Christmas Season in Australia

Hi all last night Lincoln and I went off to see the lighting of the trees and the festivities that the City of Sydney had planned.

As we walked thru the Domain we finally found out what all the tents had been set up for, it was the Citi Group Christmas Party. No one seems to have parties inside they are mostly all held in the many parks. One gentleman told us the theme was Central Park and that was why the squirrels were all set about.

Rides were being offered in the lovely carriage with well dressed driver, the horse drawing the carriage was a gorgeous horse and just pranced every so nicely.

We then continued on our way thru the hospital grounds and out onto Martin Place where we could hear music and much gaiety. As we walked over a couple of streets we could see the large screen and hear the performers, they were mainly entertaining the large group of children which were decked out in their Christmas Hats. The performers were on stage and a large group was watching and then the next group seated behind was watching the performance on the huge screen. Couldn't believe the number of little ones out.

We then crossed over Pitt Street, still on Martin Place to see the huge tree which was decorated and standing beside it was King Frosty, having his picture taken with the many shoppers who were out milling around.

We walked back up Pitt Street to the Pitt Street Mall, which is a closed off section of the roadway and admired the Christmas Trees in the Myer Department Store, not to be outdone, the second department store which is called David Jones and known as DJ had 6 scenes of the Nutcracker in their windows all with puppets and dancing little animals. Had to wait in line to take pictures.

Just before we came to David Jones, policemen on horses stopped traffic so that another horse drawn carriage could pass, which was carrying Santa and the Lord Mayor of Sydney who had just come from visiting the kiddies in Hyde Park and was now on its was to Martin Place.

We then crossed over Elizabeth Street, we are now heading back to our place, and entered Hyde Park, where again a large screen was projecting the goings on from Martin Place, not as many people here, but they did have little Angels who were giving Lindt Chocolates to the grown ups and brightly sparking stars to the little people. As we stood watching the choir came on screen and sang some of the old familiar Christmas Carols. It was a lovely evening and I am sure everyone had a great time. I know Lincoln and I did.

We continued on our way home and just as we came to the steps at the Art Centre fireworks started lighting up the sky, they were being sent up from Hyde Park and Martin Place, in mostly red and green colours. All this in the downtown park of the city, they certainly do not get all wrapped up about liability here.

Once we arrived home didn't more fireworks start lighting up the sky from the bridge down on Circular Quay, do not know what the occasion was for them, likely just another party.

Absolutely great City.

Nov 17 and 18 Parramatta by Ferry

Saturday morning at 10.00am we took the ferry to Parramatta which is an hour ride from Circular Quay, with only one stop along the way. It was a lovely ride and we saw many, many rowing teams out in the bay, so many so the ferry had to slow down to creep by them. It was a lovely sunny day and we sat out on the bow of the ferry so could see the sights very well. As usual the harbour was full of activity, from small sailing craft to very large ones, power boats of all sizes, and even the odd person being pulled behind a power boat. There was one very large scientific ship which was moored very close to our passage. The ferry we were on is called a rivercat as it can travel in shallow water, which is needed as we entered the Parramatta River. The trip up here is slow as it is very narrow and only one ferry at a time can traverse it, so timing is everything.

Parramatta is the home of the first Government House, which was what we were intent on viewing. After exiting the ferry we walked along a very pretty walk, called the River Walk,this follows the Parramatta River into the city proper, and has a number of dams built along the way. It has been designed to tell some of the tale of the original Aboriginal Peoples. Very pleasant walk, and again as usual, lots of benches to sit on and enjoy the great outdoors.

Australia's Oldest Licensed Hotel Circa 1796
We decided to enjoy lunch and a drink prior to going off to get a tour of the House, and stopped at a little restaurant and much to my delight they were serving scones, jam and cream. We each ordered one and when they came wished we had shared one serving. Talked to a very friendly gentleman across from us who asked if we had ever had anything so good. Scones were very high on his list of desired food.

