Sydney Meanderings

Taphophile Tragics

2012-02-14T06:00:00.022+11:00

Yungay is in the mountains north of Huaraz, which is north of Lima in Peru. It's a place I knew nothing about but was a stop on a day trip out of Huaraz to visit a couple of lakes. Its an very moving place, and was extremely atmospheric on a grey, overcast day.

On May 31, 1970 a debris avalanche caused by the 1970 Ancash earthquake buried the whole town, killing 25,000 people. The earthquake triggered an unstable mass of glacial ice about 800 meters across at the top of Nevado Huascarán to fall. More than 50 million cubic meters of debris slid approximately 15 kilometers downhill at an angle of about 14 degrees. Speeds between 200 km/h to 400 km/h were achieved. Only 92 people survived, most of whom were in the cemetery and stadium at the time of the earthquake, as these zones were the highest in town.

Many people now come to Yungay just to visit the Campo Santo just before the current Yungay if you come from Huaraz. This is the site of the old Yungay which has been left untouched after the disaster and is therefore a huge cemetery. You can see some leftovers of the old church and of the palm trees that used to be on the Plaza de Armas. Roses were planted at the site. The Peruvian government has forbidden excavation in the area where the old town of Yungay is buried, declaring it a national cemetery. The current town was rebuilt 1500 meters north of the destroyed city.

For more taphophilia please visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Mays Lane

2012-02-13T06:00:00.002+11:00

Mays Lane at St Peters has a name for graffiti art. I was disappointed. A lot of it I consider tagging and overall it was a bit of a mess. Seemed to be a case of "if it doesn't move slap paint on it". A lot of residents are obviously fed up with it as well. A lot of properties had signs asking people not to paint there. There were some that I liked and I'll show you these during the week.

Monochome Weekend - Chinese New Year Parade (6)

2012-02-12T06:00:00.001+11:00

I think he was also part of the Chengdu contingent.

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Chinese New Year Parade (5) - Pandas

2012-02-11T06:00:00.003+11:00

Dressing the panda.

The large Chengdu contingent were having a great time.

Sky Watch Friday - Chinese New Year Parade (4)

2012-02-10T06:00:00.003+11:00

A dragon snakes (dragons?) its way up the Town Hall. Not a great shot but I was looking over my shoulder and between heads in the crowd.

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Chinese New Year Parade (3) - Dancing Zookeepers

2012-02-09T06:00:00.002+11:00

I first saw this one earlier in the week parked beside my local railway station and wondered what it was and what on earth it was doing there.

Turns out its Taronga Zoo's Komodo Dragon and it was followed in the parade by dancing zookeepers.

Chinese New Year Parade (2) - Lions

2012-02-08T06:00:00.002+11:00

Taphophile Tragics

2012-02-07T06:00:00.005+11:00

San Miguel de Azapa, near Arica, northern Chile

This cemetery visit was suggested to me by the owner of the hostel I was staying at in Arica. There is a particularly good museum in San Miguel, he told me how to get there and suggested that, while I was there, I take a look at an interesting cemetery in the desert sands just behind the village.

San Miguel de Azapa is located in the narrow Azapa Valley, which produces tropical fruit (including guava), olives and flowers. The area also is home to relics of the cultures that once populated the area. Located about 13 km from Arica, the town is reached via a paved road that leads past lovely scenery and the San José River. The route also passes a number of archeological sites, such as the geoglyphs area and pucará (pre-Columbian fortress) or San Lorenzo.

Other attractions include the San Miguel de Azapa Museum, which is administered by Universidad de Tarapacá and exhibits 10,000-year-old relics of the Chinchorro culture, which predated the Inca.

The town was also home of the first black slaves to arrive in Chile. Unlike the country's chilly southern region, the climate was amenable to them. When they were freed, they were granted their own land and crops. Many of their descendents still reside in San Miguel de Azapa.

For more taphophilia please visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Chinese New Year Parade - Year of the Dragon

2012-02-06T06:00:00.002+11:00

I didn't think I'd be able to see anything along the main parade route so decided to photography the marshalling area and then see if I could find a spot to watch the parade. I couldn't get anywhere on the main drag - it was packed - but managed to squeeze in on the last block of the marshalling area, just before they turned onto the parade route. It was great spot as most groups were already marching by the time they reached me. They also slowed as they approached the turn.

The Master Chef dragon.

Bringing up the rear.

Monochrome Weekend

2012-02-05T06:00:00.003+11:00

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Weekend Reflections

2012-02-04T06:00:00.002+11:00

Cyril's Fine Foods, ususally referred to as Cyril's Deli or just Cyril's, has been a fixture in Hay Street for as long as I can remember (and a lot longer than that). Its a traditional European Deli which first opened at a time when Australians weren't into that "foreign food" and it would have been very exotic. I used to call in there for a fresh bread roll with ham, salami, cheese and pickles when I used to work around the corner.

