14 Foleys R'd
Lismore NSW 2480
26 Sept 1997
Dear Luiz - International Citizen
Well, here I am at my cabin at Billen Cliffs community - 200 acres, 100/120 people. Sort of Ningana in the bush though not as populated with Gays and Lesbians. I have a goanna living in the ceiling - he/she drags his/her belly across the wooden ceiling, claws scratching and tail dragging. I'm used to it now, but the first night he/she was there I was here alone reading a paper - hear all this scraping & scratching - and not able to see anything - freaky.
So Brendan & Bruce tell me you've been trying to call - sorry I wasn't there - actually I was in Brisbane having to make some money selling Mary-Juani, tracking down Rachel Delaney (having seen her picture in the Koori Mail), staying at Dave's, going to the Wichham (gay pub), being picked up by a girl, taken to another hotel, left by the girl and then meeting a boy (Adonis - Greek God Blonde) who wanted to come home with me - and Did! And throwing up in a taxi on the way home - actually the taxi stopped just in time... So it was an adventurous 4 / 5 days. Rachel is looking well and after finishing her work on Stradbroke Island where she did the planting, bush regeneration, and is now at Uni, although next year she will do a bridging course and then go back to Uni where she wants to study Law.
Today I am recovering from a dress rehearsal for a play I am in next week. A who-dunnit play within a play - Tom Stoppard's 'The Real Inspector Hound'; two critics are watching a play - a who-dunnit set in an English Manor in the 20's - during the course of the play the critics are drawn onto the stage and themselves are murdered! I am Felicity, a girl in her twenties, socialite, is spurned by Simon, a cad young man who wants to have Cynthia, the lady of the house - I am pissed off about this and am a suspect in Simon's death. Anyhow it's being put on by the Nimbin Bush Theatre Players for three nights and is a fundraiser to help the Nimbin Community purchase the old Secondary School. Another friend Styn (from Belgium) is a police inspector in it and he invited me to be involved... I had not long been back in Australia from my around the world trip and felt like a bit of a challenge.
The overseas trip was fairly exciting - 6 wks L.A. - N.Y. - the "American Massage Therapist Annual Educational Convention" in Florida to show & sell my socks. N.Y. stayed in Harlem - Paris - Antwerp - Paris - Bombay - Tibetan Buddhist Monastery at Kushalnagar, 5 hrs from Bangalore - Singapore - Brisbane. I'll give you a full & comprehensive 8 hours story-telling session if you like when you return to Oz.
One week later
Last week I met Gordie's sons. They visited for a week. I spent a day with them. We went to a community near Nimbun where Gordie lived for 15 months right in the forest on a hillside; viisted a neighbour; checked out some dwellings and the locally grown herb heads. Anyhow the boys are considerate, intelligent, self contained, good listeners. Damien is an Optus technician and cliff poles and towers! And Ashley is a Rock'n'roll musician getting a band together. I'm sure he would like to fill you in on more detais so I won't spill the beans.
The play was Tue. Wed. & Thursday nights. The 1st and 3rd nights were good. The 2nd night was flat. I had so much adrenaline in my blood/body for 3 days - anyhow I felt it was beneficial for dealing with some anxiety and fear about performning in front of people. There is a video of the final performance so I'm hoping to get a copy.
It's been raining here for a few days and has set in for a week. Usually it has been drier. The notorious El Niño warm currents shift has brought cooler water off the Northern Rivers area we are getting more rain than usual. I am doing my first attempts at herb growing. I have had a vegie garden for summer/autumn. I've enclosed photos of my cabin at Billen.
Karina has been following her Tibetan Buddhist teaching/meditation classes (up til the last couple of weeks). Sometimes over at Murwillumbah or Uhr with these monks of her friends from the Yamantaka Buddhist Centre. Since Bruce moved up & even for some time before he moved up he's going to the classes as well. I have had play commitments for the past 10 weeks so I have had a bit of a break from them. I used some Buddhist techniques do deal with aversion & awkward feelings during rehearsals.
I have recently taken up correspondence with Peter Dowling, who was a friend of mine who was on that tape made in El Salvador; went to Brazil, England, Japan etc. with Italian wife Alessandra. He and Alex have resettled in NZ near Auckland having recently purchased some land and 3 / 4 bedroom house which they invite travellers to anytime. He went to Argentina in August/Sept. to write a travel article for Travellers Magazine. I asked him if he could transport some for me but no luck - Luiz, do you think it is possible to ... - let me know Yes or No - as we have an appropriate climate for such bushes.
When are you returning to Oz? We now have a conservative government headed by John Howard - how negative, uninspiring and bland! So we create in our own lives interesting creative activities.
Brendan came around last night, his grandmother is on a life-supporting system in hospital so he is concerned about her time on the planet. He has recently rebuilt the bike and has a casual growing affair with an older man who lives near Byron Bay.
Josse is studying graphic arts at the Rockhampton TAFE. He had problems with Redneck aggression and of course questioning authority is not the done thing up there. So he had a bit of a hard time initially dragging a harassing teacher to a student/council/meeting with independent facilitator.
We all hope you can visit us on your return before you settle back into Sin Sydney City. Let me know your thoughts on seed acquisition or transportation.
