From Andrew, Paul and their friend Charlie. This is where we spent it - at Taronga beach.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Ferry to Taronga
On Australia Day we took the ferry to Taronga. Not to visit the zoo, but to try the beach, which I'd hear was nice but overlooked.
Taronga Beach on Australia Day
This is where we were most of the day. It was quiet in the morning then afer luch we were invaded by hundreds of visiting boats.
So Sydney: the coffee boat
This is the epitomy of all that is good about Sydney in summer. Sitting on a remote beach but with great views of the city, along comes a boat selling good coffee and ice cream. He rings his bell and edges between the big boats, selling his coffee. But he also serves landlubbers like us!
Here we are after a swim
All wet. And I tried to get them to smile by telling them to imagine the photogrpaher (Charlie) had his pants down. Hence the pointing.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Monday, January 24, 2005
View from the Observatory, Sydney
It looks a lot better on a sunny day ... but I got sunburnt nevertheless!
Happy birthday to me ...
Went out with Andrew and Paul this Saturday (the 22nd) to celebrate [forget??!!] my 42nd birthday. Ended up down at the Observatory and then walked down to the Rocks where they "treated" me to a traditional English lunch of Cornish pastie and chips in some outdoor cafe. Very nice it was too. And they bought me some Maltesers.
You are being watched
Andrew and Paul with their 3D glasses at the Observatory, Sydney, 22 January 2005.
Another busy day in the office
The girls looking at Lara's wedding photos in Italy. Lara (back to camera) is a new reporter who has worked in Darwin and for the BBC. Also pictured here are Kate W0ods (clinical reporter) and Dr Linda Calabres1 (medical editor and soon to be deputy editor), as well as Edwina L1ght, politcal news editor - who has just given up smoking.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Bronte surf
Andrew and Paul in the surf at the south end of Bronte beach - just down from Bondi and much more suitable for kids.
Monday, January 10, 2005
Country scenes around Rylestone
Once you get over the Blue Mountains you enter the rolling hills of the central west of NSW. This is a view of the road heading out towards our campsite from the little country town of Rylestone (there's another Rylestone in the Yorkshire Dales).
A lonely level crossing on a quiet section of track, presumably heading out towards the wine growing area of Mudgee.
Countryside near Rylestone #2
Driving to the campsite at Dunn's Swamp we saw these sheep sheltering from the sun under this tree. Typical country scene.
Country views #3
This is the kind of paddock country you see around Rylestone, on the other side of the Blue Mountains. See the sheep don't like being out in the sun again!
Megalong Lookout
Me and Paul at Hargreaves lookout, over the Megalong valley - the only valley in the Blue Mountains where the bush has been cleared for farming.
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Andrew goes abseiling
At the campsite Andrew made a friend called Riordan, whose grandad was a scout leader. And they were practising abseling off some of the rocks. So Andrew wanted to do it too. No fear!
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Our New year camping trip ...
Was to Dunn's Swamp, which is actually a very nice lake out in the rolling country near Mudgee, as you will see from the following pics .
New Year's Eve Campfire
I think the main reason they like to go camping is so they can have a fire ... and throw stuff on it.
Lucky there was no fire ban this year!
Dunns Swamp - paradise for $3 a night.
It sounds like an awful dump, but as you can see it is a really cool place - reminded me of Burton Constable! Canoeing, swimming, nice scenery (but no stately home).
It's about 200 miles west of Sydney, right over the Blue Mountains and set in the farming country beyond. Felt like we were miles from anywhere - because we were.
Hello campers!
This is our other campsite, under the nice shady rocks at Dunn's Swamp. Small tent for me, bnig one for the lads.
The long and not so winding road ...
The way in and out of Perry's Lookdown campsite in the Blue Mountains.
Have jeep will travel ...
We didn't really need a 4WD to get here, but you feelmore confident going down these dirt tracks - especially if it rains. And its a good excuse to get the car looking dirty like a real 4WD!
At Perry's Lookdown again.
Dejeuner sur l'herbe
Or eating outside as they say in Aus. This is the very convenient table at the campsite at Perry's lookdown in the Blue Mountains where we stopped to break the journey to the lake at New Year. Note the Beano annual again! (And the sophisticated cuisine - noodles a la pot.)
Paul reading his Beano annual
He sat up with his torch reading this for ages! Useful Christmas present - kept him occupied for hours.
Blue Mountains - Perry's Lookdown
This is the view from our campsite at Perry's lookdown, into the Grose Valley. It's a tiny site, perched on the edge of the cliffs and you have to get there early to grab a place. We were lucky.
Can you see any Blue? As Paul said to me: Dad - can you take us to the blue bits of the Blue Mountains?""
Palm Beach - the posh end
Spent Boxing Day down here hanging out doing not much but eat ice cream and put money in the parking meter. No shops! Lucky I took some chicken sandwiches.
And here's one I caught earlier ...
Like I said further down, we managed to catch these relative tiddlers using a bit off my chicken sandwich!
I caught the first one off the rock at Barrenjoey after about a minute. It took me an hour to repeat that success - well Andrew caught it, I just stuck the bait on etc (and got sunburnt).
Barrenjoey Beware of Bluebottles
That means the stinging jellyfish, not the flies (which were bad as well).
Note also the moslem woman bathing in full veil behind us!
Barrenjoey on Boxing Day
This is where we went on Boxing Day, to hang out with the celebs and do a bit of fishing. It's the northernmost beach in Sydney - hence the lighthouse. And a long drag in the car from Strathfield - almost an hour.
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Paul in the pool
This is Paul at our local [outdoor] pool, Ashfield, in the run up to Christmas. It was a lovely sunny day as you can see and they pestered me succesfully to buy them both a "noodle" to float on.
Hooray for Christmas pressies
Well here they are - the Christmas pics for 2004. Here are two very happy boys on Christmas Eve - "Can we open one now dad?"
Yes - I let him open the banana.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
New year under the stars
Happy New Year to you. I don't know where you spent yours, but me and the lads were at Dunns Swamp, way out in the bush in central NSW, beyond the Blue Mountains. Don't be fooled by the name, this is a seriously beautiful piece of the country - just see the photo.
At midnight last night I was sat by my tent, clutching a glass of champagne and gazing up at the constellations like Orion, peeping through the clear night skies between the gum trees next to the lake. The only sounds were the frogs and the lapping of the water. Lovely.
Chatted to our camping neighbours, a couple who were from Manchester and Sydney [and who supplied the champagne]. And then retired to the sleeping bag after a strenuous day of canoeing, liloing, abseiling [yes] and cooking up delicacies like Irish stew out of a tin!
More in depth news later, when I get my own photos developed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
