NOW here’s a good bit of lateral thinking on Twitter by David Norman.
He suggests mayor Darryn Lyons try to get Channel 9’s The Block reno TV blockbuster interested in Geelong and specifically, the city’s permanent eyesore, The Ritz.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy picked up on the idea quick smart, tweeting: “Good idea. Geelong would be a great location for the next Block.”
Geelong Block winner Sophie Vines told Double Take the idea would probably delight Channel 9, especially given The Ritz’s heritage status and cracked southern wall.
“They love anything that makes it harder for contestants,” she said.
Only one problem, it seems — the Ritz is back on the market for between $3 million and $7 million.
This figure might be a stretch, even for a rates-topping TV spectacular.
Especially when you consider the eminently-more renovatable T&G Building, in the city centre, just sold for a reported $2.9 million.
………
Thanks for nothing, said a peeved CBD motorist after run-in with officious parking-meter protocol.
After parking she found the nearest meter out of order. Wanting to avoid a fine, she dialled a number on the meter to tell City Hall.
“You’ll have the find another one and get a ticket from that,” she was told.
And no receipt number was forthcoming to avoid a fine in the meantime.
“I pay for a phone call to tell these guys they’re losing money and don’t get even half an hour free parking,” she groused to Double Take.
“Then they make all this big deal about free parking when they’ve jacked the rates up to $2.50 an hour at other times. I’m off to Waurn Ponds.”
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Two Surf Coast watermen are preparing to tackle “the Everest of kayaking” – paddling around polar South Georgia Island in the far-flung reaches of the icy ocean below the southern tip of South America.
Jan Juc’s John Jacoby and Anglesea’s Chris Porter will join two other paddlers, from Perth and America, on the epic trip, beginning in early February.
Already in the planning stages for months, the boys will send their kayaks and 100kg of other gear to Melbourne on Monday for transport by sea to the snow-covered island.
All up, 18 months of preparations will go into two or three weeks of paddling, they estimate.
“The paddling will actually be the easier part!”
Don’t forget to send a postcard, guys.
