Manly

I rarely went to Manly when I lived in Sydney.

Living in Coogee, there never seemed to be much reason to go North of the harbour.  I had everything I needed in my self contained suburb, so the idea of spending over an hour and a half each way to go up to Manly seemed unnecessary.  The few times I was in Manly was for a specific event or because there was a particular reason.  Otherwise, I was perfectly happy to stay in the South.  On this trip, there was more reason to make this treacherous journey North of the Bridge.  One of the best things to do when visiting Sydney is to spend some time on the ferries in the harbour.  Riding on the ferries give some brilliant views of the whole city, as well as the Opera House and Bridge.  Going further out into the Harbour, you also get the impressive view of the Sydney Heads which guarded the entry into the Harbour from the Pacific Ocean.  Since we had the time, I thought a ride out to Manly would give us the best views we were looking for.  We jumped on one of the fast ferries, and after only half an hour we were at Manly.  When you arrive at Manly, there are some small beaches next to the ferry terminal.  I remembered years ago that my old housemates had made a trip out to Manly and complained that the beach there was "so small".  I was confused by that, until I realised that it was this small beach next to the ferry terminal which they thought was the "famous" Manly beach.  Thankfully, I knew that this was not the big beach.  We went for a short walk through the Corso and were soon standing on Manly's long beach.

The beach at Manly really is incredibly long.  It doesn't have the same size and scale as Bondi, but it stretches out to be an even longer beach.  It was a very full day down at the beach.  I had been quite surprised this summer by the newfound love of the cabanas.  Being sun smart had always been an important part of Australian culture since I was a kid, but the next step had clearly now been taken.  It had been a strange sight to see, the Australian beaches covered with the cabanas instead of the beach towels.  It was probably a good thing all things considered. 

We went for a swim, though with the tide out, we had a wade quite far out before the water started to rise up enough for us to enjoy the wave jumping.  The waves were rough and inconsistent.  I wanted to go a little bit further out, but I was worried about Veronica who was still a novice at dealing with the Australian surf.  We decided to head back in and found a nice cafe for coffees and some very late breakfast food.  Eating my bircher muesli full of fruit felt nourishing and satisfying.  Everything just tasted so fresh and I was already starting to dread the thought of going back to Hong Kong, with everything shipped in.  After this relaxing time, we decided to head back to the city.  We took the slower ferry this time.  We switched back and forth between the front and the back, looking out towards the Heads and into the city itself.  The sky was blue and the views were uninterrupted.

It had been a nice day out in Manly.  I enjoyed the trip, but I remembered again why I used to never visit.  It was such a long distance to travel.  I thought about friends like Jon who used to live out in Manly and who would do the daily commute into the city.  These long commutes were something I didn't miss about Sydney.

Reunion tour

Being back in Sydney was lovely.  The weather was good and the air smelled fresh and sweet.  Walking around the city with Veronica had been a great trip back to my past life in this city. It was nice to see how Sydney looked, but at the same time I only lived in the city itself for a brief time.  There had also been quite a lot of changes to the city centre which made it less like the Sydney I remembered.  The removal of traffic down the middle of George Street was a positive change, but it wasn't the memory of Sydney I had in my mind.  In any event, most of my time had been spent out in Coogee and along the coast.  I wanted to show Veronica a glimpse of the life I once had so I thought a mini reunion tour of my old home was in order.

We woke up mid morning and took the tram towards Coogee.  Taking the tram out towards Coogee was already a strange enough feeling.  I left Sydney around the time when the construction started and so I missed all of the pain suffered by residents.  The tram itself seemed to take a good route, but it was slow.  It took us past Royal Randwick racecourse where we would go for some days out, past UNSW where I did my masters and then past Prince of Wales Hospital where I once ended up.  It was already a nice little tour down memory lane and I pointed out each to Veronica.  She gave me a wry smile each time, as it really wasn't that interesting.  Once we arrived at Randwick junction, we started to walk towards Coogee.  The first stop on the tour I had planned was the Spot.  I spent countless hours lounging around the Spot, usually at my favourite cafe Kurtosh.  We sat down outside at my "usual" table and ordered some coffees and cakes.  Looking out at the familiar view, this felt more like home.

After this break we continued to walk towards the beach.  I took us down the side street rather than down Coogee Bay Road.  This took us directly past my old apartment.  I looked up and pointed at the top floor to Veronica, to this place that I spent so many formative years of my life.  My old housemates were now all gone from Sydney, so there was no link left with the apartment.  It was strange to think that I had now been gone from the apartment as long as I had lived in it.  I had some amazing memories from that time there, there were tough points and disappointments in life then, but living in this locations was always a positive point in life.

