July 5, 2010 at 7:09 am
Two months ago, Hayley and I snapped some night photos in Circular Quay. We cranked up slowed down the shutter speed and closed off the aperture to get the elegant, glowing effect.
The Sydney harbour bridge spanning over the iconic Sydney Opera House.
The Opera House on a bustling Friday evening.
Circular Quay, the Circular Quay train station and the surrounding hotels, shops and office buildings. On the far right is the Overseas Passenger Terminal for large cruise ships.
Go to my Flickr page to see more!
Note: I once again remodeled my website. The last two posts were lacking in photos, hence this post.
May 7, 2010 at 9:45 am
Note: I have redesigned my website. In case you are reading this elsewhere, these entries are synced from http://mswebby.com. I have added a Flickr syncing feature to the website, which means that photos will no longer be embedded in these posts. If you would like to see photos, check out the website.
Hayley and I were both sick of traveling, so we have stayed around Sydney for the last month. Just after our Sydney to Melbourne road trip, we moved into a new apartment. It is located pretty close to our old apartment, but down the steep hill that leads to the harbour. We have a nice, albeit small, harbor view from our kitchen table and every morning I walk to the ferry wharf to start my commute. The ferry ride rounds a point and opens up into a stunning view of the Harbour bridge and Opera House. I think it is safe to say that this is the best commute that I’ll ever have.
Living at the base of the north shore has its benefits; however, without a car we are at the mercy of public transport. Unfortunately, these options are not nearly as numerous as those on the top of the hill. Ferries depart every half hour to every hour, depending on the time of day. To help get around, I purchased a road bike on eBay Australia. Funnily enough, I arrived at the seller’s apartment to pick up the bike and they were from Chicago! After two years in Bondi, they had decided to move back to the States and were selling off their goods on eBay. It is a very nice bike, almost brand new, and I saved $400 off the sticker price.
Hayley and I boarded the train a few weeks ago for the AFL game at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Unfortunately, my directions took us to ANZ Stadium, which is in the opposite direction. Pretty stupid. Luckily, the Richmond Bulldogs from the National Rugby League were playing that night and we scored free tickets at the gate. NRL, which is a “league” version of the game, has different rules and a more structured feel. I would rather watch AFL, I think.
The next weekend, we attended a show at the Opera House featuring the Australian Chamber Orchestra. The music was fantastic- if there is a resonant frequency in music for bringing tears to the eyes, they know it and use it well. Lucky for me, the operatic singing was a silly distraction from the actual music, so I didn’t shed a tear.
Hayley and I decided to snap some night shots of the city. Please visit my website or my Flickr page to see them.
December 23, 2009 at 8:49 pm
Our college friend Dana Facebook messaged me last Thursday with the exciting news that she would be stopping off in Sydney for twelve hours on her way to New Zealand. We chose the busiest tourist attraction possible as our meeting place, the Opera House, and took the obligatory jump-as-high-as-you-can-in–front–of-the-Opera-House picture before grabbing a quick bite at a nearby café.
Afterward, we walked around the sea wall up into the Royal Botanic Gardens where we encountered a flock of cockatoos. The first parrot we saw was drinking from a tall sprinkler head. I was amazed by his ingenuity; he had wrapped his legs around the tall pipe and was dabbing his beak into the sprinkler head. I snapped a few photos then walked back to Hayley and Dana, who now had more parrots walking casually around them. We fed them Dana’s trail mix and in came the whole flock!
It’s ok buddy, do what you gotta do!
We all took turns feeding the birds. After a while we gained their trust and they were eating straight from our hands. The birds then took this a step further by flying up to our shoulders and climbing on our legs. I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t freak me out, but I was also enjoying it immensely. The birds were surprisingly gentle. Not once did they snap at any of the food we offered; instead, they were very polite and relaxed. We took a few photos, set them back on the ground, and went on our way.
Hayley being attacked by wild parrots. See more cockatoo pics here.
Our tribute to the Jackson Family Route March continued as we meandered through the park, around the Opera House, through Circular Quay, and into the Rocks, where we settled for a mid day snack. Dana and I both ordered the chicken sandwich and Hayley had the veggie delight. We were all very pleased. We talked about everything from traveling to college buddies, and watched a few lorikeet scavengers pick away at leftovers on recently deserted tables.
A rainbow lorikeet on a red chair with fruity, colorful drