melbourne bar fun

I know it's been a while. Shocking. Where are all my high principles of being suching a diligent blogger? Between work & home emails and then facebook, the time gets away. In Hooping news - has been happening for me mainly in the living room and I am excited about working on a project to get some collapsible hoops happening. More on that later.

Melbourne in winter seems to say - let's go snuggle up in all the amazing bars and pubs on offer. Here is an adventure on the 79 tram I had one night with Reuben. The 79 tram is one of the old style, wooden floor trams that clatters it's way from Carlisle st in East St Kilda to Victoria st in North Richmond. It started when we went to visit Reuben's cousin who just had brand new baby Bi'lal! He is a gorgeous little baby who was super snuggly and sweet. Those guys live in East St Kilda , so when we left we decided to have a beverage at the Local Taphouse



We then caught the said 79 tram up Chapel st to Richmond where we decided to treat ourselves to a drink at one of Melbourne's top, award winning bars - Der Raum!
It was expensive, yes, but - Oh. My. God. BEST margarita ever!
I love margarita's. They are MY signature drink. They are also my achilles heel because I can't stop once I've begun my lime fiesta fun. I always tend to judge a place on how well they can do their margarita. At Der Raum, mine came served with a glass of sea foam for salt, (yes actual salty foam) an eye dropper of fresh lime juice to adjust personal sour preference and the main drink came in like a soda siphon that gently froze the drink as I squeezed it out of the siphon. Amazing. And top grade tequila of course. Der Raum is famous for it's amazing mixology, rare and top shelf alcohol and all the bottles hanging from the ceiling on occy straps! Excuse the blurry photo but I had no stand for the candle mode it was in.



After that we went to the new tiki bar up the road. Lovely space and though their Margarita was good - it just couldn't beat the one I had at Der Raum. I'd love to have a go DJing at the Tiki bar though. Break out the cocktail tunes and the hoop! It'd be a hoot!



Back on the 79 tram we went to head to Victoria st in Nth Richmond, which is a big Vietnamese area full of yummy restaurants. We went to meet our friend Sandy first for some drinks at the Vic Bar before heading off to eat at Minh Minh



As you can see it all got a bit messy - the rest of the night is a blur with many more bars visited and my camera ended up in the sink at one stage. Thank goodness it works still! Melbourne has so many great bars and restaurants. This is just a little adventure in that big playground.

Hoop Jam in Port Melbourne this Sunday

That Girl is doing a jam in Port Melbourne over the next few weeks. Here is what she had to say:

"The following dates and times for hula hoop jams are confirmed:

29/3, 26/4, 31/5, 28/6

That's the last Sunday of every month at 3pm to 4.30pm, at Port Melbourne Neighbourhood House, cnr Liardet and Nott Sts - entry via Liardet St.

Now, there will be 2 tiers of payment: Those that want to just get together and jam and swap tricks, and those who would like more personalised lessons. Makes it tricky, I know, but I need to ensure that the venue costs are covered (we're doing venue hire as we never know whether it will rain or not).

Cost will likely be:

Jam contribution (goes towards hire and admin): $10
Personalised Lessons: $17

I will be unable to make the last 2 dates as I am away on tour in Canada, BUT I have several amazing teachers lined up for those sessions, as long as people will be there for them. So... I will need confirmation a week before each one, to ensure numbers. Please rsvp back to me via email as soon as possible for the first one (sunday week). I am excited about these jams and think they'll be heaps of fun!"

I haven't picked up the hoop in quite a few weeks. This is a good opportunity for me to get back into it.

I ordered a heap of hula hoop connectors from the USA in both 1" and 3/4" connectors. I thought I'd just go for it but they are 1 mm to smallinside the tubing!
**&#% AAArgh!!!!!!

I think it's the imperial to metric conversion with the poly tubing out here. I've decided to try and find a plastics moulder for prototypes and see if I can get some made up to fit the polytubing here.