Cyril is still going strong and offering old fashioned service to his very loyal customers, many of whom would come for a reminder of their birthplace.

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Sky Watch Friday

2012-02-03T06:00:00.003+11:00

Michael Snape's "The Trail" sits on top of the hill behind the brickworks in Sydney Park at St Peters.

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Chinese Gardens (6)

2012-02-02T06:00:00.002+11:00

Theme Day - Animals

2012-02-01T06:00:00.002+11:00

No idea where it came from, or where it went, but it was there in the evening in the same spot for a few nights late last year.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Taphophile Tragics

2012-01-31T06:00:00.016+11:00

Ninamarca is a pre-inca burial cemetery located at 3700 metres above sea level along the road to Manu National Park (which is in the Peruvian Amazon). From memory, Ninamarca was the first stop on the 2 day bus (truck actually) tour down to the Amazon and if you ever go to Manu its well worth going down by road from Cusco and flying back. (Although I'd actually recommend going to the Bolivian Amazon, its a lot cheaper and people say just as good. But make sure you go right into the jungle - somewhere like Chalalan Eco Lodge in Madidi not the 2 day jungle trip from Rurrenabarque. Manu didn't impress me that much, although we did see a jaguar. Overall I liked Bolivia a lot more than Peru although you do have to see Machu Picchu.)

As a silent reminder the tombs, called "Chullpas", mark the pre-Inca civilization of the Lupaca people that inhabited the Andes a long time ago. A chullpa is an ancient Aymara funerary tower originally constructed for a noble person or noble family. The tallest are about 12m high. The tombs at Sillustani are most famous, but chullpas are found across the Altiplano in Peru and Bolivia. Recent research has focused on the connection between chullpas and the ritual pathways etched into the landscape around Nevado Sajama, as well as possible patterns within chullpa sites.

Corpses in each tomb were typically placed in a foetal position along with some of their belongings, including clothing and common equipment. The construction of the chullpa varied with ethnic group: in general, those of the north Altiplano are circular and constructed with stone, while those of the south are rectangular and constructed with adobe. Some are unadorned, while others have intricate carvings. At Sillustani, many of the chullpas have lizards, which were considered a symbol of life because they could regenerate their tails, carved into the stone. In virtually all cases, the only opening to the tomb faces the rising Sun in the east. It is possible that chullpas were also used by the Incafollowing their conquest of the Aymara. Very similar stone constructions on Easter Island known as tupa have sometimes been suspected to be closely related to chullpas.

For more taphophilia please visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Truck

Jaguar

Chinese Gardens (5)

2012-01-30T06:00:00.000+11:00

Monochrome Weekend - Chinese Gardens (4)

2012-01-29T06:00:00.005+11:00

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Weekend Reflections - Chinese Gardens (3)

2012-01-28T06:00:00.004+11:00

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Chinese Gardens (2)

2012-01-27T06:00:00.006+11:00

The workmanship and attention to detail is amazing, you really could be in China.

The Dragon Wall is a gift from Guangdong. It features two coloured dragons: the gold-brown represents Guangdon and the blue represents New South Wales. The Pearl of Prosperity, carried by a wave between the dragons, symbolises the bond between the two states. (The white pointy thing on top of the wall isn't part of the architecture, its the top of a marquee set up in the courtyard in front of the wall.)

Australia Day

2012-01-26T06:00:00.002+11:00

We are one but we are many and from all the lands on earth we come ...... I am, you are, we are Australian.

Happy Australia Day

Chinese Gardens

2012-01-25T06:00:00.003+11:00

Tucked into a corner of Darling Harbour, just near the expressway, is a little patch of China. Once you enter you are in a different world. Quiet, peaceful and very beautiful. The city highrise is just over the wall but you could be miles away.

Initiated by the local Chinese community to celebrate Australia's 198 Bicentenary, the Chinese Garden is the result of a close friendship and cooperation between the sist3er cities of Sydney and Guangzhou in Guangdon Province, China.

The Garden was designed and built by Chinese landscape architects and gardeners, and is governed by the Taoist principles of "Yin-Yang" and the five opposite elements - earth, fire, water, metal and wood. Thes principles also stress the importance of qi, the central force of life and energy.

Yin-Yang plays such a vital role that just one missing element would disrupt the garden's harmony and balance. However when combined perfectly, the five elements form a fluid and nurturing environment.

Everything you see in the Chinese Garden has been hand picked and meticulously placed to capture the five elements and the energy of qi.

Taphophile Tragics

2012-01-24T06:00:00.001+11:00

Chauchilla cemetery is located 30 km south of the Peruvian town of Nazca and is an interesting side trip when visiting the Nazca Lines.

