says something about our city, though I couldn’t tell you exactly what.

7HOFM bring the AFL team North Melbourne Kangaroos to World Party, Hobart

Taiko Drum Take Over the Crowd

Having managed to escape the boisterous man with the microphone, who showed an alarming interest in anyone with a camera and a notebook (you’d have thought I was a journo or something!) I still couldn’t get in the front door.  Set up under the sun sails was a set of huge drums and a sign reading “Taiko Drum” .  Once the drummers arrived, I found I couldn’t leave.

Taiko Drum entertain the World Party crowd outside Princes Wharf in Hobart

There was a surprising number of unique sounds and a lot of energetic yelling in time.  The most incredible thing about the display was the two older ladies on the left hand side who were giving the young’uns a serious run for their money!  I wasn’t the only one rooted to the spot either; to a steadily growing crowd the drummers performed a series of pieces which included some place changing and one set rearrangement.

UTAS: School of Asian Studies

Finally in the relative comfort of the pavilion I thought I was safe.  This was a mistake.  A gaggle of lovely ladies from the School of Asian Studies at UTAS made me an offer I couldn’t refuse!

Cassandra Wunsch: "the things I do for Think Tasmania!"

World Party Hobart: Inspirational Tasmania

World Party Hobart 2012 would continue well into the evening, but I admit I was undone by the heat and didn’t manage to stay until closing.  I did do a little research into the event, however, and what I found was both inspirational and heartbreaking.

The organisers state on their website that the event was prompted by, and is held in part to remember a young woman named Zhang Tina Yu.  In 2009 she was studying here at UTAS towards an accounting degree.  Tina was murdered in New Town that year.  A vibrant young woman who never got to go home.

Whilst quietly remembering Tina however, the event is designed to offset
the isolation and fear that members of the International Student Community
can feel whilst living in Tasmania and to highlight, indeed to demonstrate,
that this should not be the case. ~ World Party website.

We live in a beautiful place, surrounded by beautiful people.  The outpouring of public support for World Party Hobart was truly inspirational and made me proud to live here.  Terrible things can and do happen everywhere, but we are a community and we’ll do everything we can to ensure everyone is safe and feels secure.  How will we do this?  We’ll throw a big party of course!

Cassandra Wunsch is a third-year journalism student at Open Universities
Australia.  She lives in Hobart with her husband Florian and daughter Taliesin,
and would like to continue to write full-time when she graduates.
Her personal blog is www.10percentinspired.com

If you like this article about Tasmania, and you’d like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Facebook.  If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the “share” options below.  We’d love that!

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Map: World Party Hobart, Princes Wharf, Tasmania…

World Party Tasmania: 25 February 2012

World Party Tasmania is a free, not-for-profit event designed to celebrate the diversity of the Tasmanian multicultural community.

World Party Tasmania: celebrating the multicultural community (Photo by Roger Findlay)

Festivities will include a free concert and food fair held at Princes Wharf Hobart on Saturday 25 February 2012.  World Party Tasmania starts at 2pm and everyone is welcome.  Of course!

For details of performers, see the World Party Tasmania poster, provided
by Mary-Anne Evans from the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

If you like this article about Tasmania, and you’d like to read more, just subscribe to our newsletter or join us on Facebook.  If you really like this article, and you want others to see it, you can choose one of the “share” options below.  We’d love that!

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Map: World Party Tasmania, Princes Wharf…

Sydney to Hobart: the Youngest Tasmanian Female Skipper

by Laura Roper

I am the youngest ever Tasmanian female skipper to complete the Rolex Sydney to Hobart (in 5 days 3 minutes and 12 seconds and at 22 years of age!).  My name is Laura Roper and I am very happy to claim that title.