We kept walking and we were soon at Coogee beach.  This truly did impress Veronica.  To be only 400m from such an amazing beach was something most dream of and it was the life I used to live daily.  I thought back to the summer days living in Sydney, waking up early for a swim before work and the constant feeling of salt in my hair.  It was very appealing thinking back about it and I started to think about whether returning to Sydney was something I wanted or not.

I took Veronica into the water.  She still didn't like the cold, but she was more willing to jump in now to enjoy the waves.  The Coogee shore break dumped like it always did and Veronica was soon covered in sand.  We stayed in the water for a while before I decided to move us on.  I had been prepping Veronica for a bit of a walk.  Since had the time and we were here, I thought there was no better time than now for us to do the Coogee to Bondi walk.  This walk consistently gets rated at the top tourist attraction and activity to do when visiting Sydney.  It's something that even when I was a local I used to do frequently and it was always worthwhile.  We rounded the Northern parts of Coogee, and I took Veronica out to some of the secret spots I knew to look at the view.  We went down towards Gordon's Bay and decided against a swim there.  We kept walking until we reached my favourite part of the entire Sydney coastline, Clovelly.  After all the recent travel in Europe, I did feel that this really was the most "European" of all the beaches and swimming spots in Sydney.  It was very crowded and I thought back to Capri.  Everyone laid out on the hot concrete and baked.  I jumped into the water and floated for a bit.  The moment I jumped in, I realised I had forgotten to bring any goggles.  It would have been nice to go searching for the blue gropers, but that would have to wait for next trip.

We took a short rest here.  Up at Sea Salt we lounged around with some food and drinks.  I ordered a strawberry milkshake, the last thing I ordered when I was leaving Sydney and hanging out in Clovelly.  It was a taste of childhood, but Veronica was unimpressed by what she thought was milkshake that wasn't thick enough.

We kept on walking.

Each part of the coastline gives spectacular views up and down the coast.  It was hot, but we were lucky to have a strong cool breeze giving us some relief.  We kept stopping frequently as there were views to be seen at most spots.  We got to Waverly Cemetary and I explained to Veronica how we used to have to walk through the cemetary before they built the walkway on the edge of the cliff.  The walkway was a great addition to this walk, but I'll always still remember the strange sights you would see of bikini clad girls wandering through the cemetary.  It was always a strange contrast to see.

After passing by Tamarama and Bronte, we finally reached our final location of Bondi.

I never liked Bondi much when I lived in Coogee, it was always too busy and full of tourists for my liking.  Being here now with Veronica, I could appreciate it from a different perspective.  It was easy to forget just how enormous it is as a beach.  We arrived just as the last heat of the day was fading and so there were already less people on the beach, but it was still full of more than enough people enjoying themselves.  As we walked around, I heard the familiar sounds of a multitude of foreign languages.  Bondi always did attract the travelers from around the world and whilst it created a crowded tourist scene, it also did make for a great mix of cultures and peoples.

We didn't feel like a swim, it was getting a bit cooler now and we were hungry.  Tacos seemed like the best idea here at Bondi and so we walked up to the Northern side of the beach.  There was sat at the window of a restaurant, eating our tacos and drinking our micheladas as we watched the sun slowly setting, throwing a golden orange hue over the beach.  It had been a tiring, but very worthwhile day in Sydney.
 

Fancy New Year

The days in Newcastle went quickly.  I didn't feel like we had done much, but the time past quickly in the comfortable settings and with the relaxed lifestyle.  After a week, our visit had come to an end and it was time for us to go.  I could have happily stayed in Newcastle for longer, but that wouldn't be right for Veronica.  Being in Australia for the first time with Veronica, I wanted us to experience a bit more during our stay.  So we said our goodbyes to my family and headed back to Sydney.

In Sydney, I had planned for us something special.  New Year's Eve in Sydney is always a big event.  Over the years, I had gone to many parties and spent many nights out in the public parks with friends to watch the fireworks.  However, I had never been to any of the prime locations to watch the fireworks.  The prices had always been astronomical and it hadn't been something I had considered.  On this trip, I had different plans.  If only once, I wanted to go to watch the fireworks from one of the best spots.  Looking online, there weren't many places with any availability left.  I picked one of the few spots with anything left and with a knot in my stomach, paid the exorbitant price.  Early in the evening on New Year's Eve, we set out towards the Royal Botanic Gardens.  Our section of seating didn't open until 6pm, so we thought we would start making our way over at about 5:30pm.  In hindsight, this was a bit too late.  When we arrived, we found ourselves confronted with a long line of people that would take almost 45 minutes.

