Scenes from a Sydney Excursion

Daniel Day Lewis
Portrait by Annie Leibovitz

We started out at MCA - Museum of Contemporary Art. I had bought tickets online to the Annie Leibovitz Photographic Exhibition 1990 - 2002. With four boys in tow I knew that I wouldn't get to see as much as I would like, however it is always interesting to see art through the eyes of kids. They notice the people. the funny outfits kids have on, the landscapes that are shot from the air. They don't see the sensual side of nude photographs just how old the subject is and what gender they are. Looking at the pic of Donald Trump's third wife they see the cool car and not her. Later they talked in the car about the photos they liked. Ah they do have a visual memory I note. I remembered the everyday photos that she took of her parents, partner and children. She liked to capture family rites of passage and rituals. Everything close and important to her was captured in black and white. Clearly the large colour shots of celebs were for the income.

Finally we catch the second last ferry of the day from Garden Island back to Circular Quay. nick and his friend Philip look almost exhausted. Yay!!

I just love the lookout on Garden Island. I made the kids run up to it three times. Lucky there is a bubbler at the last set of stairs.

This memorial also includes clothes and personal possessions of many different navy personnel. I found this very moving. We don't always think of people in the armed forces as having personal effects.

Inside the Naval Heritage Centre Nick and Philip play with the controls. Fortunately no nuclear warheads are released.

Seeing the Opera House from the water is always the best shot.

Our ferry service from Neutral Bay.

We wait on the ferry wharf while it buckets down with rain. Later it was a sunny 25' again, such is the weather this Summer.

Nick and the rain. We set out on our trip which will take us on four ferries and from the lower north shore to the City and Garden Island. In the spirit of getting every one outside and moving, thinking and talking to each other. Not a computer screen or game in sight. And yes they did survive.

Alex our resident monk