Laura Roper takes the helm of Natelle Two in the Sydney to Hobart

Sailing from Hobart

With a delivery crew of three sailors and a very keen aunty we left the Derwent Sailing Squadron in Sandy Bay Hobart on the 14th of December 2011 at 10am.  We waved goodbye and Merry Christmas to all those who had come to see us off.  Everyone that came had done something to help me achieve my dream;  from cooking, sponsorship (MountainView Meadery, The Metz Sandy Bay and Clarence Joint Therapy), aligning me with the A21 Campaign or just believing in me.  They were all there!  With one more lot of kisses, very tight hugs and the biggest smile that had ever crossed my face, we left Hobart.  And on time too!

Cruise Ships, Wildlife and Sunsets

We threw off the mooring lines and headed south down the river.  As I realised what I was about to be a part of, the excitement really set in.  We rounded Tasman Island later that afternoon and as we headed up towards the bottom of Maria Island we were overtaken by the cruise ship that had also left Hobart that day.  As Aunty Ruth contemplated jumping ship for happy hour we settled in for our first night.

A cruise ship departing Hobart overtakes the Natelle Two near Maria Island

The trip up the coast was beautiful but unfortunately not much wind, so the motor was going most of the way.  Between the four of us, we spotted various forms of wildlife:  birds, dolphins, whales and sharks.  We crossed Bass Strait with some lovely sunset views and without a hint of treacherous water in sight.

No treacherous waters in Bass Strait, just a gorgeous sunset vista!

Return to Eden

We pulled into Eden after crossing The Strait for a bit of R&R.  We stayed the afternoon and night and set out at 6am the next morning (Sunday).  As it turned out this was to be the longest day and night of my life!  The wind made 40 knots across the deck that night and I wasn’t really looking at the wave height.  I was too busy trying to keep myself awake and warm;  but I’m sure they were high.  In about 20 hours we had travelled about 50 nautical miles (in other words, not very far).  The next day, the same distance took us 6 hours.

Then the decision was made to head back to Eden.  We had broken the main traveller, lost a halyard and the main halyard had begun to break.  Luckily these were all easily fixed, and I was finally able to sleep for a few hours after being awake for 40.  The rest of the delivery trip was uneventful and we cruised quietly into Sydney on the evening of Wednesday the 19th of December.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge: the Natelle Two crew finally arrives for the start of the race

The Sydney Whirlwind

The following few days were a whirlwind of getting the boat up to scratch, talking to media, seeing friends, safety inspections and catching up on the week of news I had missed.  Then came Boxing Day.  My day started at 5:45am.   Up early to have the final shower I was to have for five days and get myself ready for the media.  That morning I had the 6:30am time slot on live ABC TV, then on to ABC Radio live, Sky Sports News and Fox Sports News.

The final skippers and navigators briefing was at 10am.  This was where we got our final look at the weather systems moving about the coast and what we were to expect in the coming days.  Starting with a NE and turning to a southerly up to 35 knots that evening.  The weather bureau predicted this to last a couple of days and for the wind to then swing back to the north east.  We were also to expect large swell due to the cyclone that was moving through northern Australia.  With a quick good luck wish to Jessica Watson it was back to the boat to get ready.

A21 Campaign

One of the A21 Campaign staff members came to meet me and thank me for my work in helping to raise awareness about the horrors of human trafficking for the sex trade.  We carried their logo on our main sail as well as the hull of the boat and on our shirts, in the hope of helping young women that are experiencing something that I can’t even begin to comprehend and still struggle to understand.

From the Harbour to The Heads

We set off from the yacht club and the nerves began to set in.  We left early to go out and have a crew meeting in peace and quiet.  This is when we allocated jobs in the case of an emergency, notified the crew of their watches and addressed any questions anyone had.  Soon enough it was 12:30.  The nerves increased along with the number of boats and number of helicopters.

We had done our sail past with our storm sails and informed the committee of how many crew we had.  It wasn’t long before the 10 minute gun went and I don’t really remember much from then until we got out of The Heads.  I know I was shaking for part of it, as I nearly tacked into another boat, which would have spelled a very short end to months of work and years of dreams.  We were the last boat to start but we had 628 nautical miles to catch up and luckily some boats crossed the line too soon, so they were required to turn back and go through the start line again.

