We were fortunate to see the Rogers and Hammerstein classic, South Pacific at the Opera House last weekend.
new South Wales
Sandstone and Jasmine
I caught the early evening sun on St.Benedict’s while walking from Central Railway Station to Newtown. The intoxicating jasmine fragrance provided relief from the peak hour traffic on Broadway.
Alternate reality
Man made structures like this water tower in Petersham stimulate my imagination. In another dimension this could be a spacecraft launch pad, helipad or lookout. I wonder if in one hundred years from now it will still be here or will it have been transformed into a penthouse residence with 360o views.
Spring colour
Flowers and some of last year’s seeds.
Magnolia bouquet
Plenty of sun, not too much wind and a week in time.
The blooms smell as good as they look!
Winter pink
A walk from Lewisham to Dulwich Hill and back today provided plenty of photo opportunities. I couldn’t resist cherry blossom against a deep blue sky.
The magnolia blooms in the garden have begun to open, capturing images of them is becoming an obsession.
A taxing day
Paperwork
Yesterday trickled like water through my fingers. Our first job was to set up the dining table; the perfect surface to get everything together for the annual tax return. We sorted 12 months worth of receipts into categories ready for data entry and then the motivation to complete the task evaporated.
Spring’s just around the corner
Already the flowers on west facing magnolias are changing from magenta to pale pink while some maple trees haven’t fully shaken off their leaves from last year. Early flowing jasmine buds, tinged with pink look ready to set loose waves of intoxicating fragrance upon the streets of Sydney.
The beautiful blue skied sunny day typical for Winter in Sydney could not be wasted by staying indoors. Following a couple of false starts we walked with Stan from Lewisham, through the suburbs of Petersham, Stanmore, Newtown and Erskineville. We stopped briefly at parks and trees for Stan to mark and connect with our route.
Relief from the dusty road
After walking for five kilometres we were ready for lunch at Bitton, a French inspired cafe in Alexandria. An outside table and a bottle of Baron Edmond de Rothschild Les Laurets, Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion were the perfect accompaniment to slow roasted pork shoulder with fennel slaw and a salmon burger. We did not really need the bread and pudding with sauce Anglaise or rhubarb tart, but it is still Winter after all!
Following lunch it took just over one hour to walk home through Erskineville, Newtown, Marrickville and Petersham. An afternoon nap and the satisfaction of a ten kilometres round trip were the perfect tonic to ease my hot feet.
View toward Erskineville from Bitton Cafe.
Limes from the garden
Rekindle the inner light
Thoughts of health and work fill every moment;
I think that I’ve strayed so far from the track.
Days of confusion and discontentment;
I believe that I won’t find my way back.
A chorus of raucous cockatoos squark,
In reply to my thoughts as they fly by.
Walk in urban sprawl that pretends to talk
Of civilisation; a dot, a lie
In the wilderness within and around,
Terra Australis my chosen home found.
Walk home at dusk as showers start.
Tree shape standing against rose-pink sky, shifts;
Reminds me of micro-macro tension.
The shroud of fog that clouds my vision lifts,
Providing a glimpse of comprehension;
Explore the Universe within my heart!
Sydney Flying Boats
Catalina Restaurant, Rose Bay, Australia provides exceptional food, wine and service, a fantastic backdrop from which to view modern day seaplanes coming in and out of the harbour. It is the perfect spot to imagine the splendour of first class travel by flying boat from Sydney to Singapore in the late 1930’s. The Catalina was an American and Canadian flying boat built in the 1930’s and 40’s.
Further information can be found at:
Sydney Seaplanes
Catalina Flying Boats
Catalina Restaurant
theINFP 