Blue Mountains - October 2008

After my folks had headed slightly further north and we had been back to Sydney, the following weekend it was time to meet up again. This time in the Blue Mountains.

The Blue Mountains are about an hour west of Sydney. It is essentially a large Sandstone plataeu, covered in native eucalypt bush. The eucalyptus trees, when the temperature rises give of vapour. This vapour causes the dispersion of the visible blue spectrum of the light more than the others so it gives the impression of a blue haze.

Anyway, my parents had rented a lovely little cottage in a village called Leura. The village is just down the road from the main civilisation of Katoomba.

The main attractions in the Blue Mountains is the scenery. And one of the most famous scenes of all is the Three Sisters. This is literally at the edge of Katommba. Three sandstone pillars, allegedly sisters in aboriginal folk lore, standing over looking the valley. I think the story continues along the lines of a wedding or something but I am not really sure. Personally I think the view from one of the other lookouts is much more impressive. I can;t remember the name of it right now, which is useful, but if I do I will update. Anyway, the view is just so much bigger. Wider expanse of the enourmous sandstone bush covered chasm. Amazing.

The Sunday was spent on the Zig Zag Railway. The Zig Zag Railway is an old section of track, in a zig-zag formation. It was once part of the main railway line out of Sydney heading West. The Blue Mountains were in the way, and seeing as they couldn't tunnel through them they had to up and down them. The zig-zag was built to lessen the gradient on the western side. On each leg of the trip down the zig-zag, the engine has to disconnect from the train, run round to the front (or back) and reconnect, pulling the train on the next downward leg. Make sense? It was quite a clever way of getting down a steep hill in a train. It is operated today by enthusiasts, and they mainly run old steam engines. I love the smell of the steam and coal and hot oil. Reminds me of days at Dorridge station when the special steam trains used to visit.

It was an interesting run, although a little short.

Then it was back to Sydney as my folks carried on down the coast to Kiama and the blowhole.

30

I am now 30!!! Doesn't time fly when you are having fun!?! And to have made it here in one piece - amazing!!! Hehe.

Parental Visit - October 2008

My parents are here to visit me!!! They landed on 4th October at Sydney airport after a stop over in Singapore. A little weary Rachel and myself met them at the airport (just - we got lost on the way) and whisked them off to our flat where they would stay for the first week.

I had the week off work so I could show them the sights of the city. We went to the Zoo and saw some antipodean wildlife (including a baby koala), Watsons Bay for the views of the city and the harbour and National Park for a spot of beach action and bush (countryside) viewing.

It was a very relaxing week. And it was finished off by a weekend trip to the Hunter Valley. The Hunter Valley is, believe it or not a valley for the Hunter River. Who'd have thought. Anyway, the important thing is that due to the soils and the climate it is a very good area for growing grapes that make wine. Excellent.

After a couple of hours drive north we navigated our way through the wineries and vineyards and found our cabin for the weekend. We were staying in a little self catering place in amongst the wineries. BBQ cooking for tea every day - it was fab.

The Saturday was the wine day. Dad kindly offered to be the taxi and Rachel, mum and myself set about tasting the wines. It was good fun and interesting. One of the Vinyards exported 70% of the wine it made to Tesco in the UK. would you believe it. You come all this way and Tesco down the road could have sold you the same wine at probably half the price. Never mind. The tour of the winery was very interesting and insightful.

At the end of the day we had navigated round several vineyards, bought (Rach and I) 18 bottles of wine, tried many more and joined a wine club. Some of the wine was fantastic. Really fantastic.

The Sunday was spent at the Hunter Valley Gardens. Then it was back to the cabin for a BBQ before Rach and I headed back to Sydney. the parents stayed Sunday night then headed slightly further north to the coast for a relaxing few days and some dolphin watching.

A Night at the Opera

Rach's Dad and his girlfriend (Carleena) came to stay for the weekend. We thought it would be a good opportunity to catch a show at the Opera House. We went and saw a show called VAMP! It was a one woman show, with Meow Meow playing Vamp, and supported by a jazz/rag band.