For many years the cemetery was looted by treasure hunters, who destroyed the place completely, taking away all the treasures the mummies kept in their tombs for centuries. Grave robbers just left behind the corpses, which can be seen today all over the ground. In addition to skulls and bones, visitors also can see several tombs centuries’ old, as well as long human hairs, ceramic fragments and others remains scattered on the dessert surface. It is the only archaeological site in Peru, in which ancient mummies are seen in their original graves, along with ancient artifacts, dating back to 1000 AD.

The cemetery was discovered in the 1920s, but had not been used since the 9th century AD. The cemetery includes many important burials over a period of 600 to 700 years. The start of the interments was in about 200 AD. It is important as a source of archaeology to Nazca culture. The cemetery has been extensively plundered by huaqueros who have left human bones and pottery scattered around the area. Similar local cemeteries have been damaged to a greater extent. The site has been protected by Peruvian law since 1997 and tourists pay to take the two hour tour of this ancient necropolis. The site is by the Poroma riverbed and can be accessed off a dirt track from the Panamerican Highway. In 1997, the majority of the scattered bones and plundered pottery were restored to the tombs.

The bodies are so remarkably preserved due mainly to the dry climate in the Peruvian Desert but the funeral rites were also a contributing factor. The bodies were clothed in embroidered cotton and then painted with a resin and kept in purposely built tombs made from mud bricks. The resin is thought to have kept out insects and slowed bacteria trying to feed on the bodies.

The nearby site of Estaquería may provide clues to the remarkable preservation of the numerous bodies in these cemeteries. At that site, Archeologists found wooden pillars initially thought to have been used for astronomical sightings. However, it is now believed that the posts were used to dry bodies in a mummification process. This may account for the high degree of preservation seen in thousand-year-old bodies which still have hair and the remains of soft tissue, such as skin.

For more taphophilia please visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Kung Hei Fat Choy

2012-01-23T06:00:00.002+11:00

Alternatively: Gong Xi Far Tsai; Sae Hae Bok Manee Badusaeyo; Chúc Mừng Năm Mới

The Dragon is one of the most powerful and lucky signs in the Chinese zodiac, with many believing there is a balance between heaven and earth in the lives of people born in the Year of the Dragon. As well as being blessed with good fortune, Dragons are innovative, flexible, self-assured and passionate, making good artists, diplomats and politicians. However, Dragons can also be stubborn, intense and quick tempered. 2012 is the Year of the Water Dragon, with water having a calming influence on Dragons’ fearless temperament, and also making them more perceptive of others.

On Saturday the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, was opening a revitalised Chinatown. Unfortunately it poured with rain, and from the little I saw, it looked like it was washed out.

In 2010, City of Sydney worked with the Chinatown community to develop the Chinatown Public Domain Plan. Together they developed ways to include more pedestrian-friendly streets, new spaces for markets and outdoor dining, and better walking and cycling connections with surrounding areas.

The first steps of this plan have now been completed. The City of Sydney is celebrating the transformation of a traditional pavilion into an information kiosk with artwork by Pamela Mei-Leng See – a place where both visitors and locals will be able to get information on Chinatown and Sydney. The kiosk will be accessible for people who use wheelchairs and prams and will be the City’s first customer service point with a hearing loop, to assist hearing impaired visitors. The design includes vibrant Chinese motif screens and uses energy-efficient lighting to provide a lantern effect at night.

Little Hay Street has also been revitalised, with improvements including a continuous avenue of trees and upgraded lighting and furniture. Factory Street has become home to a new everyday meeting place and Kimber Lane has not only become more pedestrian friendly, it also features an exciting art installation, Between Two Worlds, and the revitalisation of an existing artwork, Heaven and Earth.

Monochrome Weekend - Brickworks (6)

2012-01-22T06:00:00.003+11:00

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Weekend Reflections - Brickworks (5)

2012-01-21T06:00:00.002+11:00

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Sky Watch Friday - Brickworks (4)

2012-01-20T06:00:00.002+11:00

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Brickworks (3)

2012-01-19T06:00:00.002+11:00

Several homeless people are using the brickworks as a place to shelter and sleep (and drink judging by some of the debris around).

Brickworks (2)

2012-01-18T06:00:00.004+11:00

The interior of the buildings are blocked or gated for safety reasons but this is what you see, peering through the wire.

Some of the old machinery is also preserved as part of the precinct.

Taphophile Tragics

2012-01-17T06:00:00.006+11:00

St Peters churchyard, on the busy Princes Highway in the suburb of St Peters, is my kind of graveyard. Overgrown and falling into disrepair, I think its absolutely beautiful. I've known of it for years, always intended to visit but never had. I'm glad I did.