The next thing I really remember was rounding the seaward mark outside The Heads and heading for home!  The helicopters continued to buzz overhead and the spectator craft had taken off with the super maxis, so luckily we didn’t have to deal with their white wash too much once outside The Heads.

Thunder, Lightning & Other Challenges

As we headed down the NSW coast we settled in for the first watch of the night.  The change came in sooner than predicted and I wish I had pictures for you of the spectacular cloud that rolled in with the southerly.  I was too busy and it was a bit wet to take photos!  Along with the southerly change came a thunderstorm which gave some spectacular lightning, although being in the middle of the ocean with a big metal pole (the mast) sticking up in the air isn’t the most comforting place to be in the middle of an electrical storm!!

The mast of Natelle Two, causing the youngest Tasmanian female skipper some concern!

For the next two nights not much sleep was had; we found every leak that Natelle Two had plus some.  My brother was severely sea sick and Dad realised he had missed a couple of our scheduled radio contacts.  We were supposed to call in at midnight and listen on a different channel at midday.  Well Dad got them mixed up and in the end the sailing committee whacked us with a 60 minute penalty, even after Dad’s explanation and apology.

Dream Bass Strait Crossing

We had another dream crossing of Bass Strait and I am yet to believe the stories I’ve heard.  As we hit the Tasmanian coast and day began to break, the winds were perfect.  We put up a spinnaker and ran all the way to the bottom of Maria Island doing up to 12 knots as we surfed down the waves.  It was during these days I char-grilled my feet…  I forgot to put sunscreen on them, and would come to regret that when returning to work.  We also learned that water had gotten into the motor, stopping it from starting.  With Dad and Ashley on the job, we all held our breath until it finally spluttered to life.  This was the only real issue we had during the whole race.

On Friday we had lamb roast as we ran down the coast and moved closer to home.  It wasn’t long before Tasman Island was in view once again, and we were only 40 nautical miles from finishing.  The next major land mark was the Iron Pot.  As we approached, we realised we would have a little competition on our way up the river in the form of the yacht Aurora.  After a tacking duel around The Pot, we separated a little and were able to concentrate on our own race.

Welcome landmarks as the crew of Natelle Two round the Iron Pot south of Hobart

The Welcome Sight of Home

It was at this point the spectator craft began to appear.  My other brother Cameron and his girlfriend came to meet us at The Pot to take some photos, along with some other boats that had come to take in the sights.  I even got to wave to Mum from a distance who was standing on the beach.  This was the first real sign of civilisation for nearly five days and I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as home came into view.  We had a lovely run up the river until Opossum Bay where we ran out of wind for about an hour.  Luckily we had some friends come out to meet us for a chat, while we finished off Mum’s homemade pies.

A Happy Hero’s Welcome

As the sea breeze came in we put up the spinnaker and headed for the finish line!  Unfortunately Aurora got away from us in the lighter winds and beat us home.  But nothing could detract from doing 11 knots over the finish line under spinnaker.  As we packed up the boat we got instructions on where we would moor in Kings Pier and about doing a sail past next to the Taste Festival.  I cannot even begin to describe the feeling of coming into my home town with everyone stopping their lunch to stand up just to clap and cheer me and my crew coming home.  It was at this point I discovered my smile could get bigger.

Natelle Two arrives home to a huge welcome from the crowds at the Taste Festival

We then headed for our berth with a prime spot next to the main jetty that everyone walks along.  I then saw a sea of red shirts on the backs of everyone that I knew and had supported me through out the past 12 months.  The announcer came over the speaker to welcome us home just as we were tying up and at that point I knew I had finished.  For the first time in my life I was the one being welcomed, not doing the welcoming!  Writing of this moment still gets me excited, with a smile on my face almost as big as the original.  The hugs and kisses ensued and I got to see my family for the first time since I left.  It may have only been two weeks but it felt like forever!

