What a beautiful day! Had a lie in, then went for a walk down towards the National Park (didn't quite make it there mind.. but some day).
A year and a half living in this apartment and I still find new stuff on the other side of the road. Naomi and I took a nice walk through some of the parkland before a bit of a gym, swim and jacuzzi (oh, and some sunbathing on the roof)! You just can't beat it.
While we were out walking though I noticed someone had at sometime (probably long ago) written in the concrete; "God rules OK!". I thought it was a nice thought :)
Australia Day...
Well I must've broken every tradition for Australia Day this year - no BBQ, no lamb and only a couple of light beers!
Still, I had great day :)
Got up, picked up Chili from Randwick and then headed out to the Blue Mountains.
Had lunch in Il Postino's (no Pat) in Wentworth Falls and then drove down to the car park. We walked down to the falls themselves but they were working on the path. So we did a little waterfall circuit followed by the underpass walk for a while.
I'll probably forget the image that's in my head so quickly but there was such a cool little house in the sun on the way back. What jumped out to me was the rickety old basketball net.
Had a couple of drinks and dinner in the Royal Randwick Hotel before watching the Pursuit of Happyness in the Ritz.
Home, watched the end of Predator and then had crazy dreams! You'd think I'd learn.
Still, I had great day :)
Got up, picked up Chili from Randwick and then headed out to the Blue Mountains.
Had lunch in Il Postino's (no Pat) in Wentworth Falls and then drove down to the car park. We walked down to the falls themselves but they were working on the path. So we did a little waterfall circuit followed by the underpass walk for a while.
I'll probably forget the image that's in my head so quickly but there was such a cool little house in the sun on the way back. What jumped out to me was the rickety old basketball net.
Had a couple of drinks and dinner in the Royal Randwick Hotel before watching the Pursuit of Happyness in the Ritz.
Home, watched the end of Predator and then had crazy dreams! You'd think I'd learn.
Say hello to Hello Nasty...
It's funny, just yesterday at lunch I said to Ang "I need some more good, new music", and last night as I was coming back on the train from meeting with Frank, I turn on my iPod and notice that "Hello Nasty" by the Beastie Boys is sitting there.
I've always sort of been a Beastie's fan because they're pretty cool (e.g. Sabotage - come on!) but in all honesty, I haven't listened to Hello Nasty much at all (maybe only ever once the whole way through and Intergalatic over and over again).
Anyway, that album is fantastic - there are a couple of tunes that I just couldn't believe how good they were.
Isn't it funny how sometimes the old can be new?
I've always sort of been a Beastie's fan because they're pretty cool (e.g. Sabotage - come on!) but in all honesty, I haven't listened to Hello Nasty much at all (maybe only ever once the whole way through and Intergalatic over and over again).
Anyway, that album is fantastic - there are a couple of tunes that I just couldn't believe how good they were.
Isn't it funny how sometimes the old can be new?
The Botanical Gardens
Met up with Cain for the first time since getting married (disgraceful, I know!)
I'd never been through the Botanical Gardens properly before and man, they are really fantastic. It isn't that they're supremely spectacular - it's simply that you can be so close to the icons and hustle and bustle of Sydney, yet far enough removed to appreciate how wonderful a place it is.
I'd a great and relaxing afternoon - more of the same would not go amiss!
I'd never been through the Botanical Gardens properly before and man, they are really fantastic. It isn't that they're supremely spectacular - it's simply that you can be so close to the icons and hustle and bustle of Sydney, yet far enough removed to appreciate how wonderful a place it is.
I'd a great and relaxing afternoon - more of the same would not go amiss!
Return of the L-Unit
Met up with L on Mon (7 Jan) for couple of goodbye drinks. Started off in Cargo Bar (King St Wharf), headed on to the X. The Dragonfly was closed, Bourbon was dead (hence why we got in for a short and expensive round) and the Empire was the only place with life about it... scary stuf :) Needless to say, it didn't last long. Met some cool people though - I thought Kev was just hilarious, his sister Clare/Claire/whatever never stopped beaming a smile and her boyfriend was just a thoroughly nice bloke. The other geyser seemed distracted or tired or something so I didn't really get talking to him - did notice, though, that he bought a good few rounds ..which was nice.
Goodbye Byron, Hello Sydney
Saturday came and away went my patience with D (he got proper sunburnt and was not in good form).
I was just for doing my own thing and Chili was actually really cool about it and sat with me down by the beach. Weather was superb again.
L joined us in a bit, did some final body-boarding before getting buried in the sand when the sun finally departed.
Grabbed a couple of late afternoon beers in the beach hotel and met a couple of dutch travelers (well, stole seats at their table is probably more accurate). Kim was, rather bizarrely, a lingerie purchaser/sales rep or something.. (funny what a guy's ears pick up on).. and Micah (though that's not how it's spelt but she'd like it to be spelt?) was also cool, into marketing but keen to teach instead (...I think - there was a lot of very strange and obscure conversation).
