Graduation Ceremony (Finally). 5th November 2022

 

Closure.

9/9/2022 NEW graduation at SCU

(Adendum to message, yet another flood/downpour in northern NSW/Lismore in August-Sept meant no pick-up of Solar or shed frame possible).

The international borders opened (post Covid19 isolation) in early 2022 so I grabbed the opportunity to tick off a bucket list item and headed for a tour of the Galapagos Islands, via Ecuador, and calling back through UK canals  on way home. The reality of rebuilding the Studio site then had to be faced.

I have purchased second-hand Solar panels and an inverter for the Studio (separate saga), and a 3x3m storage shed frame for my salvaged corrugated iron cladding. I still have to organise transport to get them to Nimbin Rocks. Big jobs coming up, along with the site cleanup and rebuild access roads/driveway.. 

SCU have earmarked 4th and/or 5th of November for the much delayed Graduation ceremony. I have invited friends who helped with the research project. It will be a bit silly because of the long delay since graduating but it and my graduation photographs will be fun.   

 13/5/2022

The saga continues. After getting back to Cairns in late December and clearing the backlog of bills, deferred medical appointments, and tax returns, the rains started in Northern NSW and there was a number of storm events with major flooding in Lismore but also in Brisbane. So much rain fell that hill sides started slipping. Major mudslides throughout Northern Rivers including the slopes behind my Studio. Access Roads were out so I could not get into the co-op but members emailed photos and it was a muddy mess with trees down and rocks carried all the way down from the ridge, The excavator was on the property for road repair, so I contracted him to clear my site of trees and rocks and to push as much mud as possible downhill. He also dredged the Dam, as well as digging out the Studio and tanks. Friends cleared the 10cm of mud from the ground floor but I will need to do extensive repairs when the Studio and home-site dries out. 

The irony is that SCU contacted me to say they will try again for a graduation ceremony in November!!!!

Back in Cairns Graduation cancelled

 Back in Cairns

13/1/2022. Saga continues. I flew to Gold Coast 0n the 14/7/2021 then got a lift to my Nimbin Rocks Co-op Studio. I was two weeks early for the SCU Graduation ceremony but I had routine maintenance to do at the Studio. In very short order the NSW Covid-19 outbreak got out of control and the Queensland Gov closed the Qld-NSW border to all travelers. I was effectively trapped for the next 5 months. The proposed Graduation Ceremony was cancelled, because of Covid, so I isolated in my very basic Studio (cf; in a tin shed in a cow paddock) and had to make the best of it. After a number of false starts the Qld Gov allowed returning residents back on 13/12/2021. After the opening there was a predictable surge in Covid infections but I was back in my Cairns apartment by 23/12/2021 and got my Vaccine booster shot on schedule. No artwork produced while at the Studio, just surviving.