searching for the perfect bit of rock

the other week deb and i went north to a quarry to meet the quarry manager and try and find the perfect rock for our next public art project.

it was a hot day, 40 degrees in the shade when we finally arrived. this is the quarry from above.

while the sun was out we were walking around looking at all the rocks they had already pulled out of the mine (in our professional high vis vests)

we are looking for 2 rocks, one a good round sitting rock, this may be the one...

might be a bit tall but we can dig it in the ground

or could be this one...?

and we are also looking for a large rectangle of rock that we can then split into 2 pieces.

none of these were quite right, as they were the wrong kind of rock. we are looking for black granite and these are green.

but you get the idea. something big about 20 tons of rock!

the quarry manager drove us down into the quarry to look at a bit of rock they just cut out of the ground

it was rare for us to get so close to the action. we were watching in a safe location from inside the ute.

here is deb watching from the ute.

this is what we saw, a large digger with a hook like arm attached to it

that went over and pulled a bit of freshly cut rock away from the edge

a bit more

and then it dropped

you felt the earth shake as it settled in the dirt

and here we are after the excitement measuring up the bit of rock to see if it will fit the brief.

we go back in a week or so to look at the rocks out in the open and if they really are the rocks we have been looking for.