Lev Lafayette's journal

Darwin is not exactly known for being the cultural centre of Australia, but it does its best during its Festival and Fringe Festival. It's a particularly good time to visit in the dry season, where every day is 30 degrees, blue skies and a cool morning breeze, especially as a break from Melbourne's wintery touch (which I also love). The past several days have been in the fine company of Lara and Adam at MrBlueSky, where I also had the delight of catching up with Gary, Mon, Jac, and Shu on different occasions, and every evening there was an opportunity to soak up some fine entertainment.

A personal highlight was "John Schumann & The Vagabond Crew" performing the songs of Redgum. It's not my usual style of music, but they are the most notable radical Australian folk band that has ever walked in the country, and the musicianship was utterly superb. I felt like a teenager getting John to sign my copy of "If You Don't Fight You Lose", but I justified it on the grounds that I have been listening to this album since my teenage years; this will be a Rocknerd review. Another event also worthy of special note was "Duck Pond", a fusion of acrobatics, ballet, and theatre and a fusion story of Swan Lake and The Ugly Duckling. Understandably, I couldn't help but think of the RuneQuest scenario of the same name. Further, there is the excellent musicianship and storytelling of Fred Leone, whose self-taught upside-down southpaw guitar-playing is just a small testimony to his abilities.

Other events included a visit to the Northern Territory Art Gallery and Museum (MAGNT) which was hosting the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA), the video artistry of Shundori", the impressive and moving Zhangke Jia film Caught by the Tides, and the impressive aerialist performance of "La Ronde". In contrast, I was less taken by Bangarra Dance Theatre's "Illume", mainly because it didn't provide what was said on the tin, or the Sydney alternative-improv "Party Dozen", although kudos to the young punk local support act "Tang" who had plenty of energy and style.

The time seemed to go quickly, and the view of the Darwin harbour from my co-owned apartment always gives the opportunity for reflection, consolidation of thoughts, and quiet strategic preparation for the future. It is, without a doubt, one of the finest places for a short visit, and I can certainly understand why some people feel the desire to move on a more permanent basis, although I am a long way from such considerations myself. I will, once again, take this opportunity to thank Lara and Adam for their absolutely superb hosting and care of this Southerner's visit and for showing me many highlights of their home town. Doubtless, I will return again soon.

Late last week my dear friend Lara and I purchased an apartment in Darwin. Or, to be more accurate, we paid the deposit, signed the contract and will be receiving a bank loan. It's large, modern, and centrally located, with wonderful views over the Fisherman's Wharf and harbour to the National Park. It's very close to where Lara used to live and where somehow I helped her move in twice, despite living almost 3,800km away. To think that it was only several weeks ago that Lara was featured on the ABC news on rental issues in Darwin as she and her housemate were forced out of their apartment by a questionable real-estate agent whose management of a mould issue left a lot to be desired. Lara had future funds pending and the ability to pay, but time was of the essence. Plus, a loan application from a single person for such a place was tricky at best. My offer to help with the deposit and to put myself down on the application was graciously approved ("with complete astonishment" is probably a fair addition).

It is inevitable in such circumstances that I must sing Lara's praises. We met on a COVID-era cocktail group in 2020 where she developed a powerful drink named "The Brett Sutton". Due to both past and current work requirements, I found myself able to send the recipe to the former Victorian Chief Health Officer. When a visitation became possible, we tested the drink to some excess and determined it could probably wipe out anything (including us). But it was also a very timely meeting of minds; I was in a very dark place, going through a very tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship with a person whom Lara knew all too well, and she was able to give me great insight into how current behaviour correlated with past behaviour. Far from the only person who helped me through those days, she accepted me into her life with both sympathy and a strong sense of ethics. Importantly, this included a mutual acknowledgement of our own failings with a sense of contriteness and remorse when such failures occur. I do wish more people showed that.

Lara is an incredibly stylish woman; she carries herself like a well-dressed rogue pixie with an adorable dwarf rabbit and her beautiful red convertible. She lives with almost spartan modern furnishings, but ever-questing for the best quality culinary delights. Our politics are quite compatible (she's a green and I'm a red) with a notable lack of partisanship. We have both engaged in numerous visits to special events at galleries and museums, and we have taken interstate and international holidays together. In recent months, I have also had the opportunity to meet her family and close family friends who have accepted me into the fold. Most importantly, through our many deep and extended conversations and activities, I find myself in a position where I trust her sense of loyalty and responsibility completely. Whilst utterly requisite in financial situations like this, it also speaks volumes of her character. I am so lucky to have Lara in my life as are all who know her. I will forever recall with great fondness after our first meeting that I declared, like Captain Louis Renault and Rick Blaine, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship".

The final Darwin Fringe event that Lara and I witnessed was "I'm on prescription drugs" by Thomas Midena which explored the trope of persistent hallucinations in the style of Kafka to Dick. Sunday stepped into Part II of the Adventures with a "jumping crocodiles" ("fishing for crocodiles") on the Adelaide River on the edge of the Djukbinj National Park. Taking a fairly small and flat boat and seeing up to 5.5m saltwater crocodiles in an up-close manner was certainly worthwhile. Following this, there was a journey and overnight stay through the impressive thick savannah woodland of Litchfield National Park, with its waterfalls and pools. Something that is not heavily advertised is how the parkland includes the historic environmental disaster of Australia's first uranium mine at Rum Jungle River. My mind also wandered into consideration of what the effect of a few degrees of warming would do to the woodlands; a longer wet season with greater humidity, more tropical foliage, etc., would be likely. There is a good argument for greater care of this ecosystem.

Here's a pro tip, which most people would already be quite aware of; when taking a day's leave don't get sick. Ignoring this advice has meant that I've been pretty well laid out for the past two days with a rather frustrating head cold. I've been capable of being roughly human for a few hours a day (including checking out some local real estate), but the combination of rest and standard medications has led to what appears to be a reasonable recovery, just in time for HPC workshops tomorrow and Friday. Thus ends the Darwin adventure; it is always quite wonderful to spend some time with my dear friend Lara, who apart from having a heart of gold, is certainly one of the most glamourous women of Darwin (and her red Ford Focus convertible is one of the most glamourous cars), it was delightful to catch up with Jac and Raj, to meet quality new housemate Mia, to spend an evening with new friends such as Vick and Mon, and, of course, to see and hear the Fringe Festival performance of Leah P and Gravy. I rather suspect that it will be less than a year before my next trip to Australia's top end; it seems that I have found some very good people there.