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Showing posts from June 21, 2015

Getting Sassy: Topless in Tasmania

It didn't take long for Mona's Dark Mofo Winter Festival to cement its spot on the Australian cultural calendar.  In the space of just three years, Tasmanians - and indeed mainland Australians and international visitors alike - have come to embrace awe-inspiring light installations probing Hobart's clear night skies, fire and music spectaculars, Balinese ogoh ogohs, theatre, art, food, wine and nude swimming ... .   Yes, that's swimming - wearing not so much as a stitch, let alone a wet-suit - in the River Derwent's icy waters for the Winter Solstice Nude Swim!  This year's water temperature was a manhood- (and ego-) shriveling 11 degrees Celsius, rivaled in bone-chilling potential only by the air temperature that was hovering around one degree C!     The UMPHs aren't quite brave or, more accurately, mad enough to nude-up for the swim.  Neither are She of the Scarlet Scarf and her Platonic friend who's a boy but isn't her boyfriend.  UMPH did man