W.A. birthday fun

Well with cheap flights to Perth snagged for our birthday's last December, Reuben and I flew over to the most isolated city on earth. Perth.
Wow it's so clean and spacious. The beaches and the skies are just amazing. It's a great place for those who love an outdoor lifestyle.
The beautiful Swan River was out the front of our hotel room and as the sun rose behind it the grass field that was on the river bank was filled with screaming, tumbling, mischievious corella parrots. With the 2 hour time difference between the East and West Oz - i decided to get up and have a hula hoop with them on my birthday! They all flew away on my approach though. so much for their bluster.

My birthday is on the 7th while Reuben's is on the 6th. I bought us a scuba dive with in the shark tank with grey nurse sharks, manta rays and turtles plus some very curious fish. It was great. I had a little turtle try to bite my head. This all happened at AQWA.

We spent time in Fremantle with our wonderful friend Dave who has just sold the cafe he created there called Moore in an art gallery. He is starting a new cafe in Fremantle soon.
Our absolutley favourite time was spent down south though in the Margaret River region famous for it's wineries and beaches - for a bloody good reason. They're all amazing.
So many beautiful wineries, tasting wines and eating the food there. The region produces the best semillion, chardonny and sauv blancs. Trust me. I tasted quite a few. I ordered a crate!
The beaches were just pristine and such a beautiful blue. Unlike Melbourne, they were also at a temperature of the most lovely unlike our Southern oceans direct from the Antarctic. Our favourite place was Yallingup beach. We will definitely stay there at the holiday park if we ever find ourselves in the region again. It's right on the beach and right near the local coffee man serving great coffee on a barista machine and homemade muffins out of the back of his van with the backdrop of cliffs and the beach. I'd love to attempt the drive from Melbourne along the Great Ocean road, through South Australia to get there to this region again.

We also dived on my Dad's old Navy Ship the HMAS Swan which has been especially gutted and sunk for divers. The blue of the water was just etheral.

A great trip.

Hooping at Crittenden

Well I've been away on hols for a bit - but more on that later. Let's catch up on the hooping that's happened. Eric Powelland Carl Cox get together every February towards the end of the month and put on their mobile disco at their friends winery on the Mornington Peninsula called Crittenden. It's always a fun day - really casual and the guys just play great old skool tunes from the 70's, 80's and 90's, club, funk and soul classics. This year Eric asked me to bring my hoops to add to the fun and they were a total hit. I even had Danni Minogue who was there, hooping! But no one took a photo as it was quite early on in the piece. I think she's been doing some music with Carl Cox.
The kids, Mum's and even Eric got into the hoop. They were going all day. I love the joy they bring to people. It was a heap of fun - though I lost quite a few hoops. Oh well - I hope they're loved wherever they are.



That's me hooping

Eric Powell hooping it up - he was great!



Here is my friend Scotty getting his photo taken with Danni Minogue!



Karly showing how it's done.

Addi's flyer for classes in Melbs

Hula Hoop Classes!

Learn how spin hoops on the hand, waist, neck, foot and knees. A great way to keep fit, enhance co-ordination and most importantly have fun!

When: Saturdays starting 14th Feb 3:30pm-5pm.

Cost: $8.00 (Cash only please)

Address:

Art of Self Defence Australia

77-79 Whitehorse Rd

Blackburn VIC 3130

For more details contact Addie Pinelli

0403004447

addie_rox@hotmail.com

classes around for Melbourne & Ozzie hoopers

If you are in Melbourne and can get to Blackburn on Saturday's, a graduate of NICA - Addy - will be doing a casual hula hoop class at the Australian School of Defence 77-79 Whitehorse rd, Blackburn 3.30-5pm for $8.

 I work on Saturday's so will not be able to make it unfortunately. But i have signed up to Safire's online intermediate course! Safire just won a hoopie for best hoop teacher this year. She has developed a whole range of on line and ipod downloadable hoop courses. I love having the option of being able to go to the park with a tute on my ipod. 

And finally if you are in or can get to Sydney - this is the lady to check out. I hope to do some intermediate training with her in April this year - Bunny Hoop Star has a range of course going this summer. 

Me and my LED - Barbarella in the bush