Turbine Travel 2.

Main Street Birregurra 7th December.
The two MACK bogies pulling the monster, were supported by another two pushing at the back. All were yoked together with iron rods.
The turbine was suspended in the centre of the trailer, and apparently, when it achieves it's destination, is lowered into place from the trailer, on exactly the correct position.

Origin Energy is behind all of this, and Singapore is behind Origin. Lampson are the freighters - just Guugle image them.
At least 50 people suddenly appeared at 9pm last night at my corner of Warncoort, to watch it turn onto the Princes Highway, and this one admits to the thrill of proximity to a mechanical mastodon.

Please Click-to-enlarge this photo - far left are the lead Mack bogies, just left of centre, for scale, there is a green highway sign partially obscured by the turbine itself, then the 34 rows of eight-wheels before the two rear bogies far right, and pushing the thing toward Camperdown, taking all night for a trip that is 25 minutes in a car.

Can I stress that this pic looks like a stream of traffic but is just one vehicle.
Beyond this pic, there were about 10 support vehicles - one a mobile light sign superfluously saying MASSIVE LOAD.

Others have loaded better pix at their Flicker.

more power to Birre

In Birregurra this morning, this massive THING occupies the entire main street.
FIVE gleaming new MACK prime movers and their 256-wheeled trailer articulated in two places and loaded with a turbine travelling from

North Carolina to the Mortlake power station.
It moves westward tonight at 9pm and will pass this house 6 kms later.
Pictures may be the equivalent of 1000 words, but I have no words to convey to you the sheer massiveness of this thing. Boys of all ages will line Murray Street Colac tonight, to witness this walking-pace uni-procession. Such a boy-thing.
History of Mortlake, Western Victoria

Wreck the rink

Thanks to Leo at TheChive.com for the derby demon image above, and thanks to the derbutantes for this delight -

Gosh I love a good sub-culture.

With a clear recollection of the LA T-Birds Mexican spitfire

Little Ralphie Valladeres ramming through the pack

when roller derby was regular fare on Melbourne TV in 1960, I canardly wait till

The Derbytantes Brawl Rocks The 'Rat on 29th November.

I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Rough-housing and
great clothing choices are the key elements of the derby dames.

Get a look at The Nutcrackers team.

If you don't get to the Rat Wreckery, try to rent a dvd of Raquel Welch's

killer Kansas City Bombers movie (the

girl version of the fabulous Slap Shot)

it will get you in the frame to enjoy Drew Barrymore's first directorial effort WHIP IT

out here soon, and you don't have to thank me for this alert to the zeitgeist.

Just remember you read it here before Catherine Deveny columns it.

Bunker Hill update

So hot today the kangaroos went into the dam (click for zoom-in).
That's the 6AM view West from my bed in Western Victoria that I woke up to this morning (just as I saw a fox). The Waubra wind turbines are on the horizon and have red flashing lights in the night. Below is the view from the table I'm sitting at now. My week in the paddocks is done and I was loathe to leave.

Meanwhile over atMarshall Stacks there is evidence of the innocence of Colin Hay.

Blogger On A Cast Iron Balcony

Overlooking the marina at Cannes 1976. This photograph shows a person who has just eaten their first ever croissant, and bowl of milk coffee. Later that day she did a favour for Rockin Reggie Vincent who played on 'School's Out' and he hugged her. Not a bad Brush-With-Fame. Please tell me all about yours ...