Cooks River Parish was named after the river which flows through it. On 13 May, 1838 the first service was conducted in a temporary church. The foundation stone of the present church was laid on 7 July 1838, and the building was completed in November 1839. Thomas Bird was the architect and the builder Henry Knight, of Macdonaldtown. St Peters is one of the oldest churches in the suburbs of Sydney. Built of sun-dried bricks, by free labour, it represents the English Commissioner’s Gothic style in Australia. Twelve pillars, made of ironbark, support a plaster vaulted nave. The church itself, which I remembered as being quite run down, has had a new paint job and seems now to be Evangelical Christian.

Adjacent to the church is the graveyard which was in use from March 1839 till April 1896. Bishop Broughton consecrated the graveyard on December 26th, 1840. There are 2,515 people listed in the burial register. Two thirds of these burials are of children under the age ten. Of the two thirds, more than half are under three years. There are many memorials to the pioneers of the district and beyond. Symbols of a past era – draped urns, hourglasses and broken branches are carved on the headstones. The graveyard is not only a place of burial, but a great source of social history.

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the individuals buried there but the St Peters Cooks River History Group has an open afternoon on the first Saturday of every month which would be worth a look.

Stories behind the graves can be found on the St Peters Cooks River History Group website.

The text at the other end of this grave reads "Erected by his brother officers to the memory of Henry Reeve, Money Order Department. Son of Lieut L(?) A Reeve RM. Born in England 1 November 1821. Died at Newtown 21 June 1875."

For more taphophilia please visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Brickworks

2012-01-16T06:00:00.001+11:00

This corner, where King Street, Newtown turns into the Princes Highway, features the remains of the chimneys and brick kilns from the old brickworks site. These chimneys have been kept as heritage items and are a dominating feature of this area. They are now part of Sydney Park.

The Sydney Park site played a significant role in the development of Sydney during the 19th century. Brick making was begun on the site in the 1840s by Henry Goodsell and became a major industry in 1871 with the introduction of machine manufactured bricks. Bricks manufactured here built Sydney’s suburbs over a period of more than 100 years. The first batch of machine-made bricks was used in the construction of the Farmers’ Building on the corner of Market Street, Sydney. In 1893 Josiah Gentle opened the Bedford Brickworks, named after his home town in England. In 1933 the firm was taken over by Austral Bricks which operated here until 1970. The Sydney Park site has also been used for a range of other industrial development including gas storage in two tanks, manufacturing and warehousing.

The brickworks dug out the clay leaving huge pits which were filled up with municipal waste from 1948 to 1976. Since the closure of St Peters tip a final layer of soil and building rubble has been placed over the site to create a new regional park. This includes a series of visually prominent hills which provide panoramic views of the city skyline and Sydney Airport and are used for recreational activities such as kite flying. Stormwater detention ponds have been transformed into wetland habitat to partly recreate the pre-European environment. At the same time the area’s industrial heritage has been preserved with the kilns and brickworks chimneys at the corner of Sydney Park Road and the Princes Highway.

Monochrome Weekend - Sydney Festival - First Night - Travelling Colony

2012-01-15T06:00:00.001+11:00

These zig zag projections were part of Travelling Colony, inspired by creator Brook Andrews' Wiradjuri tradition.

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Weekend Reflections

2012-01-14T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Sky Watch Friday

2012-01-13T06:00:00.002+11:00

Finally, blue sky. Its not upside down, I was lying on my back looking up.

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Sydney Festival - First Night - Hyde Park

2012-01-12T06:00:00.002+11:00

Sydney Festival - First Night - As the World Tipped

2012-01-11T06:00:00.001+11:00

As the World Tips combines film and graphics with aerial acrobatics on a stage which starts flat and then tips and rises into the air. The world confronts the very pertinent issue of the causes and effects of climate change.

Taphophile Tragics

2012-01-10T06:00:00.001+11:00

Lord Howe Island cemetery.

It has some unusual grave decorations.

For more taphophilia please visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Sydney Festival - First Night - The Jolly Boys

2012-01-09T06:00:00.001+11:00

I can't bend like that now, he's got to be in his 70s. The Jolly Boys from Jamaica entertained in Elizabeth Street.

Monochrome Weekend

2012-01-08T06:00:00.003+11:00

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Weekend Reflections

2012-01-07T06:00:00.001+11:00

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Sky Watch Friday - Lord Howe Island - The Clear Place

2012-01-06T06:00:00.001+11:00

The walk to the clear place is a pleasant and fairly easy (grade 2) one through the forest and past some amazing banyan trees.

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Lord Howe Island - More chickies

2012-01-05T06:00:00.004+11:00

Here's a test for you. How many chicks can you see in this photo? Answer at the end.

This is what it will look like when it grows up.

I count 7 including the half one at the top right. You can see why the adults keep the chicks amongst the rocks for safety.

Lord Howe Island - Chicky Babes

2012-01-04T06:00:00.002+11:00

White Tern chicks.

