Australia Day

As it’s 26th January, Australia Day, I’ve leapt from the English shores over to Sydney’s two biggest icons – the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, albeit slightly less conventional perspectives.

~ Spotted Cow

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Depth

I’m back at the Bondi Icebergs and Bondi Beach for the Weekly Photo Challenge “depth” theme – the comparative depths of the pool and the sea, as well as the relative depth of the blues of the water.

~ Spotted Cow

Kangaroo paws

I love kangaroo paws. The plant, that is. They remind me very much of Australia. I love their fuzzy closed petal hands that really do look like paws. And when they open up, they are like little star bursts. Their bright garb attracts the birds. Get this – each species of kangaroo paw deposits its pollen on different parts of a bird so that the pollen doesn’t get mixed up between the species. Isn’t that clever ?

~ Spotted Cow

Cronulla

I wanted to get in another “Greek swim” before coming back to London and so we got on the Illawarra train line all the way south to Cronulla. It’s a long way from where the folks live but we’d never been and thought we should get out of our comfort zone. Cronulla is the only one of Sydney’s beachside suburbs where the train runs all the way to the beach.

We were delighted to find a really lovely and local beach. It’s charm comes from it’s laid back-ness and there are few tourists. And there are two ocean pools! I love Sydney’s ocean pools because you can swim safely on the edge of the sea, with a wonderful view. I’ve never seen pools like these anywhere else.

When we had enough of the sun and sea, we went to get iced lattes at Grind, a quirky coffee shop that has been serving the area for over a decade … and a big wall of photos of their patrons saying “I’d rather be at Grind”.

~ Spotted Cow

“Greek” swim

One of our favourite Sydney walks is the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk up the eastern city beaches. It’s an easy walk, the views are amazing, and there is a choice of beaches and cafes to stop off at along the way.

This trip, I did the walk with my beautiful Greek-Australian friend, M. We had a lot to catch up on and we started from the Coogee end – first with a mid-morning coffee and juice – with a view to finishing with a drink from the bar at the Bondi Icebergs at the other end.

The walk takes about 2 hours, and we broke it up with a stop at Bronte beach where I notched up my first swim of 2015. When I say swim, I mean a “Greek” swim, as M calls it. I wade into the sea up to my waist and when the waves come, I jump with them. There is no actual swimming in the technical sense!

~ Spotted Cow

Inside the Opera House

We played at being tourists and went on the Sydney Opera House tour. I can’t believe we’ve never done it because it’s really interesting.

The Sydney Opera House on Bennelong Point is so iconic that it is impossible to imagine a conventional rectangular building standing there. But that almost happened, if one of the competition judges hadn’t asked to re-visit the reject pile. He found Jorn Utzon’s design submission and subsequently declared it the winner. Construction began even though they didn’t know how they were going to build the now-famous sail shell structures. What followed was a 15-year controversy caused by design & construction challenges, building delays and massive cost overruns (a 15-fold cost explosion vs estimates), which saw Utzon resign from the project before it was completed.

There is, however, a happy ending to the story. You’ll have to go on the tour to find out.

When you’re there, have a look closely at the sails. They’re tiled with bespoke cream and off-white tiles so that they appear white overall. If the tiles were pure white, it would be blinding when the sun reflects off it.

~ Spotted Cow

Weekly Photo Challenge: Serenity

One overcast day, we went up to the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney and we saw the mist rise above the forest floor. It was lovely and magical.  This vista is from the Hydro Majestic Hotel, whose perch overlooks the Megalong Valley.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Serenity

~ Spotted Cow

Checking out the birds

Sydney’s Taronga Zoo is truly the zoo with the best views. One of our favourite things is the Bird Show, which always has a long queue. They change the programme regularly and we’ve seen different shows each time we’ve visited over the years. It really is quite marvellous, especially against the Sydney harbour backdrop. My favourite on this trip was the owl with the big round eyes.

~ Spotted Cow

Weekly Photo Challenge: Converge

Converging railway tracks running into the bush.  If you fancy a trip on a historic locomotive, Tasmania’s Ida Bay Railway is Australia’s southernmost train track. It used to take limestone freight down to the ships.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Converge

~ Spotted Cow

Sydney Things-To-Do List

I’m counting down till Christmas holidays when I go home to spend some time with the folks and the rest of the clan. I’ve already started my Sydney list of things to do and I’ve got to Number 8. Some are old favourites and others will be a completely new experience. Please do chip in with recommendations – especially Sydneysiders, tell me about your hangouts !

1. White Rabbit Gallery. I’ve only visited the gallery once, but I thoroughly enjoyed the well-curated exhibition of contemporary Chinese art.  After you’ve walked up all the floors, stop by the lovely teahouse, and sip lychee iced-tea under the hanging birdcages.

2. Govinda’s. This is an old favourite for a curry and movie night on the large cushions.

3. Mr Wong. We went to Mr Wong for the first time during a Good Food month and thoroughly enjoyed our modern dim sum lunch. We’ve since decided to make it a habit.

4. Coogee Pavilion. I was looking for a lunch place with a sea view and found this reviewed on Not Quite Nigella, which incidentally is also my favourite blog for food reviews and food photos.

