Tag: Sydney

Coffee Catch-Up # 33

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If we were having coffee I would tell you I can’t believe there is only one more week of summer. This year is going by so fast. Since our last coffee catch-up life has been very busy. It’s lucky that I have begun living a life of semi-retirement as I haven’t had time to work. One thing I have made time for on most days has been an enjoyable cappacino.

If we were having coffee tell you that on Australia Day this year it was 40 years since I started training as a psychiatric nurse. Back in 1981 the stigma attached to people suffering with mental illness was huge and many were too scared to seek help. Fast forward 40 years and with each decade, discussions about mental health have improved greatly. Now there are many options for treatment. One of the things that I am grateful for in Australia over the pandemic is mental health issues have been discussed openly and been at the centre of all government policy and decisions.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about travelling to Tweed Heads for a family wedding at the end January. The wedding itself was on the headland on the New South Wales and Queensland border. (on the New South Wales side.) It was set up so if there was still a problem with the Queensland border closures all guests could get to the wedding. The only problem was that to drive to the wedding site, we had to drive into Queensland and back into New South Wales. This was initially a problem to us as 3 of our 4 members were banned from entering Queensland due to having been in Sydney in the last 14 days. We worked out that we could walk if necessary but fortunately on the day of the wedding the borders opened up to all. So the problem was averted.

From our room in the resort, you could see the border barricades and despite the hotel being in New South Wales it ran on Queensland time. This was very confusing as our clocks would move forwards and backwards an hour depending on where in the motel we were. The front of the hotel also had dividing sections telling us which parts were in NSW and parts QLD. It was very weird for 3 days being able to see Queensland and yet not cross the road into it. On the day the barricades came down it was fun to watch the news being made from our motel room and to drive into Queensland because we could.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that our daughter started her registered nursing career and has moved into regional New South Wales. This has taken up much of our time both before and after the wedding. It’s surprising how much stuff she had in either our house or storage. Slowly but surely her house is coming together and eventually I can reinvent our spare room into my space. I am so proud of her taking a risk and moving to an area she knows no-one to follow her dreams and gain experience not attainable in the cities.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about walking around Sydney seeing the preparations for the Lunar New Year Festival. Throughout the city were various figures of the Chinese calendar. The first one we saw as the tiger which is also my favourite as I was born in the year of the Tiger. He was very cute and his eyes seemed to follow you around the park.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about our Sunday walk today. We went to Dixon Park beach, one of our local beaches, to see rocks and etching from 20 years ago that had been uncovered due to the amount of sand that has been washed away recently. This beach is between my two favourite beaches in the local area and I have walked it many times and never seen these rocks as they were covered by sand. Today you couldn’t walk between the beaches without climbing over the rocks. It was very strange. I was also fascinated that the sand in many parts was a mix of grey (assumedly from the rocks) and the usual yellow.

If we were having coffee I would ask you what has been happening in your world?

Thank you to Natalie The Explorer for hosting this weeks weekend coffee share.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Details

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These more intense detailed photos were taken on our mother and daughter photography excursion to Bare Island, La Perouse, Sydney, Australia. It was on this island that the French explorer compte de Laperouse landed in 1788 only days after The First Fleet landed at Frenchman’s Beach, La Perouse just around the corner. These historic rock formations were fascinating and so varied for such a small island. If you are ever in the area, it is definitely worth a look. You can discover more about the discover of Australia in the La Perouse museum situation between these two historic sites.

From memory, the view over the entrance to Sydney Harbour was also spectacular.

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Coffee Catch-up #3

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It has been over two months since our last coffee catch-up and life has been pretty busy.

If we were having coffee I would tell you I’m feeling a little confused. I began preparing this post as I usually do, by adding links to earlier posts. However, this time, with my new WordPress version the result is a little different. I don’t know if it’s the same for everyone or only WordPress.org blogs.  My next question is can anyone re-blog my posts now as this has been a problem in the past and it would be great to have it changed.

If we were having coffee I would tell you about Berry Christmas. My sister and her family do an excellent job of hosting the event—decorating their home in theme colours, preparing gift bags for everyone and organising and preparing food. We had a great day reconnecting as a family—sharing the joys and dealing with the dramas of the past year. Christmas is definitely my favourite holiday, although because I live in a different city south of my family on Christmas day it takes 3 hours to get there. I don’t enjoy the travel but Berry Christmas was worth it.