Karina, Brendan & Gordie send good wishes to you. If you come up this way I'll get Rachel to come and visit from Brisbane. Ciao for now, love, Kaye XX
The overseas trip was fairly exciting - 6 wks L.A. - N.Y. - the "American Massage Therapist Annual Educational Convention" in Florida to show & sell my socks. N.Y. stayed in Harlem - Paris - Antwerp - Paris - Bombay - Tibetan Buddhist Monastery at Kushalnagar, 5 hrs from Bangalore - Singapore - Brisbane. I'll give you a full & comprehensive 8 hours story-telling session if you like when you return to Oz.
One week later
Last week I met Gordie's sons. They visited for a week. I spent a day with them. We went to a community near Nimbun where Gordie lived for 15 months right in the forest on a hillside; viisted a neighbour; checked out some dwellings and the locally grown herb heads. Anyhow the boys are considerate, intelligent, self contained, good listeners. Damien is an Optus technician and cliff poles and towers! And Ashley is a Rock'n'roll musician getting a band together. I'm sure he would like to fill you in on more detais so I won't spill the beans.
The play was Tue. Wed. & Thursday nights. The 1st and 3rd nights were good. The 2nd night was flat. I had so much adrenaline in my blood/body for 3 days - anyhow I felt it was beneficial for dealing with some anxiety and fear about performning in front of people. There is a video of the final performance so I'm hoping to get a copy.
It's been raining here for a few days and has set in for a week. Usually it has been drier. The notorious El Niño warm currents shift has brought cooler water off the Northern Rivers area we are getting more rain than usual. I am doing my first attempts at herb growing. I have had a vegie garden for summer/autumn. I've enclosed photos of my cabin at Billen.
Karina has been following her Tibetan Buddhist teaching/meditation classes (up til the last couple of weeks). Sometimes over at Murwillumbah or Uhr with these monks of her friends from the Yamantaka Buddhist Centre. Since Bruce moved up & even for some time before he moved up he's going to the classes as well. I have had play commitments for the past 10 weeks so I have had a bit of a break from them. I used some Buddhist techniques do deal with aversion & awkward feelings during rehearsals.
I have recently taken up correspondence with Peter Dowling, who was a friend of mine who was on that tape made in El Salvador; went to Brazil, England, Japan etc. with Italian wife Alessandra. He and Alex have resettled in NZ near Auckland having recently purchased some land and 3 / 4 bedroom house which they invite travellers to anytime. He went to Argentina in August/Sept. to write a travel article for Travellers Magazine. I asked him if he could transport some for me but no luck - Luiz, do you think it is possible to ... - let me know Yes or No - as we have an appropriate climate for such bushes.
When are you returning to Oz? We now have a conservative government headed by John Howard - how negative, uninspiring and bland! So we create in our own lives interesting creative activities.
Brendan came around last night, his grandmother is on a life-supporting system in hospital so he is concerned about her time on the planet. He has recently rebuilt the bike and has a casual growing affair with an older man who lives near Byron Bay.
Josse is studying graphic arts at the Rockhampton TAFE. He had problems with Redneck aggression and of course questioning authority is not the done thing up there. So he had a bit of a hard time initially dragging a harassing teacher to a student/council/meeting with independent facilitator.
We all hope you can visit us on your return before you settle back into Sin Sydney City. Let me know your thoughts on seed acquisition or transportation.
Karina, Brendan & Gordie send good wishes to you. If you come up this way I'll get Rachel to come and visit from Brisbane. Ciao for now, love, Kaye XX
Ringo Starr, George Harrison & Kaye Peebles on the flight from Wellington to Auckland.
Kaye Peebles with some very special friends flying in New Zealand in 1964.
A five-year old girl turned down an offer thousands of girls would give their whole collection of Beatles records for. She was asked by George Harrison 'going to give me a kiss?' Replied Australian born Kaye Peebles steadfastly 'no'. This was in a flight in New Zealand on their tour.
On the flight to Wellington, George and Ringo met a 5 year-old girl named, Kaye Peebles. Kaye and her family were flying to Wellington from Adelaide to visit family. The stewardess was having little Kaye help her out by handing out sugar candies to the passengers. When she got to Ringo and George, George asked her if she was going to give him a kiss. The little girl gave a loud, 'No!' Of course this was pretty funny to everyone on board. I wonder what Kaye thought of this encounter when she got older.
Here is a story written by Kaye's father: (with much thanks to The Gilly) - "It's 1964 and our family of four is returning to Australia after visiting grandparents in New Zealand. We climb on the 28-passenger Fokker Friendship and take our seates. Many eyes are turning to the back of the plane. There is an excited murmur through the passengers. 'That's the Beatles' someone whispers.
The aircraft vibrates and rattles into the air for the trip to Auckland. With much craning of necks for a view the plane crosses close to the volcanic peaks of the central North Island.
As the plane starts its decent into the airport, the air-hostess asks our five-year-old daughter Kaye if she would help give out the wrapped boiled lollies to all the people on board. This helps to unblock the ears caused by altitude changes.
At the rear of the plane Kaye shyly offers lollies to John, Paul, Ringo and George. As George takes his sweet, John says to Kaye 'Go on, give George a kiss!!' Kaye steps back, coyly shaking her head. George says 'She loves me No! No! No!' paraphrasing the Beatles' hit 'She loves you yeah! yeah! yeah!
Ningana Housing Collective's 1992 Christmas party.
http://www.meetthebeatlesforreal.com/2014/06/leaving-for-new-zealand.html