Now would be the bit where I tell you what it is all about. However, I have no idea. It was based on some of the works/thoughts/stories of Oscar Wilde. So it had a Femme Fatale character who swung from the ceiling and danced around in various states of undress, and that was about it really...

It was good, donlt get me wrong. Meow Meow (stupid name if you ask me) was certainly talented and good at what she did and the audience were certianly engaged. Although Rach's dad and Carleena did fall asleep part way through.

Would I go again? To the Opera House - yes. To see Meow Meow - probably not.

Cockatoo Island - August 08

Cockatoo Island is the largest island within Sydney Harbour. It is located on the inland side of the bridge, a short ferry ride from Circular Quay in the centre of town. It was formerly a prison and most recently it was the site of one of Australia's biggest shipyards but that closed down in 1992. Now it is a derelict mass of dock yard buildings and cranes. The ideal place for an art exhibition then, obviously.

So on a stunning Sydney winters day (wall to wall blue sky, not a cloud in site) we hopped on a ferry and cruised across to the island to have a look at the wonderful art.

The sign says it all really...

Hmmmm, most of it I have to say was a big pile of crap. Maybe I am just not quite as in touch with my arty side as I think, but I seemed to get bored very quickly indeed. The exhibits were spread out in different rooms across the island. The favoured medium seemed to be film. OK so there were some things that were quite good but on the whole it was pretty rubbish.

It was good however to have a picnic, and some wine, in the sun, in the middle of the harbour. And the island itself, with the remnants of the ship building days was pretty impressive.


All in all a nice day out.

Zoo

My work has a free pass to Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Amazing place of real estate on the North Shore giving the animals a view of one of the best city scapes in the world.

But i wasn't there for the view. I was there to see possibly THE coolest animal in the world - a Koala!!!

Not So Summer Bay

It was the long weekend to celebrate the Queens birthday (ironic??? - i wonder will happen if Australia leaves the Commonwealth. There is already an Australia Day and i can hardly see them removing a public holiday from the masses) so we made use of the new motor to head north to 'Summer Bay'.

Actually the place we were headed was Palm Beach in the north of the northern suburbs of Sydney at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River. Its the setting for the fictional town of Summer Bay in Home and Away. Unfortunately, with rain and a slight chill in the air, Summer Bay was far from summery. Ah well. Fun was still to be had.

The 'Bay' is actually a spit of land with a Pacific Ocean beach on one side and a sheltered inlet/harbour beach on the other. It is actually a beautiful place. the sheltered waters of the Hawkesbury River are just stunning.

Even though the weather was not ideal we did manage to climb 'Stewart Point' to the lighthouse. From there we could see Palm Beach in all its glory. It didn't last long however as the rain soon came in.

After a quick stop at the surf club (and really lame touristy photos - but i guess it has to be done) it was back to the warmth of the accommodation to dry out and sort dinner.

Sadly we didn't bump into Alf, or any flamin galahs for that matter. There were a few hoons though.

Foo Fighters - 3rd May 2008

Amazing. Best gig I have ever been too. The Foo Fighters came to town on the world tour for their new album Echos, Silence, Patient, Grace. After missing out on tickets a quick scout of eBay got me some general admission tickets for the saturday night.

To say I was excited was an understatement. And a little bit of research found us the best place to stand. Off we went to the Acer Arena in Sydney Olympic Park.

It was awesome. It absolutely rocked. Kicking off with Let It Die and going straight into The Pretender. Amazing. It was a mix of old school with new school. It was crazy to think that some of the songs they played like Alone + Easy Target and Big Me are 13 years old!!! Some of the crowd were young, very young when these songs came out. Not sure whether to feel amazed or gutted at the realisation of how old I am! Anyway, after a rockin start it was brought back many levels to an acoustic set on the secondary stage. Thats where we were. It was amazing. And finished off with, in my opinion, the best song ever written. Everlong rocked. Totally rocked. But with Dave Grohl saying 'I'm not done yet!' you know its gonna be big! Monkey Wrench and All My Life followed before the break. Epic!!!

