Lismore and Freo

(Get to the pictures already!)

Just had a storm in Woy Woy. Nice bit of rain, couple of lightning flashes and a decent bit of thunder. Now it's headed up north up the coast.

Lismore, a few hours north, will be getting a bit twitchy again. On Tuesday they copped tennis-ball sized hail and got declared a natural disaster zone.

"...This ... was the worst I have ever seen in 30 years of living in Lismore. Hundreds of cars are a write-off. Orchard and nursery production have received a massive setback. There are over 300 damaged roofs and thousands of broken windows in an area already suffering from a lack of tradesmen due to the housing and renovation boom. Hardware stores remain open late into the night as volunteers and SES workers hurry to secure dwellings against the possibility of further storms. It could be 12 months or more before the full extent of damage is either known or repaired. [There is] extensive damage to shopping centres, government buildings, schools and hospitals." (SMH)

Hailstorm pictures at Flickr:
Hailstones piled up in someone's garden
Veggie patch slaughtered by hailstones

And have a gander at the lighthouse at Lismore in Scotland in a hailstorm. Not the same Lismore what got hit on Wednesday but very purty.





Cop shop (police station) in Henderson Street Freo. Right opposite the multi-storey carpark and backing onto the footy oval. Must be very handy for dragging dickheads out of the stadium by the collar and chucking them in a cell to cool down.

This isn't the best bit of the station, by the way. The two storey building out the back, which I think holds the old cells, is lovely. Cool verandas and, in front of it, a courtyard overhung by the big tree you can see in the left of this picture.

The style might be Old Colonial Regency (1788 - circa 1840). I don't think it's Old Colonial Georgian (same period). It's definitely not Old Colonial Grecian (same period). Doesn't have the whatsit for that.



Right next to the cop shop. Rumour has it these terraces used to house the prison warders. Seems likely, given their age and simplicity.

I'm going for Old Colonial Regency (1788 - circa 1840) again for these terraces. Could be Old Colonial Georgian (same period) but I'm sure they're not.

Had a look for the bastard, and the cop shop, in the WA heritage listings but they've got a shitty database.




They're right next to an identical row of terraces which is right next to the Freo Markets. Freo's not a big town.


Creepy but interesting

Dragonfly robot spies. Care of the bloody CIA. Who else?

They've been seen buzzing low over protest rallies in the good ol' U. S. of A. Which is creepy because hello! the CIA already have enough spy gear and video of protest rallies and what are they thinking about with these things? Spraying evil stuff directly into protesters' faces or something?

But really cool and interesting also because it's geeky and sci-fi and I want one for Christmas.


Okay. Woy Woy got hail. Just then. Nuffing exciting but. Pea sized and maybe 15 seconds of it.