The Gang’s been ridiculously slow, we know, to make the MONA pilgrimage but we’d been hanging off to do it with Davey (never mind, darl, plenty more adventures down the track, eh…)

And the Muzzbotts flew in (with Elsa) to spirit us off as a joint birthday celebration for Megsie and Studio Bitch (60 and 65 respectively; tragic but true.) So out we set, with three objectives – MONA, Sullivan’s Cove Distillery (for the Scotsman) and The Cascade Female Factory for a moon-o-rama (more of that later.)

Objective #1: MONA…

Naturally we surrendered to the full shebang; boarding the gunboat, chatting to Trev (the pirate lorikeet), riding the sheep…

And generally enjoying the entire immersive experience…

Loved the space – yep, it’s on steroids – and the artwork (so many of our fave peeps; Sid, Matthew H, Julia DeV, the list goes on and on)…

Julia Deville, Cinerarium

[We’ve interspersed some of MONA’s shots with our own, hence the wild variation in quality(!) n(Ed)]

So much to get off on…

Julius Popp, Bit.fall

And of course we were completely taken by Greg Taylor’s work, not the least because he’s a Bega boy!!!! Who would have thunk it…

Greg Taylor and Friends, Cunts…And other Conversations

Sir Galahad, it goes without saying, was entirely in his element and on a dedicated mission of his own…

Wim Delvoye, Cloaca Professional

[Have to say that we have no idea of Wim’s prescribed diet for the piece, but Sir G is a much healthier looking stool specimen, hands down – perhaps he has a more nutritional regime.  n(Ed)]

After which he checked out the MONA wildlife…

And enjoyed a very nice lunch at The Source…

Definitely no disappointments MONA-wise. We’re sure DW’s having a serious laugh (on countless levels) but as that fits squarely into our own subversive POV we were beyond happy with nigh on everything. Bloody marvellous.

[But on a serious note: post visit, we are now enjoying a luxurious mosey through Monanisms (thanks Chrissie, loving it big time) and it has amped our regard even further. Everything David Walsh does – the labyrinthine museum, the gunboat, the publication, the extended environs, the heterogeneous vision, the vibe – is nothing short of pure class. And, crucially, entertaining. Serious smile on the dial biz, regardless of the dark thematics. We may never bother with conventional cultural institutions again. MONA is a long awaited affirmation that the stereotypic pretension and pomposity of the Argh-rts is just a load of old bollocks. n(Ed)]

Objective #2: The Cascade Female Factory – most specifically because Minnie had sent through (way back) a fabbo article from the Australian newspaper by David Hunt (author of Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia), examining the myths and mysteries of Australia Day. Brilliant article, way funny, but we were especially transfixed by…

‘…it might be more fitting to honour our nation on a new public holiday, “Arse Day”, to celebrate Australia’s first mass mooning. A witness to this most Down Under of events at the Tasmanian Cascade female factory in 1838, where women convicts were protesting a lecture on morality, reported, “The three hundred women turned right around and at one impulse pulled up their clothes showing their naked posteriors which they simultaneously smacked with their hands making a loud and not very musical noise.’

Pure gold. And so of course a mooning became the second objective…

Such an appropriate rite, especially in situ. We’re hoping it catches on.

Plenty more to see, of course…

And then we wound our way, as one does, up the hill to the Cascade Brewery…

…which had everything we fancied, even a crow saying ‘fark’…

And more.

Objective #3: Sullivan’s Cove Distillery (cos where else do you take a Scotsman but the engine room for a tasting of the World’s Best Whiskey 2014?)

We do love a broad-arrow.

Thanks so much to Sammy Jo and Iain for the best birthday prezzie ever.

[Because, of course, it also afforded Megsie an über rich vein of R&D – for all manner of convict-o-rama down the track. Uh-oh. n(Ed)]