“What does MIA stand for?” asked the host for tonight’s wine tasting.
While those who watch too much American television might have instantly offered “missing in action”, I responded with “Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area” and won a bottle of wine for my troubles.
Tonight I’m off to a wine tasting at a local gay bar. Fun! $10 gets you a tasting glass which you can refill as many times over as you want from the different wines being presented. There’s finger food and special offers on the wines being sampled, and each month a different winery presents their wines.
As you might expect, the evening was a lot more informal than most wine tastings I’ve been to. “Do you like it?” and “What food should go with it?” seemed to be the more commonly asked questions, rather than some of the more esoteric aspects of wine-making.
Wine tasting in the Inner West
At the end of each tasting we were asked to hold up fingers to indicate the number of points out of ten which we gave the wine, resulting in an overall score for the evening.
Tonight it was McWilliams Wines, with a rep. called Luke attending. So in addition to the Hanwood range of wines, we also tasted some Evans and Tate, which McWilliams recently acquired, and ended off the night with Drambuie which is also in their stable.
A good fun night… and of course, great value… especially since I won a bottle of wine. “I used to live in the area”, I explained to Luke as he handed over my prize.
There was a moment of pure joy last night, as I found myself singing along to Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers” alongside my dear friend Michaela and a crowd of two hundred enthusiastic participants at a collective singing event.
We were gathered at the “Great Club” in Marrickville, formerly a Greek restaurant, now transformed into a hub for community gatherings. The occasion? An evening with The “Wellcome Choir,” promising a transformative journey through music and voice.
This wasn’t Michaela’s first rodeo; she’s attended a couple of these events before, where scores of people come together in harmony. Perhaps you’ve heard of Pub Choir, renowned for filling iconic venues like The Enmore Theatre.
The “Great Club” was packed to the brim, though not without its quirks—namely, the absence of food. We learned from the bartender that they usually have food trucks on standby, but luck wasn’t on our side. Our dinner consisted of sharing a packet of chicken chips, but luckily, a nearby Chinese restaurant saved the day for our post-event meal, leaving me with delicious leftovers for today.
The event spanned 90 to 120 minutes, beginning with the group divided into three vocal sections: tops, bottoms, and those of us in the middle holding the melody. Being one of the few men in attendance, my voice naturally gravitated towards the lower register. Admittedly, I’m not exactly a singing virtuoso, but in that moment, it didn’t matter; the evening was about collective experience rather than individual skill.
We rehearsed the song line by line until we had it down pat, then took a well-deserved break before returning to perform the song three times, including a live stream on Facebook. The woman leading the choir, Bec Jenson was fantastic. As well as having a good voice, she seemed to love playing with the crowd, making for an enjoyable evening.
It was an unforgettable event, filled with camaraderie and shared passion for music.
As for the song itself, “Flowers,” it held a special place in my heart. During my lengthy stay in the hospital last year, its lyrics brought me solace and joy. Despite its theme of heartbreak, the essence of self-love and empowerment resonated deeply.
I can buy myself flowers Write my name in the sand Talk to myself for hours Say things you don’t understand I can take myself dancing And I can hold my own hand Yeah, I can love me better than you can
Flowrs by Miley Cyrus
And there it was, the line that struck a chord with me the most: “I can take myself dancing…”
Late this afternoon I was faced with a choice: would I go for a swim, or would I go for a beer? The Hobart Aquatic Centre is right across the road from the ABC. Pubs are a little further away. It was a case of convenience vs temptation.
Two seconds later, I’d made my choice. As if I would ever choose to go for a swim in preference to having a beer :) But would I go to “The New Sydney” or would I go to “The Quartermaster’s Arms”, both of which had been recommended by colleagues? “You could go to both”, a colleague suggested with a smile.
And so I headed off firstly to “The Quartermaster’s Arms”, and what a delight it was. Almost empty when I arrived, I had a craft beer from Launceston, and some King Island scallops. Brilliant.
King Island Scallops
Having enjoyed the experience, I wandered around the corner to “The New Sydney”. I walked in, walked around and left. Though I’ve had a previously very enjoyable experience there, it was a little too crowded for my liking.
After a busy week, I felt like nothing more than a few moments of simply coming back to the hotel and enjoying the silence. The last few weeks have been crazy busy with work, and they’re undoubtedly about to get busier. So it’s best to rest up when you can, I figure.