5. Sydney Festival. I usually miss the Sydney Festival, but this time I’m home, albeit only for the first days. Yay! I quite fancy some (more) circus cabaret.

6. New Year’s Eve fireworks. I don’t know what we’re doing yet exactly, but we’re going to be there for the countdown and firework display.

7. TreeTop Adventure Park. We love the treetop adventure courses and can’t get enough of whizzing through the trees on flying foxes. We haven’t been to the one in Newcastle yet. The kids are taller now so height isn’t going to be an issue. Everyone gets to go on the adult course.

8. Taronga Zoo. This is the zoo with the fantastic harbour views and it is our perennial favourite. We’ve previously been on one of the personal tours into the private enclosures and it was an amazing experience. An emu trod on my toe while I was visiting. These days there are also summer concerts and there’s a new treetop adventure called Wild Ropes. And I saw that you can get up close and personal with a giraffe !

~ Spotted Cow

Note. Except for Mr Wong, the images have been gratuitously plucked from their respective websites.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned

Barmedman mineral pool. We were lured by the regional tourist brochure describing its therapeutic waters fed by mineral-rich underground streams.  In the dead heat of a spring day in country New South Wales (ie October), we took a 35km detour from West Wyalong and headed for that cool dip in Barmedman (pop. <300). We pictured lovely swimming, cold drinks and a picnic among the lush green banks.  When we arrived, we found the gate open, an abandoned pool with no water, and a sign saying they’re back in the summer ! What’s up with that ?!

Barmedman, New South Wales, Australia

~ Spotted Cow

Bondi Icebergs

This being Australia Day, I thought I’d take a walk through the archives and look for something quintessentially Australian. Something from Sydney.  My folks and the rest of the cows live in Sydney and every other year I go back to hang out with them as well as play tourist, albeit a familiar tourist.

I’ve chosen the Bondi Icebergs Club, which is a saltwater swimming pool down the road from Bondi Beach. Back in the day, it started out as a winter swimming club so that lifesavers could stay fit in the colder months.

I used to be an avid swimmer but I think I’ve been swimming there only once and I remember that the water was freezing.  It took ages for me to get started on laps because I was standing on the side, not wanting to get in. They don’t heat the pool and I’m particularly chicken about cold water.

I have, however, had lunch on the balcony from their bistro menu. It was a far more agreeable experience – eating and drinking with friends, taking in the ocean view, and watching the lap swimmers do their thing. The Bondi Icebergs website says that 82 whales have been seen from deck. I’m hoping I spy one next time.

~ Spotted Cow

Milking Sheep at the Grandvewe Cheesery

After a long, winding, and very confusing road, we finally arrived at the farm on the Grandvewe Cheesery in Middleton, Tasmania. The family went in to the restaurant to sample the sheep cheese.  After that we had a yummy dessert of sheep ice-cream – it was EWEnique!  And the adults slurped up some cheesy alcoholic beverages.

After filling our stomachs, we went outside to the shed and to empty the sheep’s udders of milk.  We used giant milking machines that stuck to their udders and had a milking competition to see who could get the most milk – Chocolate Milk Cow won (his sheep had the biggest udder with almost a litre of milk!)

http://grandvewe.com.au/

~ Moo Cow

Ute Art in Ootha

On our legendary “Wicked Camper” adventure, we came across some funky Utes in a huge paddock in Ootha in outback New South Wales. The utes (slang for utility trucks) had been designed and altered to suit a certain theme. Some of these were lifted into the air, others were sitting on their tail or nose, while some just sat plainly on the ground.

My favourite Ute design was the Kangaroo. In this one, the Ute had been placed on its tail end and had been painted to suit a kangaroo’s body. On it, 2 arms, 2 legs and a head had been attached in appropriate places, as well as the roof being pulled forward to add a joey in. Other good ones include the Bundaberg Rum bottle, the Fuel Station and the Outhouse.

~ Chocolate Milk Cow

 

Wicked Camper

The family rented a ‘Wicked Camper’ van for the holidays to discover different places in New South Wales.  The Camper was cool. It had chairs that you could bring out to relax on, and a closet for all your stuff hidden under the beds!

Being in the Camper is great fun for all the family, it has funny quotes and amazing pictures decorating the outside of it, and can give you some great memories in your outback adventures. There are little messages hidden all around the van for you to find out about other peoples experiences. The Camper van is a ‘wicked’ experience for everyone!

http://www.wickedcampers.com.au/

~ Moo Cow

Up in the Air at Luna Park

Sydney’s Luna Park sits under the Harbour Bridge and has scenic views back onto the iconic bridge and the city. It’s a fun afternoon out as long as you keep in mind that you’re not going to Disneyland.  It’s not glitzy and polished and new … although there is candy floss and fried food. The original park was built in 1935 and it retains that old world character, especially when you walk up toward the big face entrance.

We like heights and we like speed dips. So our absolute favourite was the roller coaster, which we went on several times. Don’t eat a big meal before you get on !

http://www.lunaparksydney.com

~ Spotted Cow

Lanterns at the Sydney Noodle Markets

Early dinner under the colourful lanterns. More than 100 noodle dishes to choose from at the Sydney Night Noodle Markets, part of the October Sydney Festival of Food. Next time we’ll try the ramen burgers.

~ Purple Cow