Australian Cultural Evening 2006

Palm Springs - Closing Down the Town

Lobby Bar | MadCap Party | La Casita | Lost Highway | Matchbox | Village Pub | Roll of Honour

Palm Springs is a very civilised, laid-back kind of town, and was the perfect venue for the 2006 Australian Cultural Evening. The high quality of participants, food, entertainment, beverages and conviviality was once again the key feature of the event. A larger number than usual of genuine Australians (GAs) were amongst the revellers this year, and we even picked up a few lost Scot Australians during the evening to help boost numbers. We also had the biggest contingent of German Australians ever seen outside the Barossa Valley. The evening of culture started at the Lobby Bar, where a cunning plan was being hatched...

Wyndham Lobby Bar


The Australians gathered in the Lobby Bar of the Wyndham, and before long all sorts of hijinks were being engaged in. Goodness knows what's happening in this shot...
The patsy in the black shirt is MadCap Mike; he's being distracted by Sue as part of an elaborate kidnap plan.


For legal reasons, we have had to withdraw the next series of
photos, but we can say that after cordial discussions with
hostage negotiators, the AODC revellers found about 100 drink
tickets to the MadCap Software party. And that was our next stop...
(After MadCap Mike was released unharmed... and he
voluntarily joined us for the remainder of the evening.)


Mike voluntarily relinquishing some valuable drink tickets.

MadCap Party Crashing


The MadCap party was quite dull out on the Terrace... until the Australians arrived. It's marvellous the effect that something as simple as beach balls can have to liven up a party...
The place starts to hop as tattooed Aussies hit the bar...

 

That permanent tattoo seemed like a good idea at the time, Stu...
That's better! People up on their feet, talking, laughing...

La Casita

Next stop was the La Casita restaurant, which purported to offer Mexican cuisine. Australia and Mexico have an awful lot in common, and have had close cultural ties since the introduction of the Mexican Wave to the cricket in the 1960s. The bond was even more closely sealed when the Sombrero was adopted as part of the Australian national costume in 1972. In return, Mexico has taken the famous Australian dessert, the Sticky Date Pudding, as its own, renaming it the Mexican Date Pudding. So La Casita was appropriate for some lessons in the Australian operatic classic "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi".


Dave (GD) shows how Aussies drink Margueritas. Note the emergency Vegemite sachet pinned to his shirt.
The Aussies took up five tables at La Casita (that's Spanish for "The Dive"). Here's one table...

Rhonda (GA) and Sue can't believe how nice the food is! They're just delighted with their fajitas.
Oh oh, someone's making an arse of himself.

The photographers are going crazy, but who forgot to send their photos to me? Hmmm? Hmmm?


Victuals start to arrive on Table 3.

Now someone else wants to make an arse of herself!


The room is abuzz with discussions on dingo eradication plans, sheep strike and the drought.
One of the revellers was on the run from the law, so it is imprudent to release Sonja's name or image.


Kate (GA) explains something or other to Anne. I remember, it was linguistics. I think it was...


Kiwis Jonathon and Michael go for the jugs.


And now it's time to pay the bill. High finance and
skilled teamwork results in satisfied cashier.

Our friendly waiter, Jose, soon learnt the words to "Aussie Aussie Aussie". Some passers-by also did. (One small boy was heard shouting "oi oi oi" some 800 metres from the restaurant, much to the annoyance of his mother.) But the formality of eating was over, and it was time for some drinking. The next stop, perhaps appropriately, was the "Lost Highway".

Lost Highway


The Aussies settle in to their new surrounds.
 
David finds a hitherto undiscovered use for a deflated beachball. Tony humours him.

Kelly discovers that you can look good with a lampshade over your head.

 
Soon, everyone's in the act.
Another Aussie fashion tip... you can never wear too many sunglasses. Carol and Jack borrowed these from Dame Edna.


You're right - these lampshades look great after a marguerita with a beer chaser!

Brenda and Joe bring some cool vibe to the night.
Life's good at the Lost Highway for Rob, Kelly, Anne and Wade

Scott Boggan and the Bogans belt out a few songs on the Karaoke machine.
The crowd are hopping as the Karaoke hots up!


And the hits keep coming!

It's great being an Aussie.
Anne, Kelly and Sonja (not her real name) sing a heart-touching rendition of "I Still Call Australia Home".

Matchbox

With the furniture starting to break, and having driven away the regular clientele with our Karaoke, it was time to move on to the next drinking hole: Matchbox. A few of our number had wisely limped back to the hotel, but a big group of Aussies made their way up the street, and up the stairs, to the very trendy Matchbox. Naturally, we felt right at home...


"The fires were already alight when we arrived, officer."

Regrettably, nobody remembered to take any photos at this stop. I don't think I can recall why we forgot... But someone remembered by the time we reached our final venue for the evening. The Village Pub.

Village Pub

The last stop was the Village Pub. Memory starts to get hazy at this point, but Jeff (GA) was aghast when last drinks were called despite the eager crowd of thirsty dancers. Ah, there must have been dancing, I remember now...


We didn't have much time, as last drinks were soon to be called.
Anne met a few new friends, one of whom was very friendly indeedy.

Why does this floor keep moving?

And yes, we were kicked out, or as we Aussies say, "we closed the town down". Through the deserted streets of Palm Springs we ambled home, brandishing our Australian flags, and singing our Australian ditties. Another ACE passes by... new friends met, old friends reunited, and past friends remembered.

Roll of Honour

Group photo showing revellers outside Lost Highway

  1. Matthew Ellison
  2. Stu Confer
  3. Brian Walker
  4. Joe Welinske
  5. Frank
  6. Vince
  7. Jo Byrd
  8. Peter Meyer (GA)
  9. Eric Landuyt
  10. J Smith
  11. Jeff Bracey (GA)
  12. Mike Feimster
  13. Kelly
  14. Sonja (Not Her Real Name)
  15. J McClain
  16. Lore Eargle
  17. Carol Challas
  18. Jack Burns
  19. Paul O'Rear
  20. Paul Neshamkin
  21. David Locke
  22. Scott Boggan
  23. Frank Palinkas
  24. Debi Lane
  25. Sue Heim
  26. Jim Palik
  27. John Hunt
  28. Tony Dasilva
  29. Rob Houser
  30. Char James-Tanny
  31. Michael Havill
  32. Jonathon Ruhlen
  33. Scott DeLoach
  34. Jacqui Hankins
  35. Sharon Rowley
  36. Mike Hamilton
  37. Scott Prentice
  38. Don Lammers
  39. Paul Schwabe
  40. Michael Fritz
  41. Abir Roy
  42. Jim Bisso
  43. Amy
  44. Rhonda Bracey (GA)
  45. Paul Fussell
  46. Kate Burridge (GA)
  47. Anne Bradbeer
  48. Aaron Morgulis
  49. Susan Becker
  50. Bill Klemens
  51. Linda Gallagher
  52. Martha Stevens
  53. Mike Tatro
  54. Wade Courtney
  55. Rob McDiarmid
  56. Kirsty Taylor (GA)
  57. Jan Emigh
  58. Dave Gash
  59. Brenda Huettner
  60. Brian Burt
  61. Tony Self (GA)

Photo Credits

Special big thank you to Debi Lane, Rhonda Bracey and especially Abir Roy for the photos!

See more of Rhonda's photos...

And Bill Klemens has finally uploaded his great collection of ACE photos!

Corrections

If you find any errors in identification of revellers, or missing names, or any other thing that needs correcting, please e-mail Tony so that the problem can be fixed! Sorry for any inadvertent omissions or exceptions! I can't remember everything! (In fact, it's a miracle I can remember anything!)

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