Lunch at Mures
Though as I look back at the photographs I’ve taken in the last 24-hours you would have to wonder if I’ve done any work at all. A lovely dinner last night, and then a lunchtime walk today, which included eating some oysters and having a glass of wine at Constitution Dock.
Hobart
I swear, I’ve been working very hard :) But I guess it’s the fact you can walk out at lunchtime in Hobart, enjoy the sunshine, and have a nice lunch. In contrast, back in Sydney, I usually end up gulping down a sandwich at my desk.
I sneaked a quick peak through the window of my local pub. The chairs and tables were stacked up, and it was just as it was left back in March.
The Crown Hotel, on the corner of Crown and Cleveland Streets, Surry Hills A friend of mine calls it “The Star Wars Bar”, due to the broad range of people who go there.
I’ll call in to the pub a few times every week, generally during the 4-7 “Happy Hour” for a $5 beer and a chat with whoever is around. One bloke I chat to is there most days, drinking beer and playing Keno. Another is an Irish-born “tradie”.
I sent my “tradie” mate a text message this afternoon, telling him the news pubs would be re-opening in New South Wales on June 1st, though it’s only fifty people at a time. He replied instantly:
First up best dressed isn’t that what they say . A long time coming first few weeks ok but lately been stressed A bit . Need to sit back pint in hand 🍺🍺🍺
We’re catching up for a beer (or twelve) on Monday after work.
It’ll be nice to go out and be a little bit “social” again.
I went out by myself last Saturday night for dinner. It was the first night restaurants have been able to have in-house dining. I really want to support the local restaurants, and most of those which were open were seating the maximum allowed number of ten. I popped in to one of my local Indian restaurants, and enjoyed a meal with two others who were on the other side of the room.
I had a friend for dinner last week, which was good. “Is it okay if I come over?”, she asked in a text. “Of course”, I can’t wit to see you. And in the last few weeks I’ve been involved in quite a few social video conference calls, including a fancy dress trivia night. I’ve also been on some walks with friends.
Awesome sunset, as viewed from the Westfield Shopping Centre at Bondi Junction.
After a few months of working from home, I’ve settled into a nice routine. One of the things I’m enjoying most is the combination of making a nice lunch and having left-overs for dinner. I’m also making my own coffee (instead of going to the coffee shop), and the bathroom tiles have never been as clean as they are right now.
Though at first I was a little worried about the disruption to my sleep pattern, I’m also now quite happy with how that’s settled down.
Generally speaking, I still wake up around 5.30 or 6.00am. But instead of faffing around for a couple of hours before going to work, I’m doing a couple of hours of work straight away. Having started work early, I’m actually finding both the motivation and time for a half-hour siesta (something I could never do at work), which has allowed me to return to my job feeling refreshed. I’m getting heaps of work done, as the phone doesn’t ring as much as when I’m in the office, and meetings have generally been shorter than normal, as people turn up right on time, and when it’s over, it’s over.
As you may have read, many people have reported having vivid dreams over the last few months. I had one last night which was truly bizarre. I was at a pub in Darwin hosting a radio outside broadcast based around the fact it’s almost seventy-five years since the end of World War II in the Pacific. Darwin, of course, was bombed. Special guest for the broadcast was Bette Midler, who I spoke to via Skype. Throughout the course of the broadcast we followed her career path, which I enacted through a choreographed dance routine, culminating with her version of the World War II hit song, “The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. Yes, these are strange times.
“Can you imagine feeding that to your child?”, I overheard a woman say to her partner at the supermarket tonight. For a moment I was besides myself with curiosity, wondering what could possibly have sparked such a comment. When they finally passed I went for a look. And of course, it was the marshmallow spread that caught my eye.
The supermarket on a Monday night is a funny place. No one seems actually do a “proper shop” on a Monday night. As you look at the baskets of those around you, you notice bits and pieces, but nothing really substantial. Yeah, there was the young guy with three frozen pizzas. And there was the older bloke who had picked up all of the marked down bread. And there was me with some apples, some cucumbers, some tomatoes, and some marked down bread. But no marshmallow spread.
In the next couple of years, I’ll likely be taking a step back from full-time work and embracing semi-retirement.
