Sub-Equatorial Penal Colony Australia

[Flynn MacCallister]

That's not the huge one with the mezzanine level and the tiny café in the front, is it?

Yes that's the place...cafe sort of off to one side as you walk in. I've visited Blackheath and other parts of the mountains hundreds of times and only recently found the shop. It's certainly well hidden from the street.

Yeah! I fell in love with a brass telescope (not actually antique, but sooo beautiful) last time I was in there... I'm heading up there again in a couple of weeks.

Mount Victoria is also good for fun little antique shops and second-hand bookshops, and there are far fewer people around than Katoomba/Blackheath/Leura.

If you flick back a page in this topic, I'm trying to arrange a Sydney meet-up on the 12th of July, if you're free and interested...?

Lin and I are always interested in meeting new people...however we both often work on weekends and having checked my diary I see I'm already rostered on for that Sat.
I'm guessing Lin may also be working that Sat. She works many of them.

Perhaps in the warmer months ahead we could arrange a meet up for a weekend in the Blue Mountains?
I actually know of a wonderful lookout/picnic spot that few tourists or even locals ever visit. Easily accessable by a normal car or even a bicycle. Very close to the Hydro majestic Hotel. (Which is another excellent place for views. It used to be a great place for high tea...but in recent years many parts have been closed and the staff seem to feel that they don't need the hassle of passers by dropping in.)
There are many victorian style hotels to stay in, in the mountains. The refurbished Carrington in Katoomba. The Hydro Majestic. Quite a few others. Lin and I used to be regulars at the Redleaf Resort. The full english breakfast is simply superb. Not to mention the indoor pool, fireside bar and games room. Beautiful golf course across the road...don't play myself, but it's a nice walk around in the mornings. We're friendly with the couple who now own a motel in Blackheath so we've stayed there the last few times. Basic but affordable if one wants to save money. You can even get a room at the Ivanhoe in Blackheath for as little as $35 a night. There's also a caravan/camping park at Katoomba and Blackheath.  (A C&C park at Lithgow to keep in mind for the next Iron Festival also.)
Spring is a great time to visit the mountains. Not too hot nor cold.

Other than in the dead of winter and the height of summer, (i.e. semester breaks) weekdays are fairly bad for me, unfortunately -- I'm a science student, so I'm at uni every day. I'm sure other people will be in on it though; I'd love to go if I could!

[Jaqhama]

When it's warm enough to enjoy riding our bikes up into the mountains again, I'll suggest a weekend meeting if anyone is interested.
We do get the odd weekends off together. They just only occur about once every five weeks or so.

Cheers: Jaq.

[Prof Eumides Blakehurst]

Thank you Miss Flynn for the sig pointer to this thread.

I need to get up to Sydney fairly soon for some supplies that are only be found at Will's Quills, so I should time my trip for the weekend of the 12th July. Yay!

I am happy to trek around the place and do a fair amount of shopping, be that books, antiques clothing or hats. And lunching, dining, drinking and museuming. And the weather should be cool enough to 'dress up'.

Not sure yet what my partner's roster at the hospital is like for July, so I may or may not be alone.

BTW, Miss Flynn, which branch of the sciences are you in ? 'Twas physics for me (with a large dollop of maths and a touch of chemistry).

[Flynn MacCallister]

I'm in my third year of a BSc at the moment, doing a double major in physics and chemistry... and wishing I could stretch it out over another year and do a few more subjects!

Physics is my main interest, though, and I'm aiming to do honours in physics.

[Jaqhama]

Wow...real scientists

I'll have a time machine thanks (when you've got a moment spare)...any colour will do. I'm not fussy. (Maybe not yellow or lime green though.)

If any of you Oz SP's are interested I've got a rather bizarre story going on over in the writing section...Gaslight Fantasy: A Ripping Yarn.

Enjoy.
Cheers: Jaq.

[Prof Eumides Blakehurst]

Physics is my main interest, though, and I'm aiming to do honours in physics.

Lovely! My honours and PhD was laser optics and quantum optics.

Sorry Jaqhama, time machines aren't my exact field; they were next door. But if you need things teleported one particle at a time, I'm your man!

[Flynn MacCallister]

Eeehehee, that's pretty cool. *Is rather fond of all things involving lasers and optics in general... no, make that all things to do with physics in general*

I'm (hoping to be) doing a project next semester with a group doing research in transparent conductive oxides, and if that goes well, that's probably where I'll end up doing my honours, too.

So, is the Prof. a real title, or just for the sake of the forum? >_o

[Jaqhama]

Physics is my main interest, though, and I'm aiming to do honours in physics.

