To wrap up Janice's visit we decided to catch the new years eve fireworks display from my favourite spot, Blues Point Reserve, in North Sydney. It's a great vantage point behind the harbour bridge that's real close to the the bridge and a barge on the river. When the fireworks go off you are literally surrounded by fireworks and the sound of explosions. The area is regulated so there is no byo alcohol and it is closed when it reaches capacity so there is no over crowding. People are generally friendly and courteous of each other and the atmosphere with people cheering all around is great. You can literally feel the sound through your body as the explosions go off and the fireworks are so close it feels as though they are raining down on you. The long wait from morning to night can get a bit boring and tiresome, I actually managed to sleep (and snore) for a bit during the early afternoon. But in the end it's worth it. The crazy public transport is part and parcel of the night, without it the night just wouldn't feel the same. All in all a great fun time and something worth doing if you haven't yet bothered or simply if you haven't done this in a few years. The last time I caught the fireworks was in 2003 so it's a good time to be going again.
Some interesting things to note on this particular day was that we saw a strange boat going around spraying the harbour with jets of water. Didn't seem to do much and seemed to be totally pointless (why spray water... with water?) Jesus came to preach to the crowd! I couldn't quite hear what he was talking about as his amp wasn't turned up very high but he seemed like a genuine guy. There was a charity selling food and drinks (the only people selling food and drinks) and they ripped us off. I paid $3 for a can of coke... nuts! They also charged $5 for a sausage and a slice of bread with sauce! And the vintage plane fly by's during the day were mostly boring except for the three tiger moths that did manage to fly quite low.
A tip for those trying to photograph the fireworks, make sure you meter for the explosion of light rather than the darkness of night.
The Hunter Valley is a pretty place just north of Sydney. Known as 'Wine Country' it's a place that has built it's reputation on vineyards and wine tasting. Hopping from cellar door to cellar door and tasting each cellars unique range of wines is the most popular activity here. As we visited the Hunter on boxing day many cellars were closed for business leaving us to sample from only McGuigan's and Tempus Two. I enjoyed the Sauvignon that McGuigan had on offer and the Moscato from Tempus Two. Other activities in the Hunter range from sky diving to vineyard tours. We were able to squeeze in a browse of the Hunter Valley Gardens which has the really fun story book gardens. Being a pretty humid day it wasn't really comfortable but still an enjoyable browse through the gardens. The Hunter Valley is a really nice place to get away from the big city if you ever feel the need to do so. You can spend a leisurely weekend there or just take a day trip.
The City of Sydney is quite a beautiful city and it's a city that I enjoy best during the summer. The festive season leading up to Christmas and new year's hangs in the air over November and December and people are far livelier and cheerful during the summer. You can't help but to catch the mood and the atmosphere especially on a hot summer's day. I can't think of a better season to stroll across Mrs Macquarie's chair, Hyde Park and to chow down on some Harry de Wheel's hot dogs. It's a Sydney icon not well known to all tourists but loved by all Sydney siders. I love this city.
Janice my cousin visited us in Sydney over the Christmas and New Year's period =) And here are the photo's from said holiday... As she arrived on the weekend I took her to Featherdale Wildlife Park to have a browse. We managed to catch the crocodile feeding and pelican feeding that day which was great fun. The animals are tame as ever and were quite lively in the summer. Petting a kangaroo is always fun I think. Over the weekend we spent time at church and the Christmas spectacular was awesome!
As her host I took her to the Fish Markets, a must for any seafood loving Asian. I haven't been to the markets for quite awhile so I'd forgotten how the smell of the markets invades you as soon as you enter the premises. Smelly fish and salty sea air promises fresh and cheap seafood wonders. Having had Salt and Pepper calamari just a day before I opted to have a simple Barramundi and chips while Janice ate fourteen oysters including a seafood platter.
After lunching at the fish markets we headed off to Bondi Beach and the Gap. It was a really lovely day for Bondi, Sydney's most famous beach. Known for its white sand and surf it looked really great in the hot sun. Unfortunately the waves were pretty tame that day so there wasn't much surfing happening though there were quite a few people trying. The clear sea water was cool and refreshing although the beach itself was packed as always. Having great weather the Gap was a natural progression as it is just a short drive from Bondi. The cliffs are impressive and I can't help but to think about how the area has become famous for suicide and the occasional murder. Overall it's a peaceful place and view is fantastic on a clear day.
I just uploaded a few videos to Youtube this week of various skits and items that were performed at church. Our poor Sony Z1 still has a dead firewire board so I again used my 500d to capture but only at 720p, 30fps. I'm not 100% satisfied with the sharpness and the motion blur is extremely soft which sort of bothers me too. But anyway they still turned out great.