After a comedy interlude with a video of Dave and Taylor 'discussing' how many encore songs would be performed, back they came. And it rocked. Finishing on the Best Of You it was just amazing. The highlights? Well all of it. But the stand outs were Everlong, with Dave doing a solo effort until the last verse, Taylors drum solo on Stacked Actors, it was simply insane, and then there was the old school Alone + Easy Target, but the highlight I think was Hey! Jonny Park in the encore. Never expected that. Amazing!

Best gig i have ever been to.

The Foo Fighters rock!!! Fact!

Blue Mountains - Work not Play

Just had a week in the Blue Mountains with work. Its a toughy but someone has to do it I guess...haha.

Those Wonderful Men In Their Flying Machines...Red Bull Flugtag

Crazy madness gripped Sydney as the Red Bull flugtag came to town. Man made, man powered flying machines of all shapes and sizes (seriously, when I say all shapes I mean all shapes - from hot dogs, to hang gliders, flip-flops to rockets) flung themselves of a 6m high ramp into the waters of Sydney Harbour.

Its a simple concept really. You design a flying machine and then drag it to the top of the ramp. do a little performance to please the crowd and the judges then see how far you can fly.

The Dragon from the Neverending Story (whatever his name is) did quite well.

Plans are already in the works for taking it on next year!!!

Road Runner on his famous ACME rocket was a complete failure.

Mr Bean also failed spectacularly!!! Minis can't fly - who'd have thought...

The Melbourne Grand Prix

This weekend it was the start of the 2008 Formula 1 Season. Rachel and myself headed down to meet up with Stu and catch some of the action.

We flew into Avalon airport which is basically in Geelong not Melbourne, but Stu came to pick us up in his mean machine and we were soon having a guided tour of the streets of Melbourne in the dark. Then it was off out to grab a few beers and plan our day at Albert Park.

Melbourne was hot. Very hot. The mercury had been pushing 40 degrees C for a few days down here and today was fairly similar. We had tickets for the qualifying day. It also had V8 super car racing, and some other racing and shows including stunt motorbikes, classic car racing and aerial displays. We found a suitable spot and kicked back to watch the action. The noise of racing cars zooming round the track is pretty loud. The noise of an F1 car gunning round at full pelt is something else. High pitched, ear shattering noise. Ear plugs were definitely required.

There was actually very little drama. I thought the lack of traction control would throw in a few fun and games. Kimi suffered a fuel problem which put him down the grid and Lewis was pressured by the BMW's but all went to plan and Lewis got his pole.

Mark Webber being chased by some crappy driver called Lewis...

The F1 cars were very very cool. But i have to say, perhaps the coolest thing was the display put on by the F18 Hornets of the RAAF. Truly, truly phenomenal machines. Saying that though, seeing the F1 cars heading into the corners at breakneck speed is awesome. It really is lost on TV. To fully appreciate it, and I guess to see why the drivers earn the big bucks, you have to see it live and in the flesh. It's just incredible.

Anyway, after a day in the sun it was off to find a bar and to sip some cold beers. They actually serve pints in Melbourne which is nice. Schooners are the order of the day in Sydney, grrrr. The bar we went to was on the river opposite Flinders Street Station (the old orange building you see lots of photos of). They had a pretty cool folky acoustic band playing so it was nice to chill out and relax. Then it was back to Stu's house, grab a shower and head out for some food.

Rachel wasn't feeling to good (too much beer in the sun I think) so she headed home early and me and Stu headed into town to meet up with his housemates for a few more beers. We ended up in a very random bar on a roof top. It was decked out like a quaint little cottage garden with AstroTurf grass throughout and garden chairs. Very odd. But cool. Then it was back towards Stu's house, stopping at a bar or two en route.

