WEST END FERRY and MUDHERRI launch

Remember the old West End Ferry Terminal
that was completely destroyed by the flood in January?


The new CityCat terminal has been built with
flood-resistant features that allow it to sink below the water line
also it allows two CityCats to dock at the same time

New features includes sheltered, non-slip walkway, waiting area, gangway and pontoon; provision for a ‘Go Card’ top-up facility; unisex public toilet and sheltered 24-hour rack bike storage.

The terminal will be opened officially
next Monday 1 August 2011


I'm here today with Phillip Cox
to witness the opening ceremony/launch of the new terminal
and also the latest 18th CityCat - Mudherri


Arrival of Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk
with sisters Angela Doyle and Nuala Doyle

Sr Angela Mary Doyle migrated from Ireland to Brisbane in 1947 to follow her vocation as a Sister of Mercy.
During her 21 years as administrator of the Mater Hospitals, she stood up to the prevailing wisdom of both her order and the state government, to effect change and justice for those in need. Among many other honors bestowed over the years, Sister Angela Mary was named Queenslander of the Year in 1989, in recognition of her work during the HIV/AIDS crisis.


Lisa Clarke from The Courier-Mail
having a chat with Sr Nuala Doyle


Mudherri


Captain brings the guests for a tour on the latest CityCat


“I think everybody would agree that it was far better value for ratepayers that we pushed ahead with pre-existing plans to build a new ferry terminal at West End, rather than spending millions of dollars on a replacement that would then have to be rebuilt later in the year.”


watch video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0kyNp__mcM




Guests gets ready for launching of Mudherri
In ancient times, Gods were invoked to protect the vessel and seamen while drinking wine and pouring water on the vessel as a symbol of blessing. Some traditions involve sacrifice of sheeps (Ottoman Empire) while the Vikings offered human sacrifices.


By late 17th century, the ceremonies were mostly replaced by breaking a bottle across the bow (as seen in movie, Titanic)
Launching could be said to mark the birth of a vessel; in part to appeal for good fortune and the safety of each new vessel

Christening of Mudherri




Lord Mayor thanked the Sisters for honouring the ceremony


Tried to hijack Mudherri but failed







This post also appears at
http://www.studybrisbane.com.au/Study/AskAmbassador/Blog-Posts.aspx?id=207



http://mydemoninyou.blogspot.com/

Tattersall's Racing Club

Brisbane International Student Ambassadors
are here today at Tattersall's Racing Club
Tattersall’s is a private membership club founded in 1865 by a group of gentlemen who were prominent in both business and in the thoroughbred horseracing industry in Queensland. The Club derives its name from Tattersall's, the London horse auction mart and “subscription rooms” founded in 1776.


Sounds familiar?
Yes, they also own a shopping mall in the CBD
Tattersall's Arcade at 215 Queen Street Mall
one of the city's oldest shopping destinations


Drinks Sample




Lots of these colourful plaster horses around the club


Petting Farm, Jumping Castles and Giant Slides for the kids


Pirate Mascots
"Avast! You be too young for grog!"


Trackless Train Rides


We're invited to the John Power Stand this arvo
Dress Code: Shirt & Tie, No Denim, Joggers or Shorts


Christine (Australia), Matt (USA) and myself (Singapore)
at the Members Stand


You may also choose to have a meal at the Moreton and Ascot Terraces
which includes tote facilities, plasma viewing screens and cocktails
or inside their Vice Regal Room where you may dine ($140/pax) and watch the races
with five hours of free flow beverages


Old Lady with Nice Headdress


Girls with Nice Headdress


Christine wants a Headdress too!


Here! You may have this Headdress of Rejuvenation
Gives:
2 All Attributes
Passive: Regeneration Aura
3 HP regeneration
500 AoE


We anticipate anxiously for the race to begin!






Jockeys must have a light body weight in order to ride at the weights which are assigned to their mounts. There is no limit on how tall a jockey can be; however, due to weight considerations, most are under five feet, six inches tall. There are horse carrying weight limits, which set by the racing authorities. Despite their light weight, they must be able to control a horse that is moving at 40 mph and weighs 1,200 pounds.


Good! I think I can be a jockey!






BumbleBee!


These horses have all sorts of amazing names like Gordon Ramsay etc


In the past, horses were considered unintelligent, with no abstract thinking ability, unable to generalize, and driven primarily by a herd mentality. However, modern studies show that they perform a number of cognitive tasks on a daily basis, meeting mental challenges that include food procurement and social system identification.


They also have good spatial discrimination abilities. Studies have assessed equine intelligence in the realms of problem solving, learning speed, and knowledge retention. Results show that horses excel at simple learning, but also are able to solve advanced cognitive challenges that involve categorization and concept learning.

They learn from habituation, desensitization, Pavlovian conditioning, and operant conditioning. They respond to and learn from both positive and negative reinforcement. Recent studies even suggest horses are able to count if the quantity involved is less than four.


watch video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md5e1zvPdRQ


Being academics, we didn't really quite understand the racing systems
So we just cheered on the horses that looked pretty
(Note: Nimal's horse lost)


In Chinese Fiction, the fastest horse is the Red Hare (赤兔馬)
人中呂布，馬中赤兔
Red Hare was said to be able to run one thousand li (roughly 415.8 km or 258.2118 miles) in a day. It was of a uniform ashen red, with not a hair of another color. It measured ten spans from head to tail (8 ft. long) and from hoof to neck eight spans (nearly 7 ft. tall).

I reckon the Red Hare can beat any of these race horses!


Before the next race start..


We went to get some quick snacks!






Public Eagle Farm Racecourse
Admission is $15
Under 18 and pensioners: FREE


Where's Wally?




How to get there?
Eagle Farm Racecourse is located at 230 Lancaster Road, Ascot QLD 4007

Train: Ascot station is situated adjacent to Eagle Farm, with direct access to the racecourse. Catch the Doomben line train from Roma Street, Central or Fortitude Valley stations.

Buses: There is a bus stop located on Racecourse Road. Check with translink on the correct bus and time.

City Cat: The City Cat operates down river to Bretts Wharf. It is approximately a 10 minute walk along Racecourse Road to the main entrance of Eagle Farm (about 800m).

Taxi: A taxi rank is located right outside the main entrance.

Car: There is limited free parking spaces at Eagle Farm. The parking spaces can be accessed by Lancaster Road or Nudgee Road. There are allocated disabled parking spaces in the Nudgee Road car park.

Current Annual Subscription for Ordinary Member is $925
More info at http://www.tattersallsclub.com/




This post also appears at
http://www.studybrisbane.com.au/Study/AskAmbassador/Blog-Posts.aspx?id=207


http://mydemoninyou.blogspot.com/