Lovely! My honours and PhD was laser optics and quantum optics.

Sorry Jaqhama, time machines aren't my exact field; they were next door. But if you need things teleported one particle at a time, I'm your man!

Oh come on. We can all teleport things one particle at a time.

The big problem is getting all the particles back together to reassemble the thing at the other end.

Otherwise one hears some bloody Doctor saying. "It's worse than that, he's dead Jim."
(Why he insists on calling everyone Jim I have no idea?)

[Stefan Freestate]

I think some time ago in Metaphysical it was decided that the collective noun is a goggle of steampunks.

I was always partial to a fleet of steampunks ...
Well I haven't been very reliable of late but the 12th may be doable. Have we a plan yet?

[Prof Eumides Blakehurst]

I'm (hoping to be) doing a project next semester with a group doing research in transparent conductive oxides, and if that goes well, that's probably where I'll end up doing my honours, too.

So, is the Prof. a real title, or just for the sake of the forum? >_o

Just for the forum - I only made it to senior lecturer (and fellow) before funding ran out and I turned to IT to pay the bills. But there may be an opening next year to head back into the ivory tower. 

TCOs were interesting at the ANU but they were mainly looking at them as a by-product of the vapour deposition materials lab rather than doing things with them. Nowadays they sound much more interesting!

Oh come on. We can all teleport things one particle at a time.

The big problem is getting all the particles back together to reassemble the thing at the other end.

Ah, but that is what we were doing. Starting to teleport entangled particles and Bose-Einstein condensates now. Very, very spiffy. 

[Flynn MacCallister]

I think some time ago in Metaphysical it was decided that the collective noun is a goggle of steampunks.

I was always partial to a fleet of steampunks ...
Well I haven't been very reliable of late but the 12th may be doable. Have we a plan yet?

Not really, I'm afraid.

I'm (hoping to be) doing a project next semester with a group doing research in transparent conductive oxides, and if that goes well, that's probably where I'll end up doing my honours, too.

So, is the Prof. a real title, or just for the sake of the forum? >_o

Just for the forum - I only made it to senior lecturer (and fellow) before funding ran out and I turned to IT to pay the bills. But there may be an opening next year to head back into the ivory tower. 

TCOs were interesting at the ANU but they were mainly looking at them as a by-product of the vapour deposition materials lab rather than doing things with them. Nowadays they sound much more interesting!

That's a shame... but I suppose it's a good thing to do something different sometimes...

Hahaha, I don't know how interesting TCOs are to most people, but I think they're really cool. XD

[Jaqhama]

Something Steampunk on SBS tonight?

I have no idea if it's going to be any good or not but saw this advertised for tonight.

Porco Rosso
10:55pm - 0:40am | SBS  PG Animation, Closed Captions, Repeat
The first of the Miyazaki films in the genre of Japanese anime, Porco Rosso is set in Italy in the early 1930s where air pirates, bounty hunters and high-flyers of all sorts rule the skies. The most cunning and skilled of these pilots is Porco Rosso, a man cursed with the head of a pig after watching the spirits of the killed pilots rise to the heavens in the last air battle he fought. He now makes a living taking jobs such as rescuing those kidnapped by air pirates. Donald Curtis, Porco's rival in the air and in wooing women, constantly challenges the hero, culminating in a hilarious, action-packed finale.

I'm at work...I'll have a gander on the work telly and see what it's like.

Cheers: Jaq.

[Samuel]

*sprints outside to television*

PORCOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Jaqhama]

*sprints outside to television*

PORCOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Most people keep their television inside.
Is yours not tame?

[Prof Eumides Blakehurst]

Most people keep their television inside.
Is yours not tame?

I think most TVs are feral. Note like the sedate grazing herds of gramophones. 

[Samuel]

*weeps*

I missed it!

and yes, the television stays on the grassy knoll outside. guarded by clockwork dobermans.

[Dante Aetherson]

Salutations one and all,

I too hearken from Terra Australis Incognita! Melbourne specifically, though I'm also quite familiar with Sydney and Perth. I could also lay claim to being familiar with Canberra, but despite many visits, I still get lost every time I go there. I suspect it's street design was a pun by the designer and actually represents how hard it is to get things done.

Cheers!

[Jaqhama]

I guess by now most of you will know that Shalako-Lin and I are big into motorcycles.
However...we're also into mountain bicycles.

And lo and behold I found this rather interesting website that combines both forms of transport.
Including the laws relating to your particular state.