As I transition, I’ve started the fascinating and sometimes daunting process of sifting through the ABC Radio archives—particularly the early work that has now been digitised to rediscover moments of my on-air career.
On top of that, I’ve got a treasure trove of content sitting on hundreds of cassette tapes and DATs in boxes at home.
The exciting part is how effortless it is now to dive into that analogue archive: finding a specific clip, generating a transcript, and pulling out the best bits is simple, opening up a world of old material.
I had the privilege of meeting and interviewing the Australian swimming legend Dawn Fraser on a number of occasions. Today, I’m sharing one such interview from the time leading up to the announcement that Sydney would host the 2000 Olympics.
Dawn Fraser explained her upcoming move from Sydney’s Balmain to the Riverina town of Barellan was primarily driven by the people and her health, specifically to avoid the city’s pollution and allergens that aggravate her asthma, which had recently led to emergency hospital visits.
She said she would continue with paid guest speaking under her Sydney agent and was looking at semi-retirement, having bought a three hundred-acre property where she planned to put on stock, leveraging the help and advice of her new neighbours, and supporting her daughter who had just been accepted as a swimming coach in nearby Narrandera.
She was optimistic about Sydney’s bid for the 2000 Olympics, citing its superior technical and security packages. She also addressed the persistent myth about the Tokyo Olympic flag incident, denying the popular version of the story.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Well, it’s only a matter of weeks now until we find out whether or not Sydney will host the year two thousand Olympics. But the region is about to gain its own contact with the games. Former Olympian and parliamentarian Dawn Fraser is packing her bags later this year, leaving Sydney from Balmain to Barellan, east of Griffith, the hometown also of that other great sporting achiever, Evonne Goolagong. She’s in Barellan at the moment and is my guest this morning. Dawn Fraser, thank you very much for your time this morning and welcome to the program and welcome to the region.
DAWN FRASER: Well, thank you, James, and I’m very happy to be here, I must admit.
JAMES O’BRIEN: What do you think of the two thousand Olympic bid? Do you think we’re going to be successful?
DAWN FRASER: I think that we’re very successful. In fact, I think the other cities now are getting very aware of Sydney’s bid. And their technical bid is the best that the IOC, which is International Olympic Committee have ever seen. And I think that’s probably what will win the Sydney bid.
JAMES O’BRIEN: But that’s that’s the technical things. And of course you’ve been to just about every Olympic Games since then. Is it always the the technical things which wins or does politics also play a role in this.
DAWN FRASER: Oh, politics always play a role in the Olympic Games, of course. But I think technical and security that our security right throughout the world is the best in, in Australia. And also, you know, our technical is probably, as I said before, the best that the IOC have ever seen.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Since you began at the games back in the early sixties. What sort of changes have there been to the games?
DAWN FRASER: Well, for instance, uh, the hosting country now, uh, prepares and looks after quite a lot of third world countries. In fact, uh, you know, in, in nineteen eighty, we looked after Zimbabwe. We took the whole team. Australia, I’m saying took the whole team to Moscow. And then we looked after them as far as medical, uh, physiotherapists, coaches and trainers. Uh, since then and last year in Barcelona, we had three South African countries that we looked after.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Terrific. Now, in terms of actually moving to the area, what has prompted this move from Balmain to Barellan?
DAWN FRASER: Well, first of all, let me say it’s been the people. And secondly, may I say it’s been my health. Um, and also, you know, the fact that it starts with a B, I think coming.
JAMES O’BRIEN: From.
DAWN FRASER: Them.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Yes. I’ve been noticing in the paper the last year that you’ve been making quite a few visits to the area and especially being involved with the swimming club.
DAWN FRASER: Yes. Well, I’ve, I’ve actually been coming down to Barellan now for the last seven years with the, with the Barellan Swimming Club, and last year they made me a life member. Um, so, you know, the kids are from around the area and surrounding areas have improved greatly over the last seven years. And of course, you know, we’ve been a bit of a very competitive club now. And I think my daughter has just been accepted as the swimming coach at Narrandera. So there’s going to be a lot of competition around the area. And I think that’s going to be very good for this particular region.
JAMES O’BRIEN: But you mentioned, for example, your health and there is that the issue of the asthma. We’ve just had some figures come out the other week showing that this area has a high rate of asthma. So I’m just wondering why you’re moving to this area if you’ve got to avoid asthma.
