Hamish and Andy’s Tall Ship Adventure

This blog seems to have turned into a Oz/NZ love fest, so I’m revisiting another past post to bring more reasons why I like Hamish and Andy - Australia's finest.

Their Australian drive time radio show is now transmitted into Tasmania. To celebrate, the guys decided to sail across the Bass Straight to Hobart, Tasmania’s capital, in a 17^th century tall ship (re-christened 'The Tally Shore'). They’ve named the voyage ‘Open Your Buccaneers Tasmania!'

Departure was scheduled for Monday but a hurricane warning left them docked in Melbourne’ harbour until Tuesday when the weather forecast was downgraded to gale force winds. Neither Hamish nor Andy has sailing experience and Hamish has prepared for the voyage buy getting an anchor tattooed on his bicep...and not doing much else. 

They chose naval ranks at random and ended up as Rear Admiral and Commodore. Because Hamish’s Rear Admiral outranks Andy’s Commodore, he is forcing Andy to marry a rat while in international waters - apparently this is something that you can do at sea. Poor Andy is not allowed to see his rat bride before the big day. So far, they haven't managed to do anything other than lay on deck and vomit. The swells reached 10ft on Wednesday night:

This is why I love Hamish and Andy. They take a small idea and let it snowball until it’s so random and ridiculous, that you just have to go along with it. They took a small group of listeners 'the peoples crew' to welcome the Tasmanians to the show. The first 24 hours of the trip consisted of them, and the peoples crew, vomiting due to severe sea sickness, but their show was still entertaining. To call it professionalism would be misguided, but it’s pretty cool.

You can follow their journey here: Open Your Buccaneers Tasmania!

Posted By: Cat

Cookies and Cream KitKat

Many of my posts on this blog are regarding food which, while incredibly unhealthy, tastes heavenly. Fear not, for change will not come soon! Step forward Cookies and Cream KitKat.

In London, there is a store of dreams called cyber candy (visit online here). Anytime we find ourselves near Covent Garden, my friends and I will visit and spend ridiculous amounts of money on imported candy and foodstuffs from foreign countries. It was my birthday recently, which coincided with my friend Caff’s trip to the capital. She returned with the aforementioned KitKat for me.

I have previously blogged about my love of the KitKat, but I had never heard of the cookies and cream variety. I have since learned this beauty is sold in Australia and New Zealand. Turns out it’s a treat which will live on in memory as a perfect blend of gluttony and awesomeness.

The cookies and cream KitKat resembles a KitKat chunky, but instead of the line of wafer, it has a base of Oreo cookie. Sleeping on top of this layer, like the hottest boyfriend you ever had, is a delicious creamy paste that tastes like the white inside part of a kinder egg. Inside this paste are sporadic moments of loveliness conveyed in the form of Oreo cookie chunks. Basically, its perfection. Almost.

Because there is no ying without yang, there must be a downside and the KitKat is no exception. The combo of chocolate, cookie, weird white paste and more cookies, is a devastating sugar overload that can fell even the most seasoned KitKat consumer. It took me about an hour to actually eat the whole bar, having to rest between bites and allow the sugar wave to subside before launching in for the next beautiful mouthful of goodness. This ‘downside’ has a silver lining however. It makes the bar last, which when you’re paying four times the cost of a normal kitkat, can only be a good thing.

Posted By: Cat

The Black Balloon

The Black Balloon is small Australian indie film that borrows from What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and has amazing performances from Toni Collette, Rhys Wakefield and Luke Ford. 

The film follows Thomas (played by Wakefield) as he adjusts to moving to a new town while coping with a disabled brother who suffers from autism and ADHD. His Mother is pregnant, and Thomas must help out with his brother's care when she is put on bed rest. On top of all this, he is struggling his way through first love with Jackie (Gemma Ward). 

The Black Balloon is funny, heartbreaking, intelligent and absorbing. Just like Gilbert Grape, Thomas struggles with the anger he feels toward his brother and himself for feeling such a way. I was completely absorbed with their world and loved the quirky nineties nostalgia the film has. 

Toni Collette is outstanding in everything she does, and this is no exception. I was very surprised by Rhys Wakefield, Home and Away never showed his potential as a good actor and I'm really excited to see how he develops. Luke Ward is so compelling as the autistic Charlie that it's hard to believe that he's acting. 

See the film. Its why small films should be made.

Visit the website: http://www.theblackballoonmovie.com/
Buy the movie: The Black Balloon

Posted By: Cat