Taphophile Tragics

2012-01-03T06:00:00.005+11:00

This is the grave of Pixie Rourke, who died last year. It lies in the small Pinetrees family cemetery. Kerry McFadyen and Pixie Rourke together with their husbands, Bruce and Ed, took over Pinetrees in 1976. Kerry and Bruce, Pixie and Ed (always known to their staff as "the big 4") worked hard to modernise Pinetrees. They built new units, including five free-standing Garden Cottages, extended the main house and re-built the Pinetrees boatshed, which had been destroyed in a fire. All of the new buildings were designed by Bruce, an architect. Under their leadership, Pinetrees employed professional chefs and established a reputation for fine food and genuine hospitality. Pixie Rourke served as the Chair of the Lord Howe Island Tourism Association for 11 years. She resigned from her position only a month before her death in 2010. In September 2010 after Pixie's death, Qantas named one of its Dash-8 aircraft "Pixie Rourke". Pixie also received a posthumous award from Tourism New South Wales for Outstanding Contribution to Regional Tourism.

Below are some other views of the Pinetrees cemetery.

For more taphophilia please visit Julie's Taphophile Tragics.

Lord Howe Island Wood Hen

2012-01-02T06:00:00.004+11:00

Lord Howe Island woodhens are flightless brown birds about the size of a bantam. Females of the species are slightly smaller than the males, and their chicks are covered with sooty black down. These birds are found only on Lord Howe Island, a World Heritage Area which lies in the south-western Pacific Ocean around 700 km east of Port Macquarie.

The ancestors of the Lord Howe Island woodhen arrived on Lord Howe Island many thousands of years ago, flying across the Pacific Ocean. They thrived in the subtropical rainforests of the island, where there was plenty of food and no fear of predators. Their wings gradually receded and became useless, because there was no longer any need for them to fly.
This situation changed in 1788, when HMS Supply anchored at Settlement Beach and members of her crew came ashore in search of food and water. Lord Howe Island's bird life had never been hunted, and was not afraid of humans. The Lord Howe Island woodhen, together with the now-extinct Lord Howe pigeon and white gallinule, provided easy game for the sailors.
Lord Howe Island was settled in 1833-34, and Lord Howe Island woodhen numbers quickly declined to near-extinction, because:

they were hunted for food by the island's increasing human population
introduced owls, feral cats and pigs preyed on the woodhens
feral pigs and goats competed with the birds for food and damaged their habitats.

By the mid-19th century, small numbers of Lord Howe Island woodhens could only be found in relatively inaccessible mountainous areas. By the late 1970s, there were fewer than 30 Lord Howe Island woodhens on the island. The birds were confined to the summit regions of its two mountains (Mount Gower and Mount Lidgbird).

In 1966, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classed the woodhens as endangered. They were later put on the IUCN's highest priority list. The bird is listed as an endangered species under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

In 1978, the NPWS, with help from the Lord Howe Island Board and the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, began a detailed study of the Lord Howe Island woodhen. After two years of research, a captive breeding facility was built in the centre of the island. Standing in an area of natural forest with plenty of leaf-litter animals like spiders and insects, the facility provided the birds with a good supply of food.

In 1980, three healthy pairs of Lord Howe Island woodhens were brought down from Mount Gower by helicopter. Settling in well at the breeding facility, they began laying eggs a few weeks after arriving. The eggs were cared for by both parents, and then were put in an incubator for the last week before hatching. By late 1980, 15 healthy chicks had been hatched.

The second stage of the project began in 1981, when two pairs of the captive-bred birds were released in an area under the cliffs of Mount Gower. Surveys had shown that this was the best site for a new woodhen colony. The birds survived and by 1984, 82 woodhens had been released. The breeding facility was closed.

Meanwhile, feral pigs and cats had been removed from the island, the feral goat population had been significantly reduced, and domestic cats were being phased out.

Since then, the NPWS and the Lord Howe Island Board have been counting the number of Lord Howe Island woodhens once or twice each year. They are breeding well, and the population reached over 200 in 1997. The birds are now living in many parts of the island, including residents' back yards.
The numbers of Lord Howe Island woodhens declined in April 2001 to 117 individuals. Further monitoring is being carried out to see if numbers have stabilised.

A Lord Howe Island threatened species recovery team has been set up to help manage threatened species on the island, including the Lord Howe Island woodhen. With the support of the people of Lord Howe Island, the woodhen's future is hopefully secure.

Photo of the Year 2011

2012-01-01T06:00:00.013+11:00

Here are some of my favourites from the past year.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Monochrome Weekend

2011-12-31T06:00:00.002+11:00

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Sky Watch Friday

2011-12-30T06:00:00.002+11:00

View from Level 47, MLC Centre.

