Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Wagga and Gobba

Tokyo Sexwale has recently spent a very pleasant couple of weeks in Wagga Wagga, Australia. A number of the locals’ habits confused the Sex Whale (I am not criticizing here; Tokyo Sexwale appreciates the diversity of human endeavor). If the town is commonly referred to as ‘Wagga’, why not make it official? Who needs the second ‘Wagga’? A similar situation pertains to the Gobbagombalin Bridge, commonly called the Gobba Bridge. Now, Gobbagombalin is a beautiful and evocative word, but Tokyo Sexwale does not have time for such frivolities. Gobba would surely suffice.

Wagga is justifiably famous for its native sons Captain Moonlite and Mad Dog Morgan (pictured above).

Tokyo Sexwale spent the majority of his time around the commercial and recreational grid bounded by Best and Tarcutta Streets and the Murrumbidgee River and the Sturt Highway. Your Sex Whale was comfortably billeted at the Victoria Hotel. The Victoria Hotel is home to the Baylis Street Bistro, which has such an extensive menu that the Sex Whale had difficulty choosing between fresh fish, roast dinners, juicy steaks and creamy pastas.








George Forsyth, first mayor of Wagga Wagga

Tokyo Sexwale was alarmed to learn that Wagga is located in an alluvial valley and that much of the city has a problem with urban salinity. Perhaps one of my many, many companies has technology that could help to alleviate this problem.
Tokyo Sexwale was delighted to learn about the ‘5 o'clock Wave’, which arrives at precisely that time in the form of a giant wave which flushes a secret nutrient into the Murrumbidgee River following the release of water from the Blowering and Burrinjuck Dams. Your Sex Whale rode this exciting wave downriver at high speed all the way to the town of Narrandera.


Charles Sturt, the first European explorer to visit the future site of the city








Poet and journalist Dame Mary Jean Gilmore