Sunday we headed into town and got the free tourist tram round the CBD. A quick stop at the markets, which were dead, and we headed to St Kilda for a beer and to watch the race. It was hot. Very hot. The most noticeable thing was the fact that the wind was also hot. Pretty gross. But it was at least a dry heat, not the mugginess you get in Sydney.

Weeeeeeeeeell Done!!! Rach and Stu looking, errrr, hot???

It was a fab weekend. Melbourne is an amazing city. And although we were only there briefly, it was a brilliant time. Definitely having a return trip sometime and DEFINITELY going back to see the F1. Awesome. Truly awesome.

The House

So we have moved into the new house last Monday. Its a 2 bedroom, second floor flat in Edgecliff. Wooden floors throughout, a tasteful (???) bathroom and a bling kitchen with stainless steel gas appliances. Heaven. It also has a super sunny balcony out the front with glimpses of the city skyline.

After a couple of trips to Ikea and other furniture outlets, as well as begging and scrounging furniture of friends and work mates we are well on the way to getting back to something of a normal life.

There have been a couple of dramas though. Being locked out TWICE, and the electrics being a little dodgy. Oh and there is also the ongoing battle with the former landlord. Hopefully this will all be resolved soon enough and the idiot will get his just deserves I am sure.

New House

A new house has been found. A funky little two bed flat in Edgecliff!!! Such a relief the hunt is over. Now the drama is to furnish it!!!

Move in Monday....Photos to follow!!!

Eviction

Rachel and I have been asked ot move out of our current house. We live in Bondi, on Ocean Street in a shared property. One chap holds the lease and we sub-let off him. It is a nice place. Situated halfway between the beach and the main transport hub. Ideal.

Trouble is the guy we rent from, Nick, is a complete and utter dickhead!!! Racist, aggressive, untrustworthy to name but a few of his outstanding qualities. He has given us 2 weeks notice. We were looking to move anyway, but now the pressure is on. There is a rental crisis in Sydney, well the desirable eastern suburbs anyway. We are struggling to find a place. Its a bit of a bugger. But at least we will be away from the most idiotic man i have ever met.

Wheteher we get out bond back will be a totally different matter. We shall see. So, if anyone knows of a room to rent or a house to rent in Sydney let me know. Oh and also, if anyone knows what a 'life coach' is i would be interested to hear. Thats what said dickhead does for a 'living'. Hmmmmm.....

New Year - Sydney 07/08!!!

After the Christmas shenanigans Kate joined the party from over in Auckland. Grand plans were afoot to see all kinds of wonderful things in and around Sydney. However it seemed that the drinking got in the way a little and most of the time was spent in a hungover haze.

We did however manage to go to the beach, swim in the surf (me and Stu anyway as Rach and Kate were too scared) and get stung by jellyfish (Rach and Kate did but me and Stu escaped - probably because we were swimming, not fannying around in the shallows), and visit the city centre for views of the opera house and the bridge. Both still absolutely amaze me. I don't think I would ever get bored of seeing them. The bridge is huge and the opera house is just stunning.

The plans for new year were to go to Mrs Macquaries Park and watch the fireworks over the harbour. Lots of people had recommended it. And we were advised to go early. Also there was a minor draw back in that no alcohol was allowed to be taken into the park site. However after an ingenious suggestion from Stu, we managed to sneak a couple of bottles of 'water' into the site with our picnic along with a vodka fuelled water melon.

All the best laid plans go to waste, and true to form the early start somehow evaded us once again. Nothing to do with the night before of course!!!! Anyway, we reached the park and were dismayed by the ENORMOUS queue of people that were waiting to go in. Hundreds of them. And thoughts of missing out completely were running through our minds. However there was no need to panic. We joined the back of the line and set about entertaining ourselves as we waited. An hour later and after several lame eye spy games we successfully negotiated the bag searches for booze and we were in. We just had to find a spot in the park now. There were about 9,000 people in the park when we got in, with a total reported capacity of 22,000. Not sure where they would all go as it was already pretty busy with the best viewing spots gone.

