Geeking Out at Oz Comic Con

I've been feeling a bit like Austin Powers lately - that is, that I've lost my mojo. I know it happens to us all, but ultimately one learns that it was there the whole time, you'd just lost touch with it!

One way to rejuvenate your mojo and really get those creative juices flowing is to hang out with people who share your interests and be inspired by what they are creating. So it was very timely that Oz Comic Con Brisbane happened at the Convention Centre on the weekend!

The only pop culture/scifi/fantasy/geekdom con I'd ever been to before is Supanova. I found Oz Comic Con quite different - bigger, better and a more inclusive vibe. The cosplay game was seriously On Point too - I was just walking around in awe most of the time, feeling a bit left out! When you're not in costume and you're in the minority, that's a pretty odd feeling!

We checked out the interactive spaces (art, gaming, kids) and stalls for a while before grabbing a bite to eat. I was lined up between gender-bent Marty McFly & a steampunk lady explorer. 

We headed over to the big stage to war Richard Dean Anderson's talk next. He answered a lot of questions about both Stargate and Macgyver, was a funny guy. 

We could have spent oodles of money on cool things, from authorised merch to handmade crafts, but in the end we just got some stickers and patches. 

Oz Comic Con was a heck of a lot of fun! I highly recommend it to anyone with a love of all things cult and pop culture-y. 

*I was a guest of Oz Comic Con and received a free double pass to attend. Not a sponsored post. 

Oz Comic-Con 2015 Giveaway

I'm noticing a trend in 2015. And that trend is that being a geek is going mainstream.

In between a plethora of Marvel movies and the huge popularity of Game of Thrones, more and more people are getting into what was previously the domain of nerds - comic books, science fiction and fantasy, animation and cult movies.

Back when I was a young geek, it was a fairly lonely old life. It wasn't until I got to university and found The Internet that I discovered there were people out there who loved Star Wars! And Tolkien! It was like finding my tribe.

Flashforward a few years and now you can find geeks everywhere. They're at your work, making coffee and talking about why Jon Snow Knows Nothing. They're in cinema foyers, munching popcorn in their Captain America t-shirt.

And, joyfully, geeks can now congregate at conventions like Oz Comic-Con. We can dress up as our favourite characters, chatter with other like-minded folk about the latest fandom news; and most exciting of all... chat to our favourite actors, authors and artists!

Oz Comic-Con is coming to Brisbane in September and I've got 2 x family passes (that's 2 x adults and 2 x children) to give away. It's on at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 19-20 September, enter to win! Each pass is for the WHOLE WEEKEND and is worth $160. Check out the con website to see what guests are expected. If you're a Stargate fan, you'll be particularly excited. Plus there's plenty of other cool stuff to see, experience and buy.

To be in the running, just leave a comment below (along with a way for me to contact you) and tell me - if you had an an unlimited Cosplay budget, who would you dress up as? [THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED]

Me, I've already been a Jedi, but if I had oodles of money and time I've always wanted to try the Kaylee's Layer Cake Dress from Firefly!

Terms and Conditions:
This is a game of skill. Chance plays no part. Open only to Australia residents. This competition closes 11.59pm AEST Tues 1st September 2015. Winners will be announced Wed 2nd September. Prize is not transferable and is not redeemable for cash.

A Pirate's Life For Me

On Saturday I spied a tweet saying that an old ship was going to be docked at Southbank for the weekend. 

Upon further investigation, I discovered it was the Notorious, a replica 15th Century Spanish caravel. 

As I'm a big fan of all things nautical, we headed in to the city to take a look. Apparently it has been part of the filming of the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie at the Gold Coast. 

It was so tiny! It blew my mind to think this is the kind of ship those explorers in the Age of Discovery sailed across the world in!

A guy from Port Fairy built it. Imagine that dream. One day waking up and deciding you're going to scratch-build a historical sailing ship!

There's a story there's a ship like this wrecked off the coast of Victoria. If so it would predate most Dutch exploration of this area of the world. What a good mystery! I'm going to have to find out more. 

Have you ever been on a sailing ship? Yo ho!

Op Shops of Brisbane: Vinnies Eagle Junction

Op Shops of Brisbane is a series where I talk about charity shops I go to. Feel free to suggest a good one to me - I live on the north side but have been known to drive great distances for a good browse!

There's a bit of an urban legend about opshopping - that the nicer the suburb, the better quality the items you can find. I was over the posher side of town recently so my cousin and I decided to check out the closest op shop to Ascot we could find - Vinnies at Eagle Junction. 

Situated on the main road, parking is off street or across the road at the shops near the train station. Though a small shop, I found it to be packed with goodies!

Straight away I gravitated to the plus-size rack (yes, they have one) and found the urban legend to be real - Gucci, Ralph Lauren and the like were readily available! Of course, I can't tell the difference between a real and a fake when it comes to these things, so use your discretion.

They have a small bric-a-brac section, books and toys in the back rooms too. I didn't see much to attract the eye in the home/kitchenware department when we were there unfortunately. 

The volunteers were extremely lovely and helpful and everything was nearly organised. The front clothing section is more like a small boutique than a thrift shop, frankly! 

I highly recommend a look at this op shop if you're in the area - you never know what treasures you may unearth!

Find Vinnies Eagle Junction

281 Junction Road, Eagle Junction QLD 4011

Open Mon - Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sat 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sun Closed
 

City of Blinding Lights

This year's Brisbane Festival ended with a bang last night with Riverfire. It's an annual fireworks spectacular coupled with an aerial display that Brisbanites love.

I didn't go - I never have, as battling a crowd of 500,000 is not my idea of a good Saturday night, nor fighting people for a good viewing spot on Kangaroo Point. However, this year I did have a hankering to see the City of Lights laser display.

A few days of nagging later, husband agreed to take me. Conveniently, it was on every night of the Festival and completely and utterly free.

Arriving at Southbank, we were greeted with the dreamy sight of hundreds of strung lanterns lining the boulevard.

We then wandered over to the riverbank to wait for the laser show. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't white lounges set up for seating! These all being occupied, C and I set ourselves up on the grass. I had brought mum's lovely good camera along and I must say, it performed very well considering it was at night, taking photos of lasers projected against water and smoke, and also on AUTO. 

I couldn't resist the opportunity to snap a couple of shots of the Wheel of Brisbane lit up in the darkness. How glorious! I can't imagine riding it at night though. I found daytime terrifying enough!

It was a fun, if short, evening. I never go south of the river any more, so this was a special treat. We even got ice cream on the way home.

And just because, here is the song this post is named after. When it plays in The Devel Wears Prada, just as the heroine arrives in Paris... sigh. My heart beats faster. I have seen it live too. Amazing.

A walk in the sun

Yesterday, feeling a bit sluggish, lethargic and frankly bored, I struck on the fantastic idea of walking across the river on my lunch break. Now, the weather in Brisbane has been FANTASTIC the past few days, (apart from a bit of smoky haze from pre-bushfire season back burning) so I was looking forward to getting some Vitamin D onto my skin from the sun.

I knew that there was a pedestrian footbridge built across the river a while ago, but was very vague on where it was. Google Maps to the rescue! I figured out it began at Tank St and goes across to GOMA. It’s called the Kurilpa Bridge and turns out it’s just two blocks from my work.

I took a few photos as I went, as I rarely get a chance to see Brisbane from the middle of the river. I only had half an hour, so regretfully I had to turn around at the GOMA end and hot-foot it back to the office. But I think this is something I might indulge in once a week when the weather’s good!