We now definitely needed to walk so off we went to find Old Government House. It was not far away, but due to the hot day it felt miles off. This house was built between 1799 and 1816 and is Australia's oldest public building. Set in 260 acres of parkland, with over 20 rooms furnished as the home of Australia's early govenors. We wandered the front grounds of the House and read all the postings, which showed how the House had been transformed over the years. At first the front yard was planted with all the vegetables that were used to provide for the Govenor and his family, but over time they were made into a beautiful lawn and garden. On arriving we found that the next tour was in 20 mins so just sat on the porch and enjoyed the shade.

The woman who took us on the tour was great, she just had Lincoln and I to take and spent 1 1/2 hours telling us of the many Govenors who lived in it and something of their past. It was two houses put together over time and was quite large. The front entrance floor was wooden but had been painted in black and white squares which was said to resemble marble. The original furniture was not in the House as it had become a boarding house and then a Boys School after it was vacated by the last Govenor to live there. It was taken over by the National Historical Homes and repaired and put back as it was based on drawings that were found or given to them. The furniture that is in the home is representative of the periods in time that it was inhabited by the Govenors. Some being very basic and then leaning more to the Victorian period. We saw the kitchen which had a stone floor and some of the implements that the cooks used, including an old butter churn. They had an entirely separate room for the oven in which the baking of bread was done. There was a separate room for the Butler from which he could serve drinks and tea if required. One item of interest was the travelling beds, they all came apart and the parts were numbered, so when the Govenor travelled his bed went with him. These were large 4 poster beds. Needless to say we enjoyed our tour thanks to a most pleasant and knowledgable guide.

We went then to find the baths, but all that remained were the forms and the roof the rest had been filled in long ago. Just down the path we found the Astronomical Centre.

"The Greenwich of the Southern Hemisphere" said Governor Brisbane of the Parramatta Observatory, built at his own expense in 1822. A passionate and expert astronomer, Brisbane also employed astronomers Charles Rumker and James Dunlop, who undertook much important work at this site. Together they compiled the first catalogue of the southern skies. Accurate star positions were required for navigation and surveying, so the research undertaken here was very important to the British Colonial Government.
In 1828 surveyor Thomas Mitchell used these transit stones as the initial meridian mark for the first trigonometric survey of Australia.
In 1847 the Observatory was closed, the building became dilapidated and was demolished in 1876.

We then decided to go off in search of a Dairy that was listed on the map of the grounds, once found, much to our dismay, it was closed. So we then went in search of a garden that was said to have many exotic plants on display, again it was closed. We certainly did get our walking exercise and also enjoyed the pleasant day.

Back we went along the walkway to the ferry, and enjoyed a beer and drink at the cafe just above the landing wharf, 1/2 hr later we were on our way home, the weather was now much cooler as the sun had gone down so we sat inside and had the odd little nap along the way, for the first time we boarded a bus on the Quay and rode home. We had bought a day tripper ticket which allowes you to ride, bus, ferry, train anywhere all day long for just 16.00 each. Great deal as the ferry alone would have cost us 15.40 ea.

View down to Woolwich Ferry Landing

Sunday found us again at the wharf this time taking a ferry across the bay to Woolwich. This is a lovely town about 25 mins from Sydney and has many old homes and cottages, and the streets are lined with many blossomed trees. The walk that we embarked on was 9 km long, winding its way along the shore and then thru bays, and then back up onto the streets and past lovely homes. Part of the path took us thru the bush land and we say a cliff overhang where some aboriginal person had made carvings in the rock from long ago. We wandered thru this area swatting at the many sticky flys and being careful not to fall over the embankment until we found we had come to a dead end, so we then retraced ours steps back and found the correct path to take and enjoyed a more pleasant walk on wider paths coming out again into a cottage area, where again we followed the arrows which led us up and down hills and paths and by the water. Not many people were out and about so it was a very peaceful and enjoyable walk, although we were glad when we made our way back to the park where the ferry would pick us up on its last run on 6.15pm. We walked home tired and sore arriving at 7.00pm and falling into bed early after another enjoyable weekend.

