Winter has arrived in Brisbane

This last week has been relatively freezing in Brisbane. Those of you in cooler climes will laugh, but here last Thursday it was a minimum of 6C and a max of 17C - seriously cold for us. For a sub tropical population it was remarkably chilly. Yesterday (Saturday) it was 8 - 20 (better) and today we are 8 and heading to 24. We haven't even got to August yet, traditionally our bleakest month.

On Wednesday night Rene and I joined comedienne Judith Lucy for 90 minutes at The Power House. She was enormously funny and I loved seeing Rene laughing along with the patter. I'm not even going to try to remember all her lines, suffice to say you'd be crazy to miss her if she's on in your town (she also does the Edinburgh Festival).

The famous cube buildings in Rotterdam are being converted into a hotel, with 49 of the wildest rooms you'll ever get to stay in. A world famous residential complex from the mid 80's, it has been less than successful as a home because tastes have changed, and people need more efficient use of space, and this complex of cubes tilted onto one corner is less than efficient. It straddles a road and has to be one of the most remarkable buildings I've ever seen, but then again Rotterdam's architecture is very modern and confronting - brilliant in fact!

From the river it looks cute, with public space, shops and offices below at promenade level.

It's very contrived, but fascinating. Not to my taste though for living in.

Privacy? In short supply here, but then again the Dutch often don't mind others looking in, especially in living areas.

Yes, each one of these cubes is interlocked across a vast intersection.

This next item is related to the fact that the actor Geoffrey Rush was born in my old Australian hometown of Toowoomba, where he attended the Toowoomba East State School until the age of nine (when he moved with his mother to Brisbane).

Geoffrey Rush has won a Tony Award - Broadway's most coveted prize - for his heralded performance in 'Exit The King'.
Rush won in the best performance by a leading actor in a play category.
The win is the latest honour for the 57-year-old Australian, who has won an Oscar, two Golden Globes and three Screen Actors Guild awards for his film work.

Last weekend was Queensland's 150th birthday, and we have been celebrating the state's sesquicentenary all through 2009. On June 6 1859 Queen Victoria signed the Letters Patent allowing a new colony called Queensland to separate from the vast colony of New South Wales. Rene and I toured the newly reopened Old Government House (1862) which was the home to 11 governors. The building was without a ballroom, therefore in 1910 it ceased to operate and the governor moved to historic Fernberg House which had such a ballroom - essential to the social life of the new colony, and later, state. White ants and termites, the curse of timber in buildings, were eradicated and timber replaced in a $15M refurbishment of the old building.

The Goodna sandstone looks very handsome, all cleaned and looking bright.

A detail of the windows and veranda outside the day nursery (there's also a night nursery).

The carpets are a 1985 reproduction of those in the house in 1895. The lights reflect the appearance of the fruit hanging from cocos palms.

Finally, three of the new paintings on display at the gallery. Rene also has a collection on display in Rotterdam - the exhibition opened last weekend.

Oh, I nearly forgot. I'm off next weekend on the Dawn Princess. It's only for two nights, but my family and friends will be on board and we should have a wonderful time. We fly home Monday evening from Sydney.