Fleet Review Celebrations in Sydney, October 2013

Tall ships on display in Sydney

Continuing the fleet review celebrations, more than a dozen tall ships were on display today on Sydney Harbour.

The public were also able to board international warships at Barangaroo and Garden Island, to get a glimpse of life at sea.

On Saturday, Prince Harry and Governor-General Quentin Bryce performed the official review of warships from 17 nations.

Up to a million people are estimated to have watched a huge light and fireworks show which lit up Sydney harbour to end the day’s celebrations– the biggest since the Olympic Games.

The dazzling fireworks display was launched from city rooftops, barges, the Harbour Bridge, and the decks of Navy warships.

Images of key moments in the Navy’s history were projected onto the Opera House along with archival sound recordings, honouring Australian sailors who have lost their lives at sea.

The above is a news item which I copied from the Sydney Morning Herald webpage.

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On Sunday, the 6th October, we made it to Central Station in Sydney. From there we took the tram to Darling Harbour. It was already late afternoon. However there were still huge crowds everywhere. Some of the tall ships had made it from Sydney Harbour to Darling Harbour. If you wanted to go on board of one, you had to buy a ticket and then join a large queue to be let on the boat. We did not feel like waiting around for so long. We promenaded instead along Darling Harbour. Peter took a few pictures. For refreshment we bought some lovely ice-creams and listened to some beautiful Lebanese music.

Someone who had seen Peter taking pictures of me asked whether we wanted to have a picture taken of us together. We thought this was very kind of him.

We took the tram back to Central Station. From there we could catch our train back home to Dapto. It was nearly 9 pm by the time we were home. We had left home some ten hours earlier because we had been invited to a talk about the environment that we did not want to miss out on.

By the way to our great shock we noticed yesterday morning that we had lost one hour: Our clocks had been set forward onto Daylight Saving Time!

Bass Point Reserve

Today, Sunday 29th of September, we had again perfect spring weather: Sunny, in the low twenties, no wind.

Too beautiful to stay home all day. I said to Peter let’s go somewhere where we can enjoy this beautiful sunny day!

So we ended up driving to Bass Point Reserve. But first we stopped at Shellharbour Village near the swimming pool where we bought some lovely ice-cream and took some photos.

We were extremely lucky to find a parking spot right in front of this place. It is unbelievable how many people had come today to this beautiful spot by the sea. Today is the Sunday before the long weekend, which people always love for a bit of a break. The school-kids are on holidays already. Lots of families go with them on some holiday outings. It is vacation time and lots of holiday places are booked out at this time of the year. Next weekend the crowds may be even larger with people having a long weekend, meaning they don’t have to go to work on Monday. I hope the kids are going to have as fine a weather as today for the rest of their holidays.

We finished our ice-creams and then we headed towards Bass Point Reserve.

This may be the spot where the ship had been sitting on the rocks. All American seaman were rescued, but some Australian rescuers lost their lives in this terrible night in 1941.

We found this sign a bit further on where we could park our car again.

From there we followed the signs hoping we’d end up at that little beach as indicated on one of the boards.

This sign was near the rocks. However this little beach must have been somewhere else. We decided we’d look for it another day. We had been out for nearly three hours and felt like heading back home for coffee and cake.

Many years ago we visited Bass Point Reserve quite often. It was great that today we could refresh our memory a bit. However we still aren’t quite sure which path leads to that little beach. I hope we can soon go back there. I really do want to see this little beach again!

Sunday with the Family

The guests arrive for my birthday supper on Sunday

Monika and Caroline spread out food and drinks for ten of us.

Granddaughter Krystal had baked a cake for the occasion.

I received some beautiful gifts:

Twenty Years ago

Peter with Caroline, Uta, Troy and Ryan in September 1993 in the park at Moss Vale Station — Peter with Caroline, Troy, Uta, and Ryan in September 1993 in the park at Moss Vale Station

Troy and Ryan are the twin sons of Monika.

The three sisters: Gaby, Caroline and Monika, as well as Monika's daughters, Tashi and baby Roxy. August 1993 — The three sisters: Gaby, Caroline and Monika, as well as Monika’s daughters, Tashi and baby Roxy.
1993

This picture was taken in front of Gaby’s house, probably on Gaby’s birthday

which was on the 28th of August.

Our Rental Car

How wonderful it was to have this rental car for a period of twelve days! What did we do with it? On the pick-up day, Tuesday 9th April, we travelled in it around locally. The following day we started our big trip through the outback of New South Wales and from there into the state of Victoria, where we first stayed at Mildura and then we travelled on to Melbourne.

On Wednesday, 10th April, we started before sunrise. We went up Macquarie Pass. Macquarie Pass is an 8 kilometre long section of the Illawarra Highway passing through Macquarie Pass National Park. It was opened in 1898. It is a very winding steep road through this beautiful National Park. Peter knows this section well for he travelled up and down this path every day when he worked at Robertson Station which is at the top of the escarpment. We went through Robertson on the way to Moss Vale. Moss Vale was our first stop. We had a lovely breakfast up there on that Wednesday morning.

There’s one picture of Moss Vale Station. The train from Sydney stops at Moss Vale on its way to Melbourne! We took a few pictures in the vicinity of the station. First of all we went to have some breakfast not far from the station where we stopped.

Inside the cafe where we had breakfast were some remarkable posters. The service was very friendly. The owner agreed to have his picture taken by me.