Once we successfully navigated the line, we rushed with the others to try and find a spot.  The best spots had all been taken, but we were still able to get a good spot at the very front.  We would be here for the next 6 hours, so we threw down our blankets and settled in for some relaxation as we waited.  We were curious about whether such a long time would become a bit of a drag or tedious.  It seemed to be a long time to just be waiting around on the grass, so we came prepared with extra battery banks for our phones, books and magazines.  I lay back and settled into the next few hours of reading.  It was crowded and were surrounded by people, but it was still a relaxing time.

As the sun set and the skies darkened, the colours and lights of the harbour awakened.  Ships full of partygoers circled the harbour, completely covered in bright lights themselves and they sounded their horns to the delight of everyone on shore.  The sedate and relaxed mood of the early evening changed, and there was a vibrancy which had taken over.  Down closer to the habour, the party at Opera Bar was kicking off and people were screaming along with the bands entertaining the party.

At nine o'clock, the first set of fireworks started.

These were the "children's fireworks" which happened every year.  They were timed to allow the families with the younger children to see some fireworks without having to stay the full evening.  It was a good idea.  Everyone's heads craned up as the sky lit up and we were given this short appetiser to the bigger even that was come at midnight.  After this short show, I looked around and no one moved.  I'm sure there were some who would leave after this display, but given the prices paid for our area, it seemed that everyone here would be staying until the final show.

The next three hours flew by.  It was too dark to read now, so we just lay back and chatted as we drank our wine.  Surrounded by the buzz of activity around us seemed to give us all the energy we needed.  Occasionally, one of us would wander off to the bathroom or to get more snacks, but nothing much happened.  It was a good way for us to rest and relax.  The last few weeks had been a bit hectic with the travel and with the family reunion, so I enjoyed spending this time with Veronica.  Soon, the noise started to increase.  People were staying to scream and shout as midnight started to approach.  The lights on the bridge changed and soon numbers appeared to commence the countdown.  At midnight, there was an enormous cheer and the sky glowed with fireworks.  A waterfall of flames streamed from the bridge, one of the signature sights done every year.  The Sydney new year fireworks always go for a long time, this year was no different.  The sky was filled with fireworks for nearly fifteen minutes.  I had seen the show before, but this was special.  To be directly in front and to have the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge was an experience I would remember.

With the fireworks finished, everyone began the slow procession out of the Botanic Gardens and back into the city.  The streets were crowded with people and it was a surreal sight to see the thousands of people filling the normally quiet evening streets.

Was it all worth it?  It's hard to say.  The price for the night was steep.  Yet the experience was certainly something special.  Even after seeing the Sydney fireworks several times, this was still without a doubt the most impressive and enjoyable of all the experiences.

An incredible Sydney day

It's a bit strange being in Sydney as a visitor.  It still feels like my home, but I've now been away long enough for some of the familiarity to have faded.

I was staying with Sarah.  Her apartment is in Bondi.  We arrived back at her place late at night when it was dark and I crashed onto her couch almost straight away.  The next day, I was woken up by the light streaming in from the windows.  I got up and looked out.  Her views out towards the ocean were incredible.  I felt a definite twang of nostalgia, thinking back to what I used to have living in Coogee.  I didn't have a views like this, but I certainly missed the proximity to some of the best beaches in the world.

We went for a walk around the area.  It was all as I remembered it.  The air was fresh and I could smell the ocean.  I definitely missed it all.

Summer in Sydney is also a special time and place.  I can't think of many places in the world that have such an incredible combination of lovely weather, public holidays, and general upbeat holiday mood.  There is a confluence of a whole variety of different factors which just makes the whole city buzzing with a happiness.

Later that day, I went and met with Helena.  There was an AFL game on, and she got us tickets.  We sat in the stands, watched the game and chatted.  Hels was one of my oldest friends in Sydney.  We knew each other from back in our old Cirque du Soleil days.  The game itself didn't seem very important.  Just the simple act of spending the afternoon together was what we wanted.

Later that night, I went into the city.  Grainne and Shiral were waiting for me.  We went to the basement of No 1 Martin Place.  We ordered wine and a cheese platter.  We drank and ate, talking and laughing about random things happening in our lives.

