Wednesday 19 December 2012

Crochet Hat

Something has gone wrong with the sizing of my crochet hat. I'm not finished yet and it's already too big for ME and its supposed to be for the Memsahib. I'll just have to turn it into a balaclava. :-)

Friday 7 December 2012

Wentworth Falls

Yesterday we went into the Blue Mountains, specifically 'Wentworth Falls' to see.....well the falls. It was a gloriously warm day and after a very pleasant 2hr train ride we arrive in Wentworth Falls, population 507 we are reliable informed. The walk from the station takes you through bush land and brings you out at yet another dramatic vista.....(I'm almost dramatic vista'd out!).......only joking, how could you get bored of after mile of dramatic scenery and day after day of glorious sunshine :-) We decide on a sedate 2 to 3hr walk along the cliff path to see not only the Wentworth Falls but also the Empress Falls, again very impressive At the end of the walk through the bush we take a stroll (not quite so energetic) through the back streets of the town of Wentworth Falls, picking out which house we woul buy if we were to stay. It really is an ideallic little town. We take the train back home and have a little snooze then go out in Paddington for a steak and beer with no.2 son :-)











Wednesday 5 December 2012

Snorkelling at Clovelly Bay

Another beautiful day today and we decide ( the Memsahib and I ) to go to Clovelly Bay for another try at snorkelling. This is an ideal spot, apparently , for beginners as the bay has been constructed on either side using concrete to give it the impression on an open ended swimming pool. There is a beach at one end with some rocks and the open sea at the other end thus allowing open sea swimming without the waves. There is still some swell but just enough to add some fun to the swim. We entered the sea with our snorkel sets not knowing what to expect, but we were not disappointed. Within minutes we saw lots of fish of all shapes, sizes and colours including a Blue Groper which is a sizeable fish. Several snorkelling sessions followed interspersed with some sunbathing and with each session in the water the Gropers got bigger and bigger until the last one actually took my breath away!! He approached me from out of the murk as I was watching some smaller fish and caught me by surprise then swam right under me flanked by his shoal of followers. I turned and followed him for a little while, feeling not a little unlike Jacques Cousteau, then swam back to tell the Memsahib like an excited school boy :-D

Tuesday 4 December 2012

Road Trip to Jervis Bay

An early start today to pick up a hire car and then journey 3 hrs south to Jervis Bay. The reason for the trip is to see (apparently) the whitest sand in the world and the clearest bluest sea. Unfortunately it's raining and overcast! Still can't be helped, today is the day the car is booked and so off we go. The journey itself is fairly un-eventful and when we arrive at our destination we duly purchase snorkel sets for all and ask directions to the finest snorkelling spot. Instructions issued, we head off to Murrays Bay beach. The weather is starting to pick up but so is the wind. By the time we are ready to enter the sea it is looking quite choppy, but we've just bought the gear so we are going in. Once you've got your shoulders under its not so bad and then we start to look around below the chop. At first sight of a reasonably big fish the Memsahib is squealing down her breathing tube and reaching for me, luckily we are mot deep and I can stand up otherwise she would have drowned me. Methinks that snorkelling is not for her. We drove around the area later in the afternoon looking for Kangaroos, as the guide book promised that they can be seen in this locale. After speaking with some locals we managed to track down the elusive roos at a caravan park in a place called 'Green Batch.' We also saw our first Kookaburra :-) Some sunbathing ensued as the afternoon warmed up, then a pub tea and the journey back up the road.







Sunday 2 December 2012

Didgeridoo

Well, I've been thinking about it for some time now since we arrived in Australia and finally today I made my decision. 'The Rocks' Sunday market was on (being as it is indeed Sunday) and so the Memsahib and I went out for a wander. Coincidentally the Didgeridoo shop is in 'The Rocks' and as we were talking about momentos and gifts from Oz I finally decided that, for me, a Didgeridoo would encapsulate all that is Australia. Having researched the shop and the instrument online for a few days I knew exactly what I was looking for. Within 5 minutes of walking in I was walking out again with my very own piece of Australia and all that it is to be truly Australian. A momento that I can look at and play for years to come (much to the Memsahibs annoyance) :-)

Saturday 1 December 2012

Hot, Hot, Hot, phew!

Temperatures today reached an un-before experienced 36 degrees. We started the day with a trip to Bondi to, finally, get son no.2's medicare insurance completed, at last we have a happy Memsahib. After Bondi we headed to Max Brenner's Chocolate emporium, a coffee shop, if you will, with a chocolatey twist. If Willie Wonka had opened a coffee/chocolate shop this would be it. All chocolated out (for now) we went back to the apartment to recover and prepare to hit the beach. Bronte beach is not as large as Bondi but, I feel, has more character and still has some great surf. Lots of lovely Aussie bodies on display, and not a little cheek!









Fruit Bats

No I'm not talking about the inhabitants of this fitness crazed city but rather the animal:
Yesterday was a hot one and so most of it was spent at the Andrew Charlton pool followed by a barbie and then in the evening we decided to go down to the Botanic gardens to see the 'Fruit Bats' or as they are actually called, Flying Foxes. We saw a notice in the Botanic Gardens advising that the Flying Foxes become active around dusk and so we arrived, not knowing what to expect, around 7pm. The gardens were closed but we stood for a while and sure enough the 'bats' appeared. They look exactly like a bat flying through the night sky but they have a wingspan of about 1 metre. Pleased with our sightings we moved on up through Hyde Park on our way to a famous watering hole called 'Shady Pines'. Along the way more of the Flying Foxes were spotted in the park, also rather strangely for us in these temperatures a Christmas tree. Having found the foxes we now had to find 'Shady Pines'. No.2 son advised us that it was down a lane off Crown St. with no outward signage to guide the weary, thirsty traveler. If you couldn't find it then you probably weren't hip enough to go there. After some perseverance and the welcome intervention of some locals we found ourselves in a lane confronted by a queue of people standing outside, what appeared to be a disused shop front. (Picture to follow). We were easily the most mature people in the queue but we waited and made it into the bar just before our bedtime :-) it was a great bar but incredibly noisy and so after one drink and a bit of people watching we left for home. Another good day in Oz.