Mount Tomah Gardens in the Summer

The view from the Visitor's Centre back to Lyrebird Hill at Kurrjong
Tree Seat cool
The water features are refreshing in the hot sun

Lily pads

The ornamental carp

Tom had fun playing with the carp

Close up of succulent

The lower water feature, if only every garden could have this much space

The Three Sisters at Echo Point, Katoomba

Tom and telescope

We made the round trip from Mount Tomah then through Mount Victoria and Katoomba back to Sydney. Next time we will come home the way we came up, as the Bells Line of Road is more relaxing than the Highway back into Sydney.

Happy Birthday Angela

Out and About

Nick's last baby teeth smile - he is loosing his front two teeth which are now loose
Tom at his ruined castle on the walk
Tom took me on a walk from the backyard to Beverly Blacklock Reserve on the point

We swam in Castlehaven Reserve

Alex climbed this tree at Balmoral Beach

Nick played in the water, he can swim now

The best things in life are free!

Sydney Festival Opening Night

Martin Place stage 6pm to 11pm live music, we did not stay for this.

This is where we were from 2-5.30pm, The Palm Court Stage in Hyde Park.

There was a ukele play off with lots of ukele players

Alex and I here chilling out in the shade, we are good at waiting for things to happen.

So was Hyde Park a happening place - Yes!! We heard a pianist accompanying silent movies and the spirit of Ruby Hunter appeared on the stage as a Koori woman played Waltzing Matilda on the ukele, singing the lyrics in an Aboriginal language. It is always magical when the public spaces of Sydney are brought to life by street performers. Couples were beginning to tango in the dance spaces with mirror balls on the central avenues of the park beneath the fig trees.

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

Flower Face

Curious Artists Exhibition - One More Title
Kids Art is included in this exhibition - this year I have bought another work by Anastasia Davis. It is a photographic self portrait. She's a great artist and I always enjoy looking at her work.

The King's Speech

" The King's Speech" is worth watching. Out of all the historical dramas I have ever seen I would rate this movie as one of the best. Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush and Helena Bonham Carter, with a screenplay written by David Seidler it is the story of how Albert - King George VI comes to the throne and takes on the public role at a time of great uncertainty at the beginning of WW2. The cinematography is beautiful to watch, with the London of the 1930s faithfully recreated. The many psychological issues of King George VI's ascendancy are peeled off like onion skins by the story, the extent to which this is accurate we can never know. However it makes for a great story of depth and historical interest. Will Colin Firth win the Best Actor Oscar, only time will tell.