Nothing particularly interesting had happened during the day.  There had been no big events.  No big stories or occurrences to remember.  But this was still an incredible day.

Time to move on

The time had finally come.

I was leaving Australia.

Living overseas was something I had wanted to do since I was young, yet it had taken a lot longer than I expected to arrive at this point in my life.  It had taken me a a long time come to the realisation that I need to leave Australia to be able to do the things I wanted in life.  This felt like I was getting myself back on the track of experiencing the different life I had wanted for so long.

I arrived back in Sydney from Newcastle and checked myself into a hotel.  It felt strange to be in a hotel in what was still ostensibly my "home".

Looking out across the city was a strange feeling.  How long would it be before this family sight started to become just a memory for me?  I had lived here for such a long time and had gotten to know all the ins and outs of the city.  Looking out at this view, I could name all the streets, find you all the best places to eat, to go out.  Sarah came to visit me in the hotel before I left and we sat there eating cheese and talking about all our different plans for the future.

The next day, I checked out and went to the airport.  The final drive to the airport felt surreal.  I was incredibly excited and happy to be leaving, but it didn't mean I wasn't going to miss this place.  The last few weeks in particular had been fantastic as I had been blessed with incredible weather which let me spend almost every day at the beach.  As I was checking in, I found out that my upgrade request had come through!

The plane ride to Hong Kong became a far more luxurious trip than I had originally anticipated.  I had only been in business class once before when I was a kid, so this was definitely a treat.  The wide and comfortable seats along with the good food made this one of the few times I wished that the trip would actually take longer!

I landed at Chek Lap Kok airport in the evening and there was a car which had been arranged to take me to my serviced apartment.  This would be my temporary home until I could find something more permanent.  Once I was inside, I dropped my bags on the middle of the floor and I look out of the window at all the lights of the city.

I was a world away from Sydney.  I was a little bit nervous, but I was also excited about this adventure.

I used to live by the beach

The day has finally come for me to leave Sydney.

I never thought I would stay as long as I did.  I only ever thought I would stay for a few years, but instead it's been over 7 years.

I never liked Sydney to begin with.  I was stuck in the city and it just didn't appeal to me.  It didn't have that much life to it and I still remember feeling exceptionally bored on the weekends when people would desert the city centre.  Things changed a lot once I moved to Coogee.

I have grown to love the place.  I didn't even realise that it had become my home.

Without even initially realising it, I have lived in the paradise that many aspire to and I am glad that I was able to come to that understanding with enough time to appreciate it.

There were so many random little things I would miss.  Just the feeling I got on the weekend of walking down to the beach and having a milkshake at a local cafe on Coogee Bay Road or up at the Spot.  That was always hard to beat.  I liked becoming the local.  With the local shops recognising me.  I would get a nicer greeting at the butchers or the bakery.  The waitresses would give familiar smile when I sat down.

Just looking at Coogee beach on a busy day also used to make me happy.  There was a lively atmosphere to the place which was warm and inviting.  Coogee has never been a surfing beach, so unlike some of the other beaches around Sydney there were always far less of the posers seeking to be seen.  It was more of a family beach where people would come with their kids to spend the day.

It wasn't just any beach for me anymore either.  It was home.  When I looked out at the sands and the water, I felt a level of belonging that I really hadn't felt since I had been in Melbourne as a kid.  I had never felt any affinity with Canberra and it was only after I had left Singapore that I had started to appreciate it properly.  This place was different though as I had become part of the surroundings.  I was most certainly one of the locals of Coogee now and there were more than enough of the cafes and bars which recognised me as such.  Like other locals, dressed in my scrappy clothes and thongs, I would wander in without challenge whilst the out of towners would be dressed up in their fancier clothes.  I remembered one day in particular at the fancy new Coogee Pavillion when I wandered in with Sarah.  The Pavillion is one of the new places to be and to be seen in Sydney.  Sarah looked mortified with how I was dressed as I walked in.  I must have looked close to homeless in my board shorts, old t-shirt and thongs, but the security happily waved me in.  Others around were a bit shocked as they had clearly put in a huge amount of effort to look good for a night out at the Pavillion.  This acknowledgement of the locals seemed to have been part of a wider desire to keep the "beachiness" in place.

I really did love hanging by the beach, and when I wasn't at the beach I would be at a cafe.  There would be the ones I loved on Coogee Bay Road or up at the Spot, but on occasion I would also go a bit further out to Surry Hills to get myself a ginger broulee tart at Bourke Street Bakery.