If we were having coffee I would tell you that over the Christmas period I was initially frustrated that my blog wasn’t working because of problems with my Jetpack. I tried to fix the problem, however when I couldn’t and Jetpack staff  where on vacation I decided to surrender to the moment and use my time more efficiently doing other things.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I enjoyed my husbands and my date to the city over the Christmas New Year period. We decided to catch the ferry into Sydney. The trip along the Parramatta River takes about an hour and it was a glorious day. As it had been several years since we had caught the ferry we enjoyed every moment. We then had lunch at a little pizza restaurant at the Rocks before spending the afternoon wandering around Sydney’s Botanical Gardens. We saw many places I had never been before. It was a great way to round off 2015.

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If we were having coffee I would tell you how excited I was that my first sugar cookie Christmas tree worked out so well. I iced it a blue-purple to match our berry theme and at the end of the day most of it was eaten.

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If we were having coffee I would tell you about the champagne fountain trial on Christmas Day. The science of what was the best way to do it kept many people entertained and in the end they were proud of their working efforts.

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If we were having coffee I would tell you about the huge moon on New Years Eve that was as mesmerizing as the Sydney Fireworks. Unfortunately, I choose not to take my camera as I am not good at photographing fireworks—a rookie error I won’t make again. The fireworks were fantastic and our viewing place, a hill,  is only a 10 minute walk from my house. While we couldn’t see the fireworks coming off the bottom of the Sydney Harbour Bridge we could see the top of it through the trees. We could also see the fireworks going off up and down the Parramatta River and from the other side of Sydney. At times it was like 360 degrees of fireworks. Once the live fireworks have ended we went home to watch the taped version on television and catch the ones we missed.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how much I enjoyed the second week of my holidays being a full-time writer. I spend many hours everyday working on the last stages of editing of my book. With the amount of work I did I was hoping to finish it but no I still have work to do. It is getting exciting however, as it nears completion and the next part of its journey begins. Just when I thought I had the chapters in the right order, I decided to rearrange the early chapters again and to my surprise the order I have changed it to is my second order. I think my lesson is trust your gut.

If we were having coffee I would tell you how excited I was on Christmas Eve to win the hamper at the local bottle shop. I had gone in the draw after buying two bottles of champagne for an early family Christmas party a few days earlier. It was fun investigating my laundry basket full of goodies and deciding who to give each item to.

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If we were having coffee I would ask you what you have done and how you have been since we last met. Let me know in the comments what you have been up to.

Coffee Catch-up

Coffee Catch-up #2

V8 Supercars Sydney 2015

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After weeks of preparation the Coates Hire Sydney 500 starts today at Sydney Olympic Park. I was lucky enough to spend a few hours yesterday watching the last practice event. I took many photos from various angles and vantage points however in the end photographing cars speeding at over 200 kilometres an hour isn’t easy to get right.

The action continues off track down the centre with many displays and car style shops and merchandising vans. There was literally something there for most tastes.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Transition

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For this week’s challenge, share an image that depicts transition. Let life itself be your muse.

When he designed the Sydney Opera House I am sure that JØRN UTZON  could not have envisaged the amazing displays this centerpiece of VIVID SYDNEY creates each year. I spend hours fascinated by the transitions that unfortunately because of their speed are difficult to photograph. The following photos are from 2014 and I loved the bright colours. If you are in Sydney during late May or early June it is well worth the visit.

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Welcome To Sydney

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Sydney, Australia is a beautiful part of the world. It is set around nature. Sydney Harbour—arguably one of the best in the world is on one side, with national parks on all other sides. It is a multi-cultural city, with people from all parts of the world, often living in pockets of like-minded people—mixing original customs with their new life, which adds to the vitality of the area. As a result, in Sydney, we can source all ingredients for international cooking by going to the specialist communities.

The strangest thing for first time visitors to Sydney may depend on where they are coming from. Living near Sydney Olympic Park—Sydney’s major sporting and entertainment venue—on the train I regularly overhear conversations of newcomers to the area discussing their first impression of Sydney.

Fellow Australians coming from the country Australia discuss:

  • Trains – how they work and how easy they are to use
  • The number of people
  • The traffic
  • The multiculturalism of the city
  • The fast pace of life
  • How long it takes to get anywhere

International visitors discuss:

  • Our sporting obsession
  • How fast we talk
  • Our strange slang and colloquialisms—they thought we spoke English
  • How slow our trains system is
  • How long the flight was
  • The temperature—especially with the high temperature and humidity in Summer

Wherever you come from, always remember you are welcome. We love visitors and it appears visitors love us. According to the following websites, Sydney is rated one of the top cities in the world to visit.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best-cities-2014-winners-list#top-cities-overall

http://news.distractify.com/culture/trip-advisor-top-cities/?v=1

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Luna Park North Sydney View

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Sydney Harbour Bridge

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View Over Sydney City

So, come on Down Under. Our beaches, plants and animals are unique. Join the millions of others who have experienced our relaxed, fun-loving way of life. There will always be someone to say—G’Day Mate.

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