This began just over a week ago. All reticulation stopped and the grass was allowed to die. Big machinery moved in - lots of it, working in different sites. Suddenly I could hear chain saws and six palm trees were felled in minutes, one after the other, falling like dominoes. It was heartbreaking. I’ve never felt like hugging a tree before but I did on that day.
If you’ve ever killed someone, it takes a long time to dispose of the body (illegally as in a murder mystery). It’s the same with a tree. Removal of the dead trees is still ongoing. A huge shredding machine works all day, reducing the wood to a massive pile of sawdust. I’m not sure where this will go, but it will have to go somewhere.
The secure fence keeps protesters and others well away from the action. This includes the black swans trying to find their way to the ponds:
The adults obviously remember where to go, but are frustrated by the new fencing.
From my balcony, I can see the desert-like scene with the dead grass in most of the picture. Beyond the fence on the left is the Crown Resort land, which is still green:
I could easily host a sniper to eliminate any more people with chain saws.
On Sunday there was a football game at the Stadium (the Asian Women’s cup with the Matildas vs the Filipino team). Spectators would normally walk across the park, having left their cars at Crown. I was interested to see if anyone tried to break down the barriers, but they all obediently followed the signs and went round.
On my way home, I passed by the 3 B’s and heard someone calling my name. It was Brian, a neighbour of mine, who said: come on in and I’ll buy you a drink. That was an offer I couldn’t refuse!
We commiserated about the state of the world, while I admired the huge selection of drinks available. There’s a big investment tied up in all those bottles!