I stuck my head out of my apartment window one last time to look out at the view I used to have.  Well... the view I had if I stuck my head out the window!  I lived a few hundred metres from the beach!  I lived within a few minutes walk of the sand between my toes, the ocean breeze through my hair and the sun of my face.

I was leaving all of this now.  It was time to go.

The joyful life

I have tried to embrace living by the beach as much as possible, but even then I think I have taken it for granted at times.  It's such a privilege to have the great beaches of Sydney at my doorstep.  Over the last few weeks, I had tried to go to the beach as much as possible and my tan was turning darker and darker.  My routine was generally quite set.  I would start off by walking to Coogee beach and then having a quick swim.

I would then make my way across to Clovelly, where I would bake on the concrete of what must be Sydney's greatest natural swimming pool.  More often than not, I would have a milkshake as well.  It was a weekday, so it was relatively quiet, even though the weather was spectacularly good.  To my right there was a photo shoot going on, so a smallish crowd gathered to gawk at them.

The concrete would warm up in the sun, and so laying down on its hot surface with the sun above was akin to being baked on a pizza stone.  I moved between swimming and sunbaking for a few hours.  Back and forth I went between swimming and sleeping.  Eventually, I had my fill of this so decided to start heading back.

The walk back home past Gordon's Bay would always be slower and more relaxed than the initial walk out, but I was always half asleep so it didn't matter.

As I walked back up Coogee Bay Road, I stopped in at Tropicana for a coffee.  The waitresses had grown used to seeing me wander in and already knew my order.  It's nice having a "local" and it seemed to create an additional feeling of welcome.

I sat back with my coffee and read the paper.  There was nothing else to do and that was completely fine by me.

Wylie's

I've been living in Coogee for years and I rarely go down to Wylie's Baths.  I'm not sure why I don't go more often.  Maybe I'm just a bit too cheap to pay the fee (it's very cheap...) to go in given there's the free beach just to the side, but I think that's been a mistake by me.  There's something lovely about going to Wylie's Baths.  It is often much quieter than the surrounding beaches and its has an old world charm to it.

The water itself isn't very deep.  It definitely needs a bit of a clean up at the bottom, but it's nice to wade around in the sheltered waters and to lay down on the concrete surrounding the water.  There's a whole bunch of regulars who seem to do laps around Wylie's every day.  It's a nice habit to have and I wonder whether it's one I should have formed a bit earlier myself.

After sunning myself for a while, I went upstairs and got a milkshake.

The whole area is such an echo to the past. It's from a gentler time, when people didn't go to the beach to swim, they went to the beach to "bathe".  It's a lovely working reminder of how things used to be and I'm very lucky to have it just around the corner to my home.

Art in Australia

Having just been immersed in the New York art scene, I thought I would go and look at some of the galleries in Sydney.  Whilst nowhere near as big as New York, there were still some decent sized galleries and I hadn't been to them for a long time.  I went first to the Art Gallery of NSW.  It's a classical old building, but I've never liked how the outside of it is labelled with large brass letters listing out the names of famous artists through history.  There's something strangely tacky about it.  Inside, there are some very nice exhibits, and that should be the focus.  There's a great collection of Sidney Nolan for instance.

There are also some beautifully curated old rooms which have much of the same grandeur as their cousins in the Northern hemisphere.  It was a quiet day, so I was able to enjoy much of the gallery in peace and without any disturbance.

I walked across the Domain and back towards Darling Harbour.  I had a bit of time so I wanted to go and have a look at the MCA.  The MCA is much smaller than the Art Gallery of NSW, but it has one of the best spots in Sydney looking out across to both the Habour Bridge and the Opera House.  Inside, the collection is small but I find it well curated and there's always a series of exhibits to catch the eye and attention.

Once again, it was almost empty.  It was a shame that these galleries didn't have more people giving them the patronage they deserved.

Ice in Sydney

Sydney never really gets that cold.  Winter is annoying because it gets incredibly wet and can rain for days on end, but it never gets cold enough to snow or anything like that.  Even a frosty morning isn't something I've seen in my time in Sydney.  Living in Canberra during the winters was always tough, it would regularly go below zero, but there would never be any noticeable amount of snow.  At the very least, nowhere close to enough for there to be any fun winter sports.  One of the few pleasures on the icy cold mornings was when there was a hard frost that hard settled overnight.  Walking through grass on those mornings, you could hear and feel the crunch of the ice under your foot.  If you walked past any puddles, you would also be able to crack the layer of ice that had formed on top.

