the day RiverWalk died (version 2)

A short, short time ago,
I can still remember,
The RiverWalk I used to ride,
And If I had just once more chance,
I have it secured right to the banks,
Not let it float away on Brisbane's tide.

But February made me shiver,
The budget cuts "Can-do" delivered,
Bad news on the internets,
I couldn't take one more step.

I do remember that I cried,
During "we breed them tough" by Anna Bligh,
But something touched the bike I ride,
The day RiverWalk died.

So bye, bye RiverWalk on the tide,
Gettin’ heavy on flood levy,
But we all can see why.
I can't stop Northern Link but I am willing to try....
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie,
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie...

Did you read from the library,
And do you have faith in democracy,
If Tony Jones tells you so?
Do you believe in paying tolls,
Would you drive down through Campbell’s hole,
though grants & books & parks all had to go?

Well, I know that you’ll all vote for him
`cause I saw the Galaxy polling.
Eighty two percent support.
Who would have ever thought?

I was a daring, maverick cycling buck,
Until run down by a seven tonne truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day RiverWalk died

I started singin,
Bye, bye RiverWalk on the tide,
Gettin’ heavy on flood levy,
But we all can see why,
I can't stop Northern Link but I am willing to try....
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie,
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie...

For seven years Campbell’s been the Mayor,
And initially, we did not care,
while Labor had a majority.
but when we elected Can-do’s team,
His tunnel vision that had been a dream
became my nightmare, in reality.

Oh, with Labor in a minority,
Quirky became the Deputy.
The Council was now stacked,
No democracy in fact.
After Marr wrote an essay on KRudd,
Brisbane drowned in the ‘11 flood,
And Kevin laboured in the mud,
The day the RiverWalk died.

We were singin,
So bye, bye RiverWalk on the tide,
Gettin’ heavy on flood levy,
But we all can see why,
I can't stop Northern Link but I am willing to try....
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie,
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie...

On a mission for a tunnel vision.
Colin Jensen made the decision,
and now he is the CEO.
Colin landed on his feet.
Graham Quirk would take the heat,
With Quirky texting tactics from his phone.

Now the Council budget belly flopped,
Parks, library books & grants were stopped.
We all got on our bikes,
Oh, but there was nowhere to ride!
`cause the motorists all took to the road;
The cash was spent & money was owed
Do you recall the banks overflowed
The day RiverWalk died?

We started singing,
So bye, bye RiverWalk on the tide,
Gettin’ heavy on flood levy,
But we all can see why,
I can't stop Northern Link but I am willing to try....
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie,
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie...

Oh, and there we were all in the mud,
A city drowned by another flood,
With no time left to build again.
So come on: Ray be dexterous, take this on!
Will Ray Smith lobby Fraser & Swan,
Cause Labor paid for this tunnel in the end.

Oh, as I watched RiverCity go broke,
Clem7 gave me a little hope,
No accountant with an ace,
Could make that business case.
And as the Lord Mayor kept on writing checks
the boy sat on the burning deck,
I saw a Legacy of Debt,
The day RiverWalk died

He was singing,
bye, bye RiverWalk on the tide,
Gettin' heavy on flood levy,
But we all can see why,
I can't stop Northern Link but I am willing to try....
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie,
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie...

I met a girl who was clumsy
And she paid my flood levy for me,
It went towards world toilets anyway.
I went down to the riverside,
Along the banks I used to ride,
But the RiverWalk was still washed away.

And in Parliament: the members screamed,
The cyclists cried, and the Campbell schemed.
But not a cent was given;
The bikes could not be ridden.
And the three for whom my heart is torn:
Wifey, child and one unborn,
They woke to noise from dusk to dawn,
The day RiverWalk died.

And they were singing,
So bye, bye RiverWalk on the tide,
Gettin' heavy on flood levy,
But we all can see why,
I can't stop Northern Link but I am willing to try....
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie,
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie...

They were singing,
bye, bye RiverWalk on the tide,
Gettin' heavy on flood levy,
But we all can see why,
I can't stop Northern Link but I am willing to try....
In front of the bulldozers, I will lie,

the day RiverWalk died

A short, short time ago,
I can still remember,
The RiverWalk I used to ride,
And If I had just once more chance,
I have it secured to the banks,
Not let it float away on Brisbane's tide.

But February made me shiver,
The budget cuts "Can-do" delivered,
Bad news on the internets,
I couldn't take one more step.

I do remember that I cried,
During "we breed them tough" by Anna Bligh,
But something touched the bike I ride,
The day RiverWalk died.

So bye, bye RiverWalk on the tide,
Getting heavy on flood levy,
But we all can see why,
I can't stop Northern Link but I am willing to try....
In front of bulldozers, I will lie,
In front of bulldozers, I will lie...

.....to be continued...........

(Water) boy meets girl (Clumsy)

The 22 March is World Water Day.

How shall we celebrate?

It strikes me that this blog post is a cry for help. Professional help.

Over the years, I have done some very silly things...in the name of toilet advocacy with mixed success. Most of my efforts have involved attention seeking behaviour.

In 2006, I shaved my head and auctioned the space on ebay for advertising.

The ad went on display at an amateur rowing crew at a corporate rowing regatta. On this occasion I got to meet the Lord Mayor and the lovely Lord Mayoress. I am trying to recall why I was dressed as a Red Moose. Something to do with the name of the rowing crew.



The 2008 toilet team organised a 100 toilet art exhibition featuring Bob McMullen. The original idea was to decorate the old, high flush volume toilets being torn out all over the city, during an unprecedented 7 year drought.

Somehow, along the way Caroma gave us 100 brand new toilets. We recruited various artisans and designers from around Brisbane to decorated the toilets. Councilor David Hinchliffe painted a lovely willow pattern on his toilet. I remember vaguely collecting a lot of toilets on my bicycle and spending $2.5k on freight. One of us (who shall remain nameless) completely failed to organise an online auction and the toilets sat for a few months in Sof's garage.

In 2009, I celebrated World Toilet Day in solitude, fasting, praying in King George Square, whilst contemplating the climate negotiations that were happening at COP15 in Copenhagen.


























In 2010, we organised a "Where would you hide?" for World Toilet Day. Followed by a QnA forum on "sanitation", with mixed success.

More recently, I accepted @GirlClumsy's offer to pay my flood levee for me.

For the few people who may not know, GirlClumsy is a professional Journalist. Writer. Traveller. Improviser. Actor. Reviewer. Incredible klutz.

Perhaps she can provide some professionalism or some pole dancing talent.