I'm not the author Alan Glynn (click here for him) but fully recommend his novels Winterland & Darkfields

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Australia Day

Yesterday was Australia Day and we'd the day off work, which was nice as it was a scorcher. So we wandered down to the harbour bridge a spent the day in a park over looking the harbour. As always there was plenty of free entertainment as we soaked up the rays. On the bay there was a fancy dress ferry race (best dressed won a prise), which seem to involve anything that floats, a tall ship race that was very slow, an aeronautical display and some guy's parachuting into water.

After all that we went for some food and drinks with friends down the Rocks and then on to Darling Harbour for yet another excellent free fireworks show, the Aussie just love their fireworks.

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Symphony in the Park

You got to hand it to the Aussies they are great at putting on free events. The Symphony in the Park, in Sydney’s Domain is another example. It was basically a free classical concert, with lots of sound tracks like ET, 2001 A Space Odyssey and Star Wars thrown in for those of us who haven’t a clue about classical music. It was great laugh and like the Moonlight Cinema the Aussies were out in force with their Mega Picnics. We saw people carving chickens and others had industrial sized bar-b-q’s. Needless to say we’d a few stubbies and we were happy out. Great night topped with some fireworks.

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Moonlight Cinema

The Moonlight Cinema is an outdoor cinema in Sydney’s Centennial park and its such a good idea. Basically you rock up with your picnic at about seven and the film starts when the sun sets around nine. So you have all the Aussies who are totally prepared with four course picnics, champagne, pillows, duvets, bean bags and deck chairs and then there was us with measly towels and bar of chocolate. We went to see The Goonies, which I wasn’t looking forward to but it turned out to be such a laugh. Everyone there was in their late twenties so it was a real step back into childhood watching it again. Lots of crowd participation some much so a guy streaked. Not often you see that at the cinema. Really good night except for a bat shat on us but hey how lucky must that be!

Saturday, January 15, 2005

Christmas Time

What are the odds of a cold overcast Christmas in Oz and a white Christmas at home. We braved the beach anyway just because it had to be done. The amount of nutters in the water was amazing but apparently it was warmer in the water than out of it. We braved the cold for a few hours,had a few beers and turkey sambo's and then went home put the feet up watched some movies with a couple of ports. A very different Christmas day I must say. The hole holiday season here less of a drink induced haze as it is back home so my liver must be loving it.

We went down to the Rocks on New Years Eve and then on to the harbor bridge for the fireworks which were a bit poor in my mind. We were right beside the bridge thinking it would be the focal point of them but it barely had more than a few minutes worth. I've seen better in Edinburgh. A lot of people were giving out about them. Good night otherwise. Finished it off in a Belgian bar.

After that we had two weeks off, We only went back to work on the 10th. We spent the rest of the time doing some well needed touristy stuff. Like the zoo, the beach and we spent a couple of days down the south coast which was nice. We borrowed Sal's bosses car and drove a couple of hundred km down the coast to Kiama and Jervis Bay. All in all a very chilled Christmas which was a welcome change.

things are going well on the Job front my contract has been extended by a month and Sal's cafe have hired a few more people so it's not as manic as it used to be.

Sal's folk's and my Mum are coming over in February/March and we're really looking forward to seeing them.