Bushwalking with Mr Dan Smith and other potterings

Well it seems my declaration last week that it was the 'end of summer' has been taken up as a challenge by those in charge of the weather, as we've had gloriously sunny days, blue skies and calm warm sea since then -- hurrah!

Mooching with Christina on Bronte Beach


I'm trying to take time out to enjoy my beautiful neighbourhood before work completely takes me over and renders me laptop-glued for the next three months. (Although I'm happily working on a lovely new macbook so I'm not lamenting that progression too much yet)...

Last weekend I had a very special visitor... well he was not strictly my visitor, but I borrowed him for a while. The wonderful Dan Smith was in Melbourne visiting his brother, and young nephews and neice, and he bravely ventured the overnight train to Sydney (14 hours!) to stay a few days. I sat opposite Dan for about four years (I think?) while at the BFI, and we worked together on building the websites for the London Film Festival and the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. Before I left for Australia we had commenced what I hoped was to become a regular occurrence, jumping on a train to the countryside away from London and 're-drawing' some of the walks to be had in the English hills, fields, woods, etc (oh and sampling ale in pubs, always a good end to a country jaunt). Of course my emigration curtailed this trend, and when Dan arrived in Aus I got out my walking boots which have sat under the house since I moved here (in a Morrisson's carrier bag, blast from the past!) dusted them down and prepared for some proper bushwalking.

Before the descent


We took the train to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, about a two hour ride form Sydney. I went there with mum and Keith at Christmas, but we'd just done a tame little walk (sorry mum!) so I was relishing the opportunity for a big old bushwalk with Dan. Siobhan also visited the mountains while she was in Sydney.

Eucalyptus trees


It's an incredible part of the world -- beautiful landscape, and despite being so close to the city it's remote and empty -- the mountains and vast valleys of rainforest are uninhabited National Parklands, with abundant wildlife and some incredible sounding birds. We accidentally arrived there on the same weekend Katoomba was holding a blues and roots festival, so were surrounded by men with long flowing beards and women with long flowing skirts! Walking in the mountins is pretty exhausting though, so we didn't catch any of the bands. The second day we were there we went down the Giant Stairway towards the base of the mountain. We passed a few exhausted-looking people coming back up, and I felt rather smug in the knowledge that we wouldn't be coming back up the same way. Ill-advised smugness, I found later, as we struggled up the other side of the mountain!

Down the Giant Stairway


We wandered along the base of the rainforest floor, largely alone, talking rubbish and catching up after a year and a half. It was lovely to hear about BFI colleagues and what people were up to, but equally fun filling Dan in on my life in Oz.

Dan in the Rainforest


We then began the ascent, which pretty much wiped us out, and we stopped every now and then to cool off in waterfall pools.

A tree blocks our ascent


Back in Sydney we managed to fit in a couple of my favourite places to eat (eating out is a Sydney obsession) before bidding farewell and fairly unceremoniously being flung back into work. This week has been solid 16-hour days and I'm trying to chill for at least half of the Easter weekend before spending the other half working.

Hope everyone's enjoying the long weekend in Spring, Sydney will surely become autumnal very soon!

cx

End of the summer

This summer we've had pretty rubbish weather in Sydney, with a much higher than average rainfall and a lack of consistency day to day. Usually you can rely heavily on a continuous stream of hot sunny days but it's been much harder to plan things in advance this year due to La Niña and her wily ways. Whole organisations that rely heavily on good weather have been at her mercy and there must have been some angst-ridden days in the offices of the Open Air Cinema, Mardi Gras and the summer music festivals.

Meanwhile I've been getting busy with work and will try to keep blogging but apologies in advance if there are lapses between posts. It's not quite reached the crazy 16-hour days yet but I'm sure that time is close!

Carmel on the Rocks, snapped by Matt


Siobhan has been travelling round parts of Sydney and Australia using her Bondi backpackers as a base, which is great. She's very independent and has made a lot of friends on her travels that she's meeting up with along the way, but we're catching up with each other as much as possible, and she's enjoying my local area and the lifestyle it brings. The hills of Bondi which shocked mum so much are having a spectacular effect on her legs, much to her great pleasure! Toned and tanned, she's becoming quite a beach bum, and we're both really looking forward to Sammie joining us in Oz, and we're keeping our fingers crossed that this late summer spate of sun keeps up for the next few weeks.

Siobhan on an evening stroll along the cliffs to Tama

Siobhan's glamorous abode... Bottom bunk!

All this just moments from my house...


My friends and I recently went to a music festival called The Laneway festival -- literally held in alleyways in the city -- what a great idea! We saw heaps of bands -- Broken Social Scene, Feist, Okkervil River, The Stars, and lots more. A great way to discover new bands all in one spot, and better than standing in a muddy field!

With Ruth and Chrissy at Laneway Festival


I am most excited because this week heralds the arrival in Sydney of my friend Mr Dan Smith, all the way from London, who is in Melbourne at the moment visiting his brother and nephews & nieces. The intrepid Mr Smith is taking the train to Sydney to reduce his carbon footprint, and I am very much looking forward to catching up with him. Will hopefully blog in the next few days with pics of our reunion.

Dont forget to keep checking my pics!

cx