We set up camp (on the third attempt having changed our minds previous - grrrr) beneath a big tree to give us some shade. Much needed shade. It was a blazing sunny day.

We unpacked the food, ate a little, played a few games and drank. The bars opened at 3pm and wine and beer was the order of the day, along with our 'water' we smuggled in that tasted remarkably like gin. Hmmmmm, weird. Anyway, we ate, drank and became merry.

There was a 9pm family firework show. Then the main event at midnight. We needed to find a good spot so we could see the bridge which was to be the focal point of the fireworks display. We loaded up with rations (wine) and set out to commandeer a position much to the disgust of a few other people who had apparently come to Australia just for the fireworks and were not going to have us ruin it for them. Claiming complete ignorance and ignoring them seemed to do the trick and as the count down to midnight began all seemed forgotten. A big illuminated egg timer on the bridge let the masses know 2008 was upon us.

And WOW!!! What a show!!! I have never seen fireworks quite like it. This is how to spend 1 million dollars in 12 minutes in perhaps the most spectacular way possible. It was truly, truly amazing. And the white water fall from the bridge was just incredible.

It was then back to our picnic spot to attempt to drunkenly text everyone in my phone book happy new year from Sydney. Most apparently didn't work, thankfully for the sake of my phone bill, but i did end up ringing a few folk. Well done me!!!!

Then it was time to pack up and make our way back home to bed. What a fab new year it was.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

Christmas in Sydney

Being on this side of the world it was to be another orphan christmas. My third now. This time I was joined by Rachel and Stu (who was up from Melbourne).

Stu's arrival marked the start of the christmas holiday proper. Fun and frolics were the name of the game and all the best laid plans seemed to end up in a bar drinking either beer or gin. NO biggy really. Haha. We had trips the Manly, the Powerhouse museum (rubbish don't bother going), Bondi, Coogee, the coastal walk and also several trips to the bottle shop (yikes thats very Oz of me, I mean the offie) and which ever pub was nearest.

It was a fab time. And most days included a beach trip or two. And on more than one occasion the surf was, errrrr, big. Still within my comfort zone but I sure would not have liked to be a life guard.

Anyway, on with christmas. After a mammoth trip to get booze and food we were set. It was to be a roast chicken (turkeys were somewhat rare in this neck of the woods) with all the trimmings. Rachel wanted yorkshire puddings (random) and we tried to convince her it was a beef thing but she was having none of it. But then what would she know being a kiwi and all.

So it kicked off with christmas eve. Drinks and then a few more and a few more. Bed by sometime or other in the early hours. Drunk. For a change. Because (this bit is for my mum) i never get drunk see.

Slightly worse for wear christmas morning was upon us. Present present every where. But first things first. Champagne was opened and bacon buttied were cooked on the BBQ. Then it was present time. Woohoo!!!! Thanks to everyone for the cards and prezzies by the way.

Then, sporting a fab Fat Willies vest from my parents it was on with the drinking. Nick and Nikki (house mates) went off for food at a mates house and Stu and myself set about prepping our food while Rach set about pickling her liver with gin. It was food all the way, intermingled with highly intelligent games of scrabble and draughts and card and drink your drink and all manner of silly games. Sadly the weather deserted us on christmas day. It was cloudly. Grrrrr. We decided to pass on the beach, and chilled in the back garden.

Dinner time. Drink time. Food was fab, even if I do say so myself. But sadly the yorkies were rubbish. I blame the oven. Anyway. It was a fab day. Totally fab.

Boxing day gave us the sun that had deserted us the day before. It was off to watch the start of the Sydeny to Hobart boat race at the Gap, a look out that is notorious for suicides as the shear cliffs make a great jump spot, and then onto the pub at Watsons Bay for a sunset view over the city before a dip in the surf at Bondi. Fab day.

Things were however going to get even more messy.... Kate was arriving from NZ to see in the New Year Sydeny style. Bring it on!!!!