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Sydney Christmas (6)

2011-12-29T06:00:00.002+11:00

This is what Julie didn't want to show you. The garish Santa cage that completely overshadows the glorious tree on the upper lever of Queen Victoria Building, you can just see the tree in the background. The lower levels, however, don't have this problem. Here it is Swarovski crystal and all.

Christmas Lights (3)

2011-12-28T06:00:00.003+11:00

Sydney Town Hall, not as good as last year and nowhere near as impressive as St Mary's Cathedral.

Christmas Lights (2)

2011-12-27T06:00:00.001+11:00

Christmas Lights

2011-12-26T06:00:00.003+11:00

This should make up for yesterday's post. The Christmas lights of St Mary's Cathedral.

Seasons Greetings

2011-12-25T06:00:00.030+11:00

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter/summer solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

Also, I wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2012, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make the world a great place, and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.

This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Disclaimer:

No trees were harmed in the sending of this message, however, while a significant number of electrons were inconvenienced, no bits were lost.

Weekend Reflections - Sydney Christmas (5)

2011-12-24T06:00:00.002+11:00

Its very difficult to photograph David Jones' Christmas window display without reflections.

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Sky Watch Friday

2011-12-23T06:00:00.002+11:00

Another Lord Howe sunset.

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Sydney Christmas (4)

2011-12-22T06:00:00.001+11:00

Sydney Christmas (3)

2011-12-21T06:00:00.005+11:00

Merry Government Christmas!

All employees planning to dash through the snow in a one horse open sleigh, going over the fields and laughing all the way are advised that a Risk Assessment will be required addressing the safety of an open sleigh for members of the public.

This assessment must also consider whether it is appropriate to use only one horse for such a venture, particularly where there are multiple passengers. Please note that permission must also be obtained in writing from landowners before their fields may be entered.

To avoid offending those not participating in celebrations, we would request that laughter is moderate only and not loud enough to be considered a noise nuisance.

Benches, stools and orthopaedic chairs are now available for collection by any shepherds planning or required to watch their flocks at night.

While provision has also been made for remote monitoring of flocks by CCTV cameras from a centrally heated shepherd observation hut, all users of this facility are reminded that an Emergency Response Plan must be submitted to account for known risks to the flocks.

The angel of the Lord is additionally reminded that, prior to shining his/her glory all around, s/he must confirm that all shepherds are wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment to account for the harmful effects of UVA, UVB and the overwhelming effects of Glory.

Following last year’s well publicised case, everyone is advised that Equal Opportunities legislation prohibits any comment with regard to the redness of any part of Mr. R Reindeer. Further to this, exclusion of Mr R Reindeer from reindeer games will be considered discriminatory and disciplinary action will be taken against those found guilty of this offence.

While it is acknowledged that gift bearing is a common practice in various parts of the world, particularly the Orient, everyone is reminded that the bearing of gifts is subject to Hospitality and Gift Guidelines and all gifts must be registered. This applies regardless of the individual, even royal personages.

It is particularly noted that direct gifts of currency or gold are specifically precluded, while caution is advised regarding other common gifts such as aromatic resins that may evoke allergic reactions.

Finally, in the recent case of the infant found tucked up in a manger without any crib for a bed, DOCS has been advised and will be arriving shortly.

Sydney Christmas (2)

2011-12-20T06:00:00.002+11:00

Sydney Christmas

2011-12-19T06:00:00.001+11:00

Lord Howe Island - Out of town

2011-12-18T06:00:00.001+11:00

The services and a couple of other shops are scattered around the island.

The island is managed by a Board constituted under the Lord Howe Island Act, which is administered by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. The Chief Executive Officer, a NSW public sector appointment, gets to live here.

Hospital

Police station.

Lord Howe Island - Downtown

2011-12-17T06:00:00.002+11:00

Thompson's Store

The "town centre" consists of a community hall, post office/bank, bar/restaurant, general store and a couple of other small shops.

Looking from Thompson's towards the Hall and the sea.

Post office.

Community Hall and the bar.

Lord Howe Island - Sunset

2011-12-16T06:00:00.003+11:00

Tuesday

There was really only one spectacular sunset while I was there, and that was due to dark, threatening clouds. The rest were okay or a total non event.

Sunday

Monday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Lord Howe Island - Middle Beach

2011-12-15T06:00:00.001+11:00

This is Middle Beach, another pretty beach with rockpools and good beachcombing at low tide. Very steep access and I didn't feel up to the climb this time round. There are some amazing banyan trees nearby which I will show you later. One thing I did notice this time was the amount of erosion, some of the beaches are much narrower than I remember, particularly Lagoon Beach which now has steep drop offs down to the sand where the bank has washed away. The drop is right at the edge of Pinetrees Boathouse which itself will eventually be washed away. There used to be a swathe of grass between the boathouse area and the sand.