A beautiful restaurant near Moss Vale Station

THE ILLAWARRA

In April 2013 we hired a car in Wollongong for a period of twelve days. The first day Peter took the car for a test drive along the coast North of Wollongong. We drove across the Sea Cliff Bridge up to Bald Hill. When we arrived at Bald Hill we saw some signs out that the hang gliding would start soon. From Bald Hill we could see the Sea Cliff Bridge. We could also see the little beach that we always see from the train on the way to Sydney. The picture below shows the sandy way that leads to that little beach. We had stopped our car nearby. . On that day in April 2013 we drove up the escarpment for lunch. Near Bulli Lookout is a very nice place, called the Cliff Hanger Cafe. Yesterday I did publish a blog about this place!

Cliff Hanger Cafe

I mentioned the Cliff Hanger Cafe already in another blog. We had scones with lovely fresh cream there! It was great to have lunch in a place like this with a beautiful view down to the coast. Can’t believe nearly half a year is gone since this day of driving around in the Illawarra and having lunch at the Cliff Hanger Cafe.

Sea Cliff Bridge

The Sea Cliff Bridge as seen from Bald Hill

On Tuesday, the 9th of April 2013, we picked up a rental car in Wollongong. Our first stop was for a cup of coffee at Austinmer Beach.

This is the place where we had coffee right opposite the beach. — Here we had coffee right opposite the beach.

There's a Swimming Pool at Austinmer Beach. — There’s a Swimming Pool at Austinmer Beach.

And here I am being photographed with a happy young woman from China! — And here I am being photographed with a happy young woman from China .

This young woman had come with a lot of other Chinese people on a tourist bus that stopped near the beach just for a few minutes. This friendly young woman asked Peter to take some pictures of her. And she also wanted to be photographed together with me! After this interlude we drove further up north. There is this little beach that we can always see from the train on the way to Sydney. We stopped briefly near that little beach. Then we drove up to Bald Hill where we could see this little beach from the top and we could also see the Sea Cliff Bridge.

This is near that little beach where we had just stopped the car.

From Bald Hill we had a great look at the little beach.

The Sea Cliff Bridge as seen from Bald Hill

On that Tuesday we also went from Bald Hill up the escarpment to Bulli Lookout where we had something to eat at the Cliffhanger Cafe. All these places are in our area. .

Father’s Day last Year

On Sunday, the 2nd of September 2012, Peter and I had a lovely day with our youngest daughter. This was Fathers Day here in Australia!

DSCN3532 — We took a walk to this lovely lake site.

Last Tuesday, 17th September 2013, we took a walk to this part of the lake. It rained a little bit. We mentioned to Martin, our son, who was with us, that we had been here last year on Father’s Day with daughter Caroline. On that day last year there had been glorious sunshine as can be seen on these pictures from last year.

Martin found out later, that this spot was actually on one of the two arms of Mullet Creek which both go into Lake Illawarra.

DSCN3533 — Peter took this picture of Caroline and me on Father’s Day in 2012

DSCN3525 — Along this footpath we walked back to where the car was parked

DSCN3547 — At Forest Grove we were being served beautifully brewed tea which was being kept hot with tea-lights.

Peter on Father’s Day 2012

Sea Cliff Bridge, Monday, 16th September

We had dared to leave the car to take a walk across the bridge. It did not rain very much, just a drizzle. Three people, one man and two women, came along the footpath of the bridge from the opposite direction. They stopped at this spot where some beautiful fresh flowers had been left. People leave flowers near the road where an accidental death has occurred, do they not? In this instance when we spotted the flowers we were thinking maybe someone had committed suicide by jumping off the bridge into the ocean underneath. This bridge seems to be an ideal spot for people wanting to jump. We had seen ‘Help Signs’ along the bridge where suicidal people are encouraged to use ‘Lifeline’. When I passed the three people who had stopped near the flowers, the man turned around and looked at me. I asked him whether he knew what had happened, whether someone had jumped. He answered. it had been an accident on a motorbike. Happened only two days ago on Saturday. He explained his 39 year old son had been speeding and was thrown out of the curve on the road of the bridge. Of course this man looked very distressed telling me this story and I said how sorry I was. Later on I told our son and Peter about it. Our son Martin, who had been driving us, said there would probably be some marks on the road where that motor-bike rider had been thrown out of the curve. And true enough when we looked for these marks on our way back, we could see them. They were still there despite the rain.

Martin and L had been visiting us from Sunday till Tuesday. Martin had rented a car at the airport. On that Monday he drove us first to the Bridge and then to Bulli Beach where we had a look at the Tourist Park. It was getting close to lunch-time. So we had some hot drinks and some fair dinkum Aussie food at the Tourist Park Coffee Shop.

We had a wonderful long weekend with our visitors. Our two daughters came to visit with their partners. On Sunday we went out for lunch, on Tuesday we had a home cooked meal with sauerkraut which everyone liked. The weather was terrible. Especially on Monday it was turning into a huge downpour all afternoon and right through the night. We were lucky that very early in the morning we had managed to go to Dapto’s open air solar heated pool. L swam 20 laps and Martin ‘only’ 12. He said he was a bit out of practice. I also had a lovely swim. Peter did not want to go to the pool. That meant he had a chance to sleep in a bit.

On Tuesday we went for some beautiful walks along the lake. The rain had eased off, just a bit of a drizzle from time to time. No sunshine whatsoever. Still we enjoyed our walks. Only Tuesday afternoon, when Martin and L had to leave for the airport, the sun finally came out to brighten the day.