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| '...birds honking & cawing–overhead roar ov sea–& shine ov sun ...' |
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| Photo by Paul Skec, 1993. |
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| The road ... 'silent scenery–symphonic ..' |
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| Photo by Paul Skec, 1993. |
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port fairy driving–afternoon roads & silent scenery–symphonic • faded green–waurn ponds hall shabby weatherboard • moriac hotel–brown bv & satellite dish–ugly • rooved haystack–half lichened dam dead trees–frozen in middle–ov ecstatic dance • fluffy, grubby clouds ringing horizon rainless patches ov–blue • telephone poles–& straight road cars zooooooooom down infinity’s throat– • tree-columns march–thru brown country losing the sea– • humble homesteads–neat & tidy verandahed-iron rooved innocent • keep left–unless–overtaking • silent travellers–intent staring down vast space tinny music–lulling • 4:07pm–small town/winchelsea hotel in greypaint–olds section dusty ramshackle–like a pile ov rusting rocks–in a corner paddock • memory–scent ov sheep dung country air–pine needles on evening breeze whisper-rush–ov pine trees • pine powerline–& eucalypt roadside companions • 5/6 black & white–(devondale) cows peaceful grazing • warrnambool135 • swiss rolls ov hay–& sheep heads to ground • more cows more trees–more grass less cloud less cars • shamrock market–old merc & pine forest • greyback sign–7 bullet holes eye size • approaching colac low speed smell ov exhaust–breeze-ruffled body ov water/to right–complex aerials reaching for stars–for sale powder-blue bug–parked in servo union club hotel–gangs on corners cars–people–life • colac safeway–purchased bbq shapes & greenlabel beer–to snack on for remainder ov trip • desolation plain: small house–flanked by 2 palm trees • vline loco (4 cars)–cutting thru country vic • port fairy53–5:56pm booming wind–streaky cloud rattly car–silence again aural hallucination–chopper blades a passing horn–warning to hopeful overtaker–with beard & family/stationwagon • drowsy–drivers–die • railway lines–gleam smooth & straight • warrnambool–giant golf ball town avenue ov pine–oak–escorts us in • port fairy at last slash roll rollie pitch camp & drink drink drink • saturday morning–perched on big old bronze merc–dazed campers coming to life–birds honking & cawing–overhead roar ov sea–& shine ov sun people–with garbage bags cleaning up–last nite’s revelry yellow kingswood–rolls thru camp following white chalk–driveways groups ov people stroll–into another day • voices–from big green tent early morning discussion someone burnt the toast • modern red holden–idling motor boot flies open–eksy packed they’re off–again • seagulls–patrol the area • yeah cat–blow yr horn play those funky tunes well–at least–tequila–play it for campers–returning–to the living • breakfasting–on banana cake–crosslegged on overcoat-blanket–ted hands paul a volcanic rock–because it was there • "every year–the fifteen year olds get younger–& younger–& younger" -ted the impala • caledonian–vb can–doc pat rollies & folkie musicstuff • got myself–a skull on a thong • hangover gone–tugging goatee between sneezes–lost in though can ov pepsi–on mojo stage • old tuesday nite–anklewound playing up -ouch • piano style–fast furious–litefingered hear the performer–blow her harp wow–bamzooi • slowhand–wailing axe cold nite dark urth concentration–blues in the air • passing thru–tent city–air so thick you could–cut a knife with it • moon sky high–fairy lites aglow all the 15 yr olds–are busy getting drunk • mojo skull–hollow eye sockets grinning–glad to see something ov the world–at last • late nite–fluoro lit pub jamming corners–security dude–#7 didn’t say a word–bullshit • basic southcombe caravan park–navigation #1 find the tepees • trudged thru 3am–crossed water saw–another caravan park–sleeping peacefully • main street 3amish–empty–but for late amplified didge session–an army ov crushed vb cans empty pizza boxes–a lone lid–rolls along street–away from sea– • perched–again–arisen–on bronze car to see & hear–folkie sounds emanating–from white marquees ac/dc–rattling out ov boombox atop grey hatch • hippieish girl–vagued out-pout jingling bells–trapp–on left ankle • guy in funny hat–duffel coat–no, short trencher with travelling stick–finds friends–inside info pocketful ov dreams–blutack & film canisters • note–3am pizza feast last b4 close • sunday morning–breakfast