November 16. Day 321. The elephant in the room

One of the things I hate most about the political process - and there is a long list of potential contenders - is that there is so little room to see any good in the opposing side.
Oppositions, as the name suggests, are meant to oppose but surely not everything a government - even a dreadful government - does is bad.
Similarly governments are charged with governing but surely that doesn't mean that every policy put up by the other side is inherently dreadful.
A little bit more bipartisanship would go a long way to restoring confidence in the political process.
Which leads me to this elephant.
The five metre, 5.5  tonne bronze sculpture The World Turns by New Zealand artist Michael Parekowhai was this week hoisted into place outside the Gallery of Modern Art at South Bank.
The security fences are still there and installation is obviously not yet complete but I must say it looks  million bucks which is just as well because that's exactly what it cost tax payers.
This, according to the government, was "a ridiculous waste of money". The thing is the government would say that because it was commissioned by the former government and we could never be in the position of acknowledging a good idea from the other side. That's against the political rules.
But like the elephant there is an ability for politicians to turn things on their head when it's convenient.
Slam the sculpture one day, turn up to cut the ribbon to welcome it the next. Read into that what you will.
Yes, the world does indeed turn.

HOW THE ELEPHANT GOT ITS TRUNK

My father loved Rudyard Kipling and the Just So stories were a particular favourite.
We delighted in hearing about the great grey-green greasy Limpopo River all set about with fever-trees.
What child wouldn't be spell bound on hearing of the young elephant so full of questions whose curiosity led him into trouble.
This may explain why I love elephants and don't at all begrudge my share of the tax payers money that went into our new great, big bronze elephant statue on the banks of the Brisbane River (a river that is grey more than green, glassy rather than greasy and set about mainly with mangrove trees).
So in a special post, this is how our elephant got its trunk or at least how it got to be where it is.
These photos were taken on Wednesday afternoon as the great sculpture was being hoisted into place.