I note that one can get a bike that goes way beyond the 200 watt limit. On a motorised bike forum the Oz guys were saying they have never been stopped by the revenue collectors however. (That's the current Sydney bikers term for the police by the way. )

Doodling along the dirt roads and trails in the Blue Mountains on one of these bikes would be excellent we reckon. Not to mention riding around our local back streets. Or even to work, if one lived close enough.

Here's the website that got us thinking.
http://www.zbox.com.au/bikes.htm

Some of the designs harken back to the days of the first motorised two wheeler.
I can see a couple of these in our garage in the near future.

[Flynn MacCallister]

Jaq, have you been following the issues people are having with them in NSW?

The RTA say they're alright, provided that they have a maximum engine output power of less than something like 200W, but the police seem to be begging to differ. They're awesome little things, and a great idea, but it doesn't seem like you can really use them at all in NSW from the sound of things...

[Jaqhama]

Jaq, have you been following the issues people are having with them in NSW?

The RTA say they're alright, provided that they have a maximum engine output power of less than something like 200W, but the police seem to be begging to differ. They're awesome little things, and a great idea, but it doesn't seem like you can really use them at all in NSW from the sound of things...

The Police are obliged to follow the law. And if the RTA says you can legally use a bike of up to 200 watts then there's nothing the cops can do.
I assume you're reffering to the woman in Nyngan who got booked for unregoed and unisured etc? She apparently, was doing about 30kph...which is more than a 200 watt motor will put out.
The Judge upheld the police's point of view...but...
The road rules in NSW are made by the RTA, not the Police and not the courts...all they can do is uphold the law as it is written.
I am guessing that there was more to the Nyngan's woman's case than just what the media reported.

My mate down at W/Gong says he see's heaps of people using the moto-bicycle's..even ladies in their 60's onwards.
Apprently near where he lives at Austimeer many people are riding them around.
He's about to buy one for his wife to commute to the train station on every morning.

I think as petrol goes up in price,more and more people will buy these kind of bicycles.

Check out the Oz section on www.motoredbikes.com for input from Aussie riders. None of them seem to have been stopped yet.

[Jaqhama]

These particular bikes are definetly 100% legal to use in NSW, according to the current information supplied on the NSW RTA website.

If in doubt phone up the shop and ask them...people have been using them (mainly around the North side of Sydney for some reason? for years now.)

http://www.moped.com.au/index.html

[Flynn MacCallister]

These particular bikes are definetly 100% legal to use in NSW, according to the current information supplied on the NSW RTA website.

If in doubt phone up the shop and ask them...people have been using them (mainly around the North side of Sydney for some reason? for years now.)

http://www.moped.com.au/index.html

I've read a few stories, not just that woman... perhaps it has been issues with the same bike, though; I don't know.





EVERYONE! ... or, everyone coming to the Sydney meet on July 12... What time suits people for getting into town?

[Jaqhama]

Salutations one and all,

I too hearken from Terra Australis Incognita! Melbourne specifically, though I'm also quite familiar with Sydney and Perth. I could also lay claim to being familiar with Canberra, but despite many visits, I still get lost every time I go there. I suspect it's street design was a pun by the designer and actually represents how hard it is to get things done.

Cheers!

Hello Dante.

I was nattering on about motorised push bikes so much I forgot to return your greeting.
I'm fairly new here myself.
Welcome aboard.

Cheers: Jaq.

[Dante Aetherson]

Hello Dante.

I was nattering on about motorised push bikes so much I forgot to return your greeting.
I'm fairly new here myself.
Welcome aboard.

Cheers: Jaq.

Hello Jaq,

That's fine, I interrupted a conversation. I like the idea of mopeds, regardless of the kind of motor driving them (though a steam one would be awesome)... steaming one up sounds like a wonderful idea.

My employer recently acquired an electric tread-ly http://www.electricbicycle.com.au/cruiser_elite.html - It is rather daggy looking, but the design looks modable (no, my employer would frown on that idea!). It's also rather expensive, at around $2,500 with a large-ish lithium-ion battery. It rides ok at up to 25kph (max speed the electric motor can achieve) but after that becomes a bit unstable in my opinion, what with peddling madly and all. 

My conclusion was that it would be a lot of fun to have something like this and steam it up, but I'll commute via motorcycle for a while yet.

[Hex]

EVERYONE! ... or, everyone coming to the Sydney meet on July 12... What time suits people for getting into town?

I can be at central at about 9:10 (provided the trains are on time) though I need to be back up on the coast by about 5:30-6ish which means I'll need to leave about 3:15 depending on where we are.

So, those of us who attending what's the plan? What do we want to do?