DAWN FRASER: Well, it’s very interesting because the things that I’m allergic to only happen in the city. For instance, I’m allergic to, uh, to yeast and, uh, and and pollution, air conditioning. Well, you don’t need that very much out here in the country. And, uh, and we haven’t got the pollution out here that that’s in the city. The pollution around Sydney has been so great in the last, and it’s been increasing in the last two years. But, uh, any sort of virus that I get just increases my asthma. So I think, and I feel that I’ve got to do something about it. I enjoy living, and I don’t want to sort of, uh, be overtaken by the particular sickness. So I think it’s better if I do that.
JAMES O’BRIEN: So you’ve had some substantial problems the last couple of years. Have you in Sydney?
DAWN FRASER: Yes, I certainly have. I mean, uh, you know, over the last three and a half years, I’ve had two emergency sort of dashes to the local hospital. And, uh, and that’s been sort of, uh, a bit frightening. And it’s made me sit up and be aware of the situation that I’m in.
JAMES O’BRIEN: I’m just wondering, though, what you all do. I mean, are you looking at a career in politics? Would you would you like to be the member for Murrumbidgee or or are you looking at a hotel or what will you do in Barellan?
DAWN FRASER: Well, I still I still will be, um, under control of my agent in Sydney, and I still will do guest speaking positions, which I will be. I get paid for doing those things. And then, you know, I am looking at a semi-retirement sort of thing. And with the three hundred acres that, um, that I’m looking at at the moment here in Barellan, well, I’ve put some stock on that. And then, uh, you know, I think that semi-retirement is going to be good. My daughter’s going, as I said, going to be working at Narrandera. And if she goes very well out there, which I think she will, it’s about time she started looking after mum.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Now you’re putting some stock on the land. I mean, do you have a background in farming at all?
DAWN FRASER: No, I don’t, but I have a lot of very good friends here in Barellan that help me. And you know, I’ve been learning a lot over the last two or three years since I’ve been here, and I do know a little bit about it. And I have spent a lot of time on, on, on land. You know, when I went to Adelaide to live, I had forty five acres at a place called prospect.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Oh, yes.
DAWN FRASER: And I had some cattle and sheep, and I looked after the, the land by sowing it and putting pulling trees down and putting trees up and with a tractor and stuff like that. So I’m not afraid of the hard work that I know is in store for me. And while I’m healthy and things like that which I am when I come out here, I can’t see any hassles. And, you know, as I said, the people of Barellan have been very good to us and we’ve fitted in and I think we’ve been accepted into the community, which is a big plus and it’s just a matter of, um, of asking the right people for the advice and going off and doing it yourself. If you make mistakes, you then go back and ask advice again.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Now I’ve been meaning. I’ve been wanting to actually chat with you ever since. Late last year when I interviewed a fellow on the morning program about their memories of the Olympic Games, and this fellow said that it wasn’t you who climbed up the flagpole and stole that flag in Tokyo. It was in fact, him.
DAWN FRASER: Well, if that guy was named Desmond and he came from, um, from Western Australia, which I don’t think he was, it wasn’t him at all, because.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Was it a fellow called Peter Hawkins?
DAWN FRASER: No, it was not.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Who was it?
DAWN FRASER: Uh, well, actually, it was Des Piper from Western Australia, and he was in the Australian hockey team. So I don’t know the guy that, in fact, I. Someone sent me the, uh, the paper clipping of the Wagga Wagga news.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Oh, yes.
DAWN FRASER: I wrote back to the editor and just said, you know, that this isn’t the true story, and please tell the person that he stopped using my name.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Oh, dear.
DAWN FRASER: Because it wasn’t correct. Yeah. But I mean, you know, everyone sort of has dinners on those sort of stories. And they say that they know they know those people. In fact, the the flag wasn’t taking anywhere near anyone else. There was only three of us. And those three people know who they were.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Okay, Dawn, thank you very much. And welcome to the area. Thank you.
DAWN FRASER: James, thanks very much.
JAMES O’BRIEN: Dawn Fraser, who’s moving to the area from Balmain to Barellan. My guest this morning on the morning show and you’re listening to ABC Radio Riverina, James O’Brien with you until eleven.