Sleep. Woke up 5:30am. Drove home. 10 hours later, arrived in Sydney. Sleep.
I was just for doing my own thing and Chili was actually really cool about it and sat with me down by the beach. Weather was superb again.
L joined us in a bit, did some final body-boarding before getting buried in the sand when the sun finally departed.
Grabbed a couple of late afternoon beers in the beach hotel and met a couple of dutch travelers (well, stole seats at their table is probably more accurate). Kim was, rather bizarrely, a lingerie purchaser/sales rep or something.. (funny what a guy's ears pick up on).. and Micah (though that's not how it's spelt but she'd like it to be spelt?) was also cool, into marketing but keen to teach instead (...I think - there was a lot of very strange and obscure conversation).
Sleep. Woke up 5:30am. Drove home. 10 hours later, arrived in Sydney. Sleep.
Some propaganda shots
Friday and the sun came out in force. We went to the most easterly point in Australia (mainland) and while I went to photograph the lighthouse, D waited for some dolphins which never showed up (he saw a stingray and manta ray though).
Spent the complete afternoon on Watego Bay - what can I say? It was just beautiful.
Spent the complete afternoon on Watego Bay - what can I say? It was just beautiful.
Still feeling the rain in Byron Bay
Thursday afternoon and it was still raining. L had a surf lesson so D and I chilled at the Rainforest Resort and then headed into town for a coffee.
Met up with L after - he was well pumped and if you believe the photos he was doing pretty well after his first surf lesson.
Can't remember what we did on Thursday evening... might've been the day we met English Paul from Reading in that big hotel/bar/pub place right on the seafront.
Sleep. Wake up. Run. Day off the gym.
Met up with L after - he was well pumped and if you believe the photos he was doing pretty well after his first surf lesson.
Can't remember what we did on Thursday evening... might've been the day we met English Paul from Reading in that big hotel/bar/pub place right on the seafront.
Sleep. Wake up. Run. Day off the gym.
Byron Bay - I can feel the rain
Day 1 Forecast: Rain and grey skies.
Day 1 Reality: Rain and grey skies.
Chilled in Byron, had a coffee battled with some tough waves while L and I tried to work out how to body-board in some really strong currents. I got proper annihilated, swallowing mouthfuls of ocean at a time. Eventually gave up knackered but had fun none-the-less.
Ugly Duckling were playing in the Great Northern and honestly were smashin' it pretty well - the second they came on stage, they changed the vibe of the club and the crowd was in their hands.
Left. Sleep. Wake up. Gym.
Day 1 Reality: Rain and grey skies.
Chilled in Byron, had a coffee battled with some tough waves while L and I tried to work out how to body-board in some really strong currents. I got proper annihilated, swallowing mouthfuls of ocean at a time. Eventually gave up knackered but had fun none-the-less.
Ugly Duckling were playing in the Great Northern and honestly were smashin' it pretty well - the second they came on stage, they changed the vibe of the club and the crowd was in their hands.
Left. Sleep. Wake up. Gym.
A break in Byron - the drive north
So, L-Unit, Chilli-D and da Troubleshooter off on a roadtrip to Byron Bay - an eternal Mecca to hippies and backpackers alike.
Finally left Sydney around 4pm on NY day and headed north straight to Port Macquarrie. Only detour on the way up was into Newcastle which we didn't even realise until we saw the good old colonial/Victorian architecture that is both synonymous with and unmistakable as the typical and very average seaside town.
Got into Port Macquarrie around 8:30/9:00pm and grabbed some Thai food quickly before crashing for the night.
Got up the next morning, Starbucks was calling before we headed back on the road for L-Unit to get proper 590'd by the five-oh punisher. Fear set in but it was all good as we got back on track.
Traffic up to Coff's was a nightmare but a geyser from Adelaide gave us a shortcut in Ballina to take 40 mins off our trip - sweet! Arrived about 4pm.
Finally left Sydney around 4pm on NY day and headed north straight to Port Macquarrie. Only detour on the way up was into Newcastle which we didn't even realise until we saw the good old colonial/Victorian architecture that is both synonymous with and unmistakable as the typical and very average seaside town.
Got into Port Macquarrie around 8:30/9:00pm and grabbed some Thai food quickly before crashing for the night.
Got up the next morning, Starbucks was calling before we headed back on the road for L-Unit to get proper 590'd by the five-oh punisher. Fear set in but it was all good as we got back on track.
Traffic up to Coff's was a nightmare but a geyser from Adelaide gave us a shortcut in Ballina to take 40 mins off our trip - sweet! Arrived about 4pm.