Officially the Youngest Tasmanian Female Skipper

The drinks began to flow and media began to descend, wanting to interview the youngest Tasmanian female skipper to finish the Sydney to Hobart.  Unfortunately they stuck around long enough to snap me being thrown in by my trusty crew.  It wasn’t long until the hype started to die down and I was able to focus on getting home for a shower!

Sydney to Hobart celebrations for the crew of Natelle Two at the finish

Laura Roper was treated to the customary dunking at the finish of the Sydney to Hobart

As the youngest Tasmanian female skipper ever, Laura had a lot of media attention

It was an experience and a half, and I cant wait to go again.  Now that I’m already the youngest Tasmanian female skipper, maybe just as crew next time.  But right now, I am going to enjoy the little things in life… showers, flushing toilets, deodorant and CLEAN undies!

Photo Credits

Laura Roper, Ruth Heather, Val Lamont, Aleisha Duggan, Amberly Ford

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The Moorilla?  That’s the term locals use to describe the WTA tennis tournament officially known as the Hobart International.  The writer was very lucky to be given a front-row view of the action from the Tennis Tasmania corporate box.  And of course I wanted to share the experience with you.

Shahar Peer in quarter final action at the Moorilla Hobart International 2012

The Moorilla: International Tennis in Hobart

In between a nice meal and a few drinks, and despite the exciting tennis, I managed to take way too many photos.  (Now there’s a shock!)  So I’ve selected some of the best ones and compiled a video for Think Tasmania’s YouTube Channel.

You don’t have to be invited by Tennis Tasmania to have a great time at the Moorilla.  In the new stadium, all the seats have a close-up view of the action.  We went to the Quarter Finals night session, but if you go earlier in the week, a ticket gives you access to the entire Queens Domain tennis centre.  You can choose between matches on all three tournament courts.  Refreshments are available for purchase, and there’s plenty of space to relax on the lawns between play.

What’s so Good About the Moorilla?

If you love tennis, or even just watching elite athletes at work, the Moorilla provides a fabulous opportunity.  Some of the highlights for me include…

• the standard of players: it’s not unusual for former
  top 10 players to come to Hobart on the comeback trail
• Aussie hopefuls: local favourites give the crowd
  something extra to cheer for
• future champions: the Moorilla has played host to
  stars that have gone on to conquer the tour
• close encounters: the relaxed atmosphere gives
  patrons a chance to mingle with their idols

The Moorilla Hobart International 2012: Tournament Facts

21-year-old German Mona Barthel defeated top seed Yanina Wickmayer from Belgium 6-1 6-2 in the final played on Saturday 14th January.  Mona had to win eight matches to take the title after playing through qualifying.  On her way to victory in the WTA tournament, she had to overcome second seed, Spanish player Anabel Medina Garrigues.  She also put the defending champion, Australian fifth seed, Jarmila Gajdosova out of contention.

The winner was dubbed “Mona Foma” Barthel following her win, which would have no doubt pleased the sponsors!

Umpires ready, ballkids ready, players ready... play! At the Moorilla

Monica Niculescu and Irina-Camelia Begu (both from Romania) claimed the doubles title in a third set super tie-break against Chia-Jung Chuang (China) and Marina Erakovic (Croatia).  This was the first WTA doubles title for Irina-Camelia Begu and she was understandably pleased with the result.  She and her coach even jokingly gave credit to some of the local kids who had joined her on the practice court and remained loyal supporters.

Irina-Camelia Begu hits up with some lucky Tennis Tasmania squad players

I cannot speak highly enough of the Moorilla Hobart International.  Anyone living in Tasmania with an interest in tennis should mark their calendar for next year.  Tickets are affordable, access is easy, the tennis is top-quality… why wouldn’t you go?

Visit the official website for more about the Moorilla Hobart International

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Map: The Moorilla Hobart International…

MONA FOMA

by Cassandra Wunsch

There’s a feeling on the mainland that Tasmanians might be a little funny, maybe slightly backward, even a touch superstitious.  Like the global myth about Aussies sucking down Fosters when we’re at home, it’s a myth we’re happy to let you run with.  But don’t think for one minute that Friday the 13th has the power to crimp our style!

