Sunday, March 19, 2006

Festival Melbourne2006

So what do you do in Melbourne when the Commonwealth Games is on and you didn't get tickets to any of the competitions? Join in the fun with Festival Melbourne2006 which is a major feature of the Games and everyone can enjoy for free!

Remember the flying tram which kick-started the Opening Ceremony at the MCG? The one that flew down with wings and people started pouring out of it when it landed in the middle of the stadium?

Well its right here at Melbourne Museum for everyone to see! I just couldn't help myself, I had to camwhore with it! Did the touristy thing and people thought I was an overseas visitor. LOL!

Festival Melbourne2006 is a cultural celebration of the Games bringing together over 2000 artists and performers from across the Commonwealth including Malaysia. Malaysia Boleh!

These intricately carved surfboards are the works of a New Zealander who's here to showpiece his art to the world. Mixing traditional Maori art with modern surfboards, Aaron Te Whanatangi Kereopa is a self-taught carver.

Here's Aaron describing his works to his audience the Whakairo, the art of Maori carving following strict guidelines that govern the designs and the type of carvings they are permitted to make.

Here we have Wayne Alfred and his friend who came all the way from Canada showcasing their traditional art of carving a totem pole. Wayne is a master carver from Alert Bay, British Columbia and a member of the Namgis Tribe of the Kwakwaka'wakw People.

You could be forgiven to think you're somewhere in Pakistan when you see this tram in Melbourne because of the decorative displays! This is the work of Nusrat Iqbal and his team of vehicle decorators all the way from Karachi to brighten up our dull Melbourne trams!

Down in the Alexandra Gardens there are plenty of things going on on a daily basis right up till the end of the Games. All these are happening all over the city like the Federation Square and the Arts Centre.

Remember Treebeard and his Ents at the Moomba Parade? Here they're part of the Erth & Naisda performance groups performing 'Clearing'.


Strewth! I thought I've died and this angel is here to take me to heaven! Glad I was wrong, she's just part of the many performers roaming around the Gardens and other venues in the city for the Festival Melbourne2006!

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

"overseas visitor"....hmm looks more like a "sakai" from M'sia. hehe...only joking, mate ;)

Thanks again for sharing a lovely write-up & all the beautiful photos...esp of those amazingly carved surfboards.

Hope that you & Terese are having a great Sunday!

Helen said...

I love those surfboards... i bet it'll go well with my decor sitting in my living room..:-P
Are all those stuffs for sale? If yes, how much?

Mei said...

I wanna go to the Alexandra Gardens to watch some circus/acrobatics thing. Is it any good? Did you manage to catch that?

Anonymous said...

What a happening place. It's so nice to be in Australia!

Anonymous said...

sigh... i want to become ozzie liao....

Wuching said...

amelia: thank you again for your kind words! :)

helen: i'm sure they will be for sale at the end of the show. they go well with your living room har, well i can imagine how your living room looks like now, some kind of tropical/beach theme going on?

mei: no i didn't get to see the acrobats, its too hard to 'catch' what you wanna see..they're everywhere!

jacky: it is nice to be in melbourne at the moment :)

yothemans.com: & u can too!

Anonymous said...

Another happening events. Melb is so cool.
Beautiful surf boards.

Anonymous said...

Hey Wuching, nice pics....was just wondering, why don't you apply to work for Australian Tourism since you are doing such a great job in promoting Melbourne :P

Better still, why not heed Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh's call to all foochows who has migrated out of Sibu/Sarawak and come back to Sibu and work with Dato Sri to promote Sibu as a Tourist Destination..or work with the Sarawak Tourism Board.. tat's an option if you want to come back to Sarawak :P

Keep it up and all the best

Jeremy C said...

that's it la, i'm going, man, i'm definitely going back to melb...

Wuching said...

stargazer: thank you! :)

che-cheh: thank you too! :)

quavadis: thankz mate but i think i make a bad tour guide, in turn of sibu, sibu doesn't have a lot of interesting places for outsiders, just kampua & kompia which is not enuff i'm afraid! :(

jeremy: yay! jeremy's coming down!

Anonymous said...

Wuching... WSK just launched this yact thinggy that will cruise down the mighty rejang and stop at pelagus resort...and another one to go to mukah..eco tourism is what he's pushing..so u can take photo's of tree's, kampungs, longhouses, iban maidens (not the "sleeping dictionary" type..as much as KNB wishes) flora and fauna...tat's what WSK is trying to promote for Sibu..eco tourism and homestay in rural villages..... :) A good place for you and your cam and blog :P

Wuching said...

quavadis: oh cool! u can tell WSK about me then! thankz! :)

Anonymous said...

shall forward your weblog to the Ministry of Tourism, Sarawak and Sarawak Tourism Board..with an accompanying email saying that this is a foochow guy in melbourne and doing a great job promoting melbourne on the web..either recruit him back to Sarawak to promote Sarawak or I will write to the Gov General of Aust to give him an award for doing such a great job for promoting melbourne hahahahahahaha

Wuching said...

quavadis: hahahaha...thankz bro!

Chin Kian said...

wuching, you always make me feel like I've chosen a wrong place to further my studies... =(

Cocka Doodle said...

Great pics! I like the Maori carvings of the pucuk paku.
"KAMATE...KAMATE.....KAAA....KAAAA..."

Cheng Sim said...

omg. the "Maori surfboard" looks awesome! yay. i see a Malaysian flag! hehe. although i think the Malaysian team could have done a lot better but..malaysia boleh!

Wuching said...

chin kian: don't feel that way man, you went overseas to study, not to have fun!

cocka doodle: wuah! r u a maori oso? u know ur haka wor! sked now..

cheng sim: the maori surfboards r a hit with everyone! & malaysia boleh!

Helen said...

Yeah... so bring your speedo the next time if yours truly can find time to visit my humble abode. LOL

Wuching said...

can i go commando instead?

Anonymous said...

Gosh! Been away for sometime and suddenly QV's become WSK's political secretary!!! Tsk! Tsk!

Anonymous said...

STP I tot u went away for the hols to get lasik surgery to correct your eyes..knowing how vain you are that you dnt want to wear glasses.... read lah...i'm praising wuching..apalah u ni.... memang want to cari gaduh hahahaha go play in your friend punya blog...dnt create trouble here..hahahaha

Anonymous said...

Wah! QV got banned in somebody's blog and sudeenly that somebody is "my friend"!! Now want to angkat-angkat wuching, ya? Ha ha ha!

Wuching said...

STP & QV: i thot this someone is friend of both of you! why get banned? you must be very bad to get banned, go back & beg for forgiveness & maybe he'll let you back in or alternately you can always kasih kopi-o since its the gahmen dept! hahahahaha!

Anonymous said...

hahahahahaha....whether or not I'm banned or not...I dnt know..cos I dnt bother to comment there anymore..question would be..why u not commeting there anymore STP? very senyap lah his place.. reason I say he your friend cos before the hols..you were doing lot of major buttering up..aka hu lampah..hahaha..and as for wuching..i give my honest praises where praises is due....unlike some people.....got undang sebalik batu pulak

Wuching said...

QV: my BM is rusty, what's senyap & that you said to STP?

Anonymous said...

senyap means quiet and undang sebalik batu means, got prawns behind the rock..hahahaha..or there's a hidden agenda or another reason to why u r doing something

cari gaduh means pick fight

any more BM translation? :P