In this mild wintered city, it was a surprise to see an outdoor skating rink.  It had been set up outside of St Mary's cathedral as well, which provided an almost European backdrop to what had been put together.

With Gabby and Manon driving me to do more as always, we all paid for some skates and jumped on the ice.  I struggled along, having not ice skated for at least ten years, but still had a great time.  Manon unsurprisingly was flying around the rink.  She's a snow bunny from the Alps, so all winter sports are second nature to her.  Gabby was more tentative as she made her way around slowly before moving towards the edges.

After being circled and lapped several times by Manon, we finished up and moved towards one of the nearby cafes which had been set up.  Keeping with the theme, I ordered cups of hot cider and gluwine for all of us.

Cliffs of Coogee

It took me a long time to find the cliffs of Coogee.  Years in fact.  The cliffs are actually not on any walking track and it takes a bit of searching to realise that you need to jump some fences to get out to where they are.

Once you find them, you realise that they are one of the best places in all of Sydney.  They give a near uninterrupted view up and down the coastline of Sydney.  The rocks on the cliffs themselves are also beautiful, and some intrepid artists have managed to climb out and decorate some parts with some graffiti art (of varying degrees of quality).

Getting out to the cliffs is itself not that dangerous, but once you are standing on the edge it's easy to appreciate why the area is made more publicly known.  There are too many ways you could foresee someone slipping and falling.  Added to that is rocky outcrops beneath the cliffs.  If anyone were to fall in, it's not clear how anyone would be able to get to them to rescue them.

Still, it's lovely standing out there and looking out at the ocean.  When there's a nice breeze coming in you almost feel like you're completely alone in Sydney, standing on the very edge of Australia.

Birthday and cheese

For Gabby's birthday, she wanted cheese.  Lots and lots of cheese.  As a Frenchwoman this seemed fair.

We decided that we would get her some fondue as the best way of celebrating.  Times in Sydney are changing as there seem to be more and more casual French restaurants opening these days.  It's been amazing seeing the change in Sydney's dining habits over the last few years.  There's an increasing sophistication and willingness to explore which has really helped to increase the variety of offerings available.  Only a few years ago, the only French places that were really ever available would have been the traditional fine dining places.

I bought Gabby a birthday cake from Lorraine's in the Ivy complex.  It was a light and crumbly hazelnut and cream cake that matched the richness of the cheese we had just eaten.

As we left, it started to rain hard.  We started to run for the bus and Maylis decided it was now the perfect time to start singing "La Vie en Rose" at the top of her voice.  

The Microsoft XP desktop picture

Having lived now in Sydney for a few years, I felt I now knew quite a bit about the city and some of its less famous features.  The city is beautiful, but it has a lot more to offer than the superficial views of the harbour and its beaches.  I think it's quite sad that most people, including many Sydney locals, never seem to get past that part of Sydney.  For them, Sydney is nothing more than that initial layer.

They're missing out on a lot.  Sydney is actually a city that has a deep multicultural base with people from around the world.  You can get incredible foods and experiences originating from around the world if you only leave the city and drive a little bit further into the suburbs.

Beyond that there are also some incredible sights to be seen.  One of my favourites would have to be Sydney Park.  This is a huge area of park lands and manicured grass that sits to the south of the city.  Every time I've been to visit, it's been relatively empty.  The car park always has space and you can walk around the whole area without being disturbed.  It rises up onto a hill which also gives an incredible view of the Sydney skyline from the southern side.

One afternoon, I took Manon and Gabby out to visit.  We had been eating at the nearby Grounds of Alexandria, when I thought that it would be nice for us to walk around the park as well.  Both of them loved the place.  The enormous open space and the lawns give you a sense of freedom.  You want to run and jump when you are out there.

Gabby made Manon and I walk out a bit because she wanted a picture.  She decided that everything looked a bit too much like the Microsoft XP desktop picture. 

Round and round

Ferris wheels seem to be experiencing a renaissance around the world.  It seems like you can't really be a global city unless you have a ferris wheel in the CBD to show all the visitors how great you are.

Normally I walk past these things without a second glance.  Having Manon and Gabby with me meant that we were going to try more things.  They both wanted to go for a ride to see the city and I was more than willing to have a look.

The view wasn't that great.  It just isn't high up enough and the location of the ferris wheel in Darling Harbour means that it's a bit too far away from the rest of the city.  There are better places to go with better views of the city.  Still it was fun to go up, though I'm not sure it would have been had Manon and Gabby not been there screaming as we made the turns.