Nov 10 and 11 Sailing Course

Well it is here, the long awaited sailing course that Lincoln and Don have signed up for. Don took an Introduction to Sailing Course last weekend, and is now willing to give this next course a try. It is a Competent Crew Course and is being help in Newport, which is an hour away from Sydney via bus. They will be sleeping on the boat Saturday evening, so sleeping bags had to be located and purchased. Lincoln left the apartment at 7.15 am to meet Don at the bus depot, as they had to be at the marina at 9.00am. The bus was leaving around 7.45am.

Saturday morning saw them get on the sailboat (Beneteau 43) and become familiar with all its running gear. They then left the marina, which was at Crystal Bay, to the open waters of Broken Bay. It is here that they were instructed on how to raise the sails, which they did and then proceeded to sail further into the Bay and across the inner side of the Heads, under the direction of the instructor with each one of them getting a turn at the helm. More familiarization was then given on tacking the yacht and the proper use of the winches. They attemped to sail around Lion Island, (the island contains the largest population of little penguins in the Sydney area and is free of feral cats and foxes. It is listed in the Register of the National Estate as a breeding habitat for shearwaters and little penguins), but the wind had become non existent so they proceeded to use the diesel to continue their journey further up Pittwater. Here a quiet anchorage was found for lunch and everyone quickly ate two large sandwiches each after the hard work of the morning. After lunch the wind had picked up and off they went sailing again with a different group raising the sails and everyone again had a turn at the helm while they sailed further up Pittwater. The day concluded with trying to find an anchorage as every bay they went into had boats on all the moorings. They finally found one in Castle Lagoon with three houseboats. The beer was then broken out and a good drink was enjoyed by all in preparation for dinner. They were off to a good start when they dropped the meat pies behind the stove and had to figure out how to retrieve them without making a complete mess of them. They were shovelled out with a paint scraper that was in use as a spatula for the frying pan

I also understand that Lincoln got stuck in the bosun's chair (Sunday Morning) when the winch became tangled and they could not get him down for a little bit. The winch had to be completely disassembled to free the rope. After the rope was freed Lincoln was lowered down and then had to assist in the repair of the winch as everyone seemed to be at a loss on how to reassemble it. Once this was repaired they then hoisted the two remaining people up in the bosun's chair (30 feet up the mast). After this exciting event they set sail again, from Cottage Point, for their lunch stop, which was at Refuge Bay, and more sandwiches were again devoured. They then all practised docking the yacht under power at the trash barge moored in the middle of the bay as this was a major anchorage for people visiting Pittwater. From there they set off on their way back to the marina practising their new found sailing skills. Sailing into the harbour was a challenge as all the boats were making their way in at the same time, it was a good lesson on which vessel has the right of way. The point of departure was located and once again they docked successfully.

Lincoln arrived home at 7.00pm Sunday night, exhausted, but having passed the course and ready to take the next one which is navigation. He is working towards his certification which will enable him to take out a 200 ton boat, 50 miles offshore. Lincoln is the avid sailor, while I love looking at the water and being close to it, but definitely not in or on it. Although I must admit that I quite enjoy the many ferry rides we take in the harbour. Can't go anywhere in a hurry unless you get on the ferries. The rides are anywhere from 10 mins to 1 hour. The ferry shown is the larger Manly Ferry.

While Lincoln and Don took this course I did my usual thing of walking in the city and wandering up and down new streets and taking in the sights.

November 3 and 4 Hunter Valley Wine Tour

We awoke to a wet morning, but quickly ate and ran downstairs to meet our driver who was taking us on a wine tour in Hunter Valley, which is 150km north of Sydney. We were picked up by a lovely woman who was the driver and tour guide. We chose a company called Sydney Wilderness Tours as they had a mini bus and just took 14 people at a time on the tour. We were the second couple to be picked up and it was only 7.15am. Once were had made all the stops we found that we, along with Don, who also works with Lincoln, were the oldest on this adventure. The balance was made up of young men and women in their mid twenties. One group had to be woken up by their friends on the cell phone, they then had to hop a taxi and meet us at our next stop. The driver was great and teased the younger group the whole day.