long black & hot jds–in guinness club crazy accordion tunes–pints ov guinness • yr laughing today–but you’ve forgotten–tomorrow’s tears • days march–sorrow’s drowned shit called life • vocal harmonies–weave & wash thru guinness haze • rainsounds produced–mesmerised audience with one voice–beating out–the right changing face–politicians & industrialists be positive–go back to–kindergarten • it’s a song–you’ve never heard b4 familiarlike & tears–roll groundward for all who have fallen–for just-insane causes think–ov blood & brains fertilising this world’s barrenness • a hard walk–thru half-visible tracks leads–to beach wind & waves bluster in from antarctic–somewhere beyond horizon • perched–on a dune metres away from beach itself–lonely figure walking shore with seaweed-rope–approaching rockpools–seagulls lift & wheel–as one • guy with black pup–surveys sea in grey billowing jacket–plunges from grasstopped dune–for shore • the only sounds–are wind blooming booming in yr ears–steady gently roar ov waves climaxing–rolling shoreward–cries ov gulls occasional reminder–ov civilisation a car–whooshing past on the road • what’s it worth? • sunday nite drawing to close–percussion beating blues away–banging out into nite raucous celebration • kerry grabs–notebook & reads tosses it back, unimpressed? • this place–is like another world at nite–under a full moon • look landward–you’ll see row ov big old norfolk pines–standing guard waiting for an attack–from patient ocean • down–on the beach itself evidence ov a celebration–charred logs empty cans & bottles–seaweed just dumped it seems–feathers discarded by owners–gentle swash & trickle ov water’s cycles it comes–to greet & accept rushing thru–shore strewn volcanic rock • the roar–never lets up • picture a siren–to rival marlene dietrich enthroned–upon these rocks singing–fatally bringing foolhardy men (& women) to their final–peace • ciggie is offered–as token sacrifice to mother ocean • saw a scorpion on a dreamscape size ov my thumb–fiercely battling an army ov ants • stormclouds–are a brewing • postbeach–sitting in a wine bar glass ov red–paid for early–rollie for companionship–flags ov marquees flap & snap lazily • people sit here–talk quaff & consume skull–hangs & shakes his head still grinning–wonder–what the joke is don’t you hate it–when you butt out yr rollie–the tray spins • in the wine tent–lites still glow in full daylite • last beers in port fairy–star ov the west horses onscreen–wild pumpkin percussion from street • ball ov ash–rolls along table smell ov fish–wafts thru quiet lounge • minor victories on fiddlers green–fairies float past stage in droves a friendly rollfight threatens • chugging to ballarat–kombied passengers all folked out–passing squared trees mast antenna–cows dams tin sheds–hedges ov all flavours • mortlake: olivine –capital ov australia "quiet town–with avenue ov honour marching for ballarat • elephant bridge hotel–old sold looking like 19th century bank • overtaken by carful–ov happy hippies speeding horizonward • p-plate hoons–in orange charger roar past–fingers extended • crows & magpies–unaware ov cars & what they do have to be honked–ovf the road • shafts ov lite–break thru cloudcover strike distant land • leaving skipton–crudely drawn swastika on back ov sign • Tuesday ballarat 8:15am–ran 100m for bus–wendouree to town • b-central waiting room–warm filling with people–for 9:20 to melb announcement ov incoming train–crackles thru • boarded ready to roll–window seat yay–no smoking unyay • seems like–been sitting here in seat 60 car c–for eternity countryside rolls past–dirt tracks lined by pines lead to tin sheds corrals powerlines running trackside–hills heavily wooded roll & fold • dams–ov all varieties dot landscape–a little factory pipes white smoke–into morning air • tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche–tch-tche – • door–at rear ov car–slides open & shut with each curve ov track–& rock ov train • driver crouches–by side ov red rock-truck flat tyred–retrieving spare • 3 horses jog behind–slowly moving–lite blue ute • strange feeling–returning to the suburbs after days–ov silent vastness breathing is–shallower •
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| The caldera lake of Tower Hill, the dormant volcano overlooking Port Fairy. |
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| Photo by Paul Skec, 1993. |
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Copyright Paul Skec, 2003
Fixed 22 March 2003
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