Lord Howe Island - Ned's Beach

2011-12-14T06:00:00.002+11:00

This is Ned's, my favourite of all the island beaches - stunning location, rock shelves and pools, great snorkelling with coral and bright fish and fish in the shallows that can be hand fed. Something for everyone. Shame its at the top of a great big hill. It was also the only really sunny day of the whole week.

Lord Howe Island - Blinky Beach

2011-12-13T06:00:00.002+11:00

Blinky is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island (although not my favourite) and the surf beach. Unfortunately it rained, hence the spots everywhere. The tape is to keep people away from the nesting terns, which were so prolific you couldn't avoid them and were dive bombing me as I tried to shoot. Will show you the birds next week.

Lord Howe Island - Getting there and back

2011-12-12T06:00:00.002+11:00

This is the Dash 8, the only plane that can make it in to Lord Howe's tiny airstrip, which runs the width of the island. You can see from yesterday that its not very wide. The plane has strict weight restrictions, in luggage and people (they don't fill all seats and seating is done to balance the plane), as it needs to carry enough fuel on the outwards trip to return to the mailand if it can't land - which is not unusual. Also, if the plane is heavy or the weather bad, luggage gets left on the mainland to follow later.

A word of caution - if you do visit Lord Howe, take travel insurance. One day during my stay no planes came to the island. The weather there wasn't all that bad but they couldn't take off due to bad weather on the mainland. Anyone due to leave had to stay an extra night and those coming in lost a day of their holiday.

Nothing flying, except the birds.

Lord Howe Island - View from the Top

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000+11:00

The view from Transit Hill.

Lord Howe Island - Food

2011-12-10T06:00:00.000+11:00

Most nights at Pinetrees are 3 course meals. Except fish fry Monday. Sushi, sashimi, salads, fish, chips and as much desert as you can eat.

Sky Watch Friday - Lord Howe Island - The Boatshed

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000+11:00

One of the best things about Pinetrees is the Boatshed. Its where everyone gathers at sunset to have a drink, chat about their day and watch the sun descend into the sea. Its also a great place to sit and read.

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Lord Howe Island - getting around

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000+11:00

Although there are cars on Lord Howe, and many more than there were 10 years ago, most people get around on two wheels. I never learnt to ride a bike. This was my transport for the week and I'll swear it was exactly the same one I hired 10 and even 15 years ago, and it was old then. But it still does the job.

Lord Howe Island - Pinetrees

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000+11:00

Pinetrees is situated half way along the island, right on the lagoon. It has been operating as a guesthouse since the late 1800s and is now run by the 6th generation of the same family. While not luxurious it is comfortable, friendly and relaxing. No TV or radio in the rooms, the newspaper comes in on the afternoon plane and there is no mobile phone reception on the island. Nothing to do but relax. The food is superb.

Lord Howe Island - Looking right

2011-12-06T06:00:00.000+11:00

This is what you see if you look in the other direction from yesterday.

Lord Howe Island - Morning

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000+11:00

Monday

Lord Howe Island is a heritage listed island 600 kilometres east of the Australian mainland at 31°33′S 159°05′E. This is roughly the same latitude as Port Macquarie in NSW. Lord Howe is alone in a large area of the Pacific Ocean to the north and Tasman Sea to the south. It's nearest neighbours are New Zealand to the southeast, Norfolk Island to the east and New Caledonia to the northeast.

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Taking a break

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000+11:00

I know how he feels. Our team has relocated to another department and I've spent the last few weeks packing and unpacking. Although I'm in the same position I'm in a completely different organisation and having to very quickly learn new systems and processes so it feels like I'm in a new job. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and am not able to give this blog the time and effort it deserves. Nor am I able to spend the time I would like visiting other blogs. I also haven't managed to get out with the camera and I'm not going to make it to Sculpture by the Sea which I really wanted to do. So I'm going to take a break for a few weeks until I feel more on top of things. I'm going away for a week soon and will hopefully return rested and refreshed. I'll definitley be back, this blog and the blogging community has given me too much for me to give up completely. See you in a little while.
Ann.

Monochrome Weekend

2011-11-13T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Weekend Reflections

2011-11-12T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Sky Watch Friday

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

The Dome Project - After

2011-11-10T06:00:00.000+11:00

The Dome Project - Before and During

2011-11-09T06:00:00.000+11:00

Annual Jacaranda Post

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000+11:00

Occupy Sydney - Week 3

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000+11:00

This will probably be my last shots of Occupy unless I catch up with them somewhere else in town. I am moving this week to an office further up town and away from Martin Place and Macquarie Street. I'll miss the area a lot (though I should be able to go over sometimes) but it might be a bit more interesting for you, my valued readers. It was getting difficult finding something new to show you.