A huge crowd gathers in Hobart for the MONA FOMA street party

MONA FOMA Street Party

MONA FOMA (Museum of Old and New Art – Festival of Music and Art) is an annual event in Hobart and we kick it off like only Hobart can.  An eclectic street party stocked to brimming with hippies, kids, old people, suited corporate types and flashy dressed young women!  Most festivals or gatherings draw to themselves a specific type, a subculture who share an intrinsic knowledge of what’s going on and how to behave… the street party isn’t like that.

Museum of Old and New Art, Festival of Music and Art in Hobart Tasmania

At 6pm the official business began, and the crowd was so diverse as to be indescribable.  Around the stage sat small family groups on picnic blankets, while behind them stood older patrons with small plastic cups of beer or wine (available from the vendors at the event).  The entertainment was just as varied!

When I arrived, a gentleman with a heavy German accent (the Dad Horse Experience) was singing a rather dirty little song about the sins he had committed, for which he would like forgiveness.  It was just a little too early, with everyone still a touch too dignified, for his sing-along to take off…

Lord Heal my Soul from Dad Horse Experience at the MONA FOMA street party

Make Some Noise!

Later, a gentleman playing what looked like a triangle of opaque plastic caused the elderly ladies to my left some distress.  The sound made by this thing was beyond compare, to the point where the only way I can convey it to you is with a short recording (included below).  That’s not a low quality recording either, that’s the sound we actually heard at the MONA FOMA Street Party.

There was some concern this MONA FOMA street party musician might hyperventilate!

eMDee: All the Way from NT

Without a doubt my favourite performance was from eMDee, who had travelled from the Northern Territory to rock out with an unusual combination of drums and didgeridoo!  Like the crowd, eMDee’s sound was a wild composition that somehow managed to work, no matter how much you might think it shouldn’t.  Within a few songs, an impromptu dance-floor had been cleared down the front and peopled with groovers from fifteen to fifty.

As the sun started to set, and children were bundled off for bedtime, the dance-floor slowly grew until eMDee had the entire place moving.  The front man did express some surprise at the turnout, saying he didn’t realise there were this many people in Hobart!

eMDee plays to the excited crowd at the MONA FOMA street party on Firday 13th

Brian Ritchie

In the words of event curator Brian Ritchie, “The world is catching on.  Research indicates that so-called mainlanders and other foreigners flock to Tasmania in increasing numbers to experience this thing.”  A sentiment proved by the presence of Tuba Skinny in the line up.  The band travelled all the way from New Orleans to perform to an enraptured MONA FOMA audience in Hobart.

Tuba Skinny, one of the artists secured by MONA FOMA curator Brian Ritchie

Jimmys Skate and Street Party

This kind of an event ripples out into the city, keeping everyone up past their usual bedtime.  Across the way on Elizabeth Street, Jimmys Skate and Street held a show for local artists capitalising on the foot traffic, and defectors from the lengthy lines for MONA FOMA entry after 8pm.

Jimmys Skate & Street have their own street party!

With the party kicking on until 11pm, and lines spiralling out from three separate entrances, it was inevitable that the revelry spilled out into the street.  Only here in Tasmania could police block off major sections of a capital city and not cause a fuss.  Good natured party goers were dancing on the pavement outside the event, clearly still enjoying themselves and feeling a sense of involvement.

A genuine street party in Hobart, as the MONA FOMA crowds take over the roads

More MONA FOMA

For anyone who missed the party, there’s plenty more to keep you busy over the next two weeks.  Some highlights include the Museum itself, which is open 10am to 6pm; a BalletLab to watch, and for the more adventurous, a naked tour of the gallery where the tour guide, and the tourists have to get their kit off before being allowed in (adults only).

Cassandra Wunsch is a third-year journalism student at Open Universities
Australia. She lives in Hobart with her husband Florian and daughter Taliesin,
and would like to continue to write full-time when she graduates.
Her personal blog is www.10percentinspired.com

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