We left Sydney at 8.00am and drove through the country and along the coast, arriving at our destination at 10.30am. Our first stop was a little boutique vineyard called Mistletoe, and you could just buy their wine from them. We were all invited to step up to the bar and sample different wines. I would say there were at least 10 or 12 different types. We purchased a bottle of port, which was lovely, it disappeared in a hurry. We also bought a bottle of The Rose, it was described as a bouquet of cushed flowers and spicy Turkish delight. Excellent as an aperitif and a perfect accompaniment for modern Australian and Mediterr-asian cuisine. The gentleman telling us about the wines was most helpful and answered all questions that were asked. They also sold olives that were prepared by themselves. Did not buy any although Don did and never asked if they were good or not.

We left there and headed down the road to our second vineyard which was to be Tempus Two, but on arriving found that it was closed in preparation for a Beach Boys Concert. So off we went to the drivers second choice and unfortunately I do not remember the name of it. It was a fairly new vineyard, with a lovely new building for the wine tasting, but unfortunately a not so impressive young man who basically just said here you go taste this. We did have the option of again trying 10 or 12 different types of wine, but because there was not a great deal of explanation did not enjoy it nearly as much as the first spot. The vineyard had 30 acres cultivated which does not sound very large even to me. It is not a hilly area and the vines are just planted in what appears to be cleared areas much like you would clear a field for planting strawberries. There are scrub trees along the sides of the field. I guess I was expecting large rolling hills with massive plantings of vines. We did not purchase anything at this vineyard.

We then were off to lunch and the next vineyard, which also housed a brewery. We had a 5 course lunch, which was included in the price of the fare, and each course was served with a different wine. This gave us the opportunity to talk with our fellow travellers, they were from South Africa, USA, Germany and of course Canada. By now the young lads were anxious to get to the brewery where you could buy a paddle of beer (5 different types in small water size glasses), once you finished this you took your paddle back and could then get a full size beer of your choosing. We all sat outside in the sun, which I forgot to mention came out as we entered the Valley and recuperated from our many samples of wine and beer.

We then headed into town to sample the cheeses and chocolates at the local establishments. Chesses looked great, but due to warm weather we did not buy any. I did buy some fudge at the chocolate shop, it was not nearly as good as the fudge my Mother used to make us when we were young. There was also an ice cream shop, where they sold non fattening ice cream, can't remember what the main components were, but of course, I bought one and it was great. There was also a stand which was selling local oils. Our friend Don, purchased cheese, bread and oil as he wanted to try everything out.

We now all climbed back on the bus and headed for the last vineyard, just a short distance down the road. This one specialized in flavoured wines, like strawberry and passionfruit. Did not appeal to me at all, so I just looked around the room which they had set up with old pieces of wine making equipment. These places rent out their gardens for weddings and one was being held as we left. This last place was very picturesque and when you look at the vineyard you could see some hills in the distance.

Unfortunately none of these places that we visited processed their own wine on the premises, which was a little disappointing to us. They send it out to a local plant.

We then boarded our bus for the long, quiet trip home. The younger generation having enjoyed the wine and beer were now ready for a nap in preparation for Saturday night out on the town.

The guide, Don, Lincoln and I chatted on the way home and just generally took in the lovely scenery. Since the weather was wet the roadway was not as crowded as it usually was on a weekend so made good time arriving back in Sydney arriving at our door around 5.45pm.

Sunday awoke with a very sore leg and back, must have been sitting on the bus for long periods of time. We had a slow morning and enjoyed talking with my sister, Mary Ann and her husband Phil on SKYPE. SKYPE is a great invention you can talk to each other thru your computers, sounds just like the phone, and best of all it is free.

We took the train over to Bondi Junction, just to get out of the apartment and did a little shopping and then came home to a quiet evening.