Monochrome Weekend

2011-11-06T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Weekend Reflections

2011-11-05T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Sky Watch Friday

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Street Works - Sydney, there is something I have been meaning to tell you

2011-11-03T06:00:00.000+11:00

‘Sydney there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you’ is part playground, part art installation and part therapy session. It is a unique design which encourages participation and interaction whilst revitalizing an underutilised urbanplaza. The concept is to let a laundromat loose in Roslyn Place, Kings Cross, to give Sydneysiders the opportunity to get clean, at least theoretically speaking. Visitors to the space are directed by visual prompts on the ground and instruction manuals on the temporary benches to select a freshly laundered white napkin from the bank of washing machines and then write down their ‘dirty little secret’, the secrets are then ‘aired’ by pegging them on to the hills hoists. Once they have lightened their load, visitors can spend some time in the space, being titillated by the other laundry and waiting to see who else has a secret to share. This social aspect of watching, communicating and observing with people will increase positive human contact in a spirit of curiosity and light-heartedness. After all we all have to do our washing some time.

Although the blurb refers to Kings Cross, this is actually outside Customs House at Circular Quay.

Street Works - Walk the Line

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000+11:00

STREET WORKS is a competition to create temporary installations that transform underutilised public spaces into vibrant places. An initiative of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) NSW, STREET WORKS invites you to re-imagine spaces in the City of Sydney as dynamic, innovative and sustainable temporary public places that will bring people together in unique ways.

WALK THE LINE - The intervention is a temporary painted line - linking other Streetworks interventions and public transport nodes across the CBD - to tantalise the eye and lead both body and mind through the city enocuraging interaction with the surrounds and people in new and unusual ways. In addition to the painted line, street corners will become hop-scotch pitches, bat tennis courts and marbles fields, while stairs will become waterfalls and road crossings arcade games. A unique transformation of the public realm.

Theme Day - Fences

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000+11:00

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Occupy Sydney - Week 2

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000+11:00

After their forced, and forceful, removal from Martin Place at dawn on the Sunday, Monday morning saw a lone protester. That afternoon a small group had gathered. There were small groups at various times during the week but on some days a very visible police presence and no protesters.

Monochrome Weekend

2011-10-30T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Weekend Reflections

2011-10-29T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Sky Watch Friday

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000+11:00

Looking down to the Harbour from a laneway in Millers Point.

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Art and About - Laneway Art (6)

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000+11:00

Deconstructing Ways, Isidro Blasco

‘Deconstructing Ways’ creates a parallel world for your imagination to step into. At the intersection of Mullins Street and Market Row another option to the usual route appears – distorted but strangely more real than the street you are standing on. For a second or two you will be surprised that your own image is not actually reflected in that new street – or is it?

Art and About - Laneway Art (5)

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000+11:00

Peri(pheral)scopes: Looking-over to the over-looked by Heidi Axelsen, Hugo Moline and Adriano Pupilli

Rogue ductwork is grafted onto the air-con shafts and drainpipes of Skittle Lane to become peri(pheral)scopes: giant optical devices looking out to Sydney’s western edge. The views presented are glimpses of places as only locals know them.

Art and About - Laneway Art (4)

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000+11:00

Yarnbombing, guerrilla knitting, or yarnstorming – call it what you will. Queen and founder of the knit graffiti movement Magda Sayeg employs a handmade aesthetic to Sussex Lane, infusing a warmth and humanity to a landscape of concrete and steel.

Occupy Sydney

2011-10-24T06:00:00.001+11:00

This past week, on the way to and from work, I walked through the Occupy Sydney protest in Martin Place, set up between the Reserve Bank and Westpac Bank. Here is a series of shots taken during the week. I had no problems with them being there - they were peaceful, friendly, made an effort to keep their area clean and tidy and were causing no harm. They initially pitched tents but the police removed these as it was against council regulations. From what I could see the police presence was visible but pretty relaxed. As the week progressed the group became better organised with a roster board and discussion groups. Police removed the protesters last night with varying reports of the force used to do so.

Monochrome Weekend

2011-10-23T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more monochrome madness, visit Dragonstar's Weekend in Black and White.

Weekend Reflections

2011-10-22T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more reflections visit James' Weekend Reflections.

Sky Watch Friday

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000+11:00

For more Sky Watch from around the world, drop in to the home of Sky Watch Friday.

Spring in the Gardens

2011-10-20T06:00:00.000+11:00

Walk on the Grass

2011-10-19T06:00:00.001+11:00

Not altogether sure why a large patch of Martin Place was turfed. I think it was an advertising campaign for a lawn food.

Sulphur Crested Vandals

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000+11:00

No idea why but there's a big flock of sulpher crested cockatoos around my area at the moment. I wondered why the bottle brushes were dropping their flowers all of a sudden until I saw the culprits.

They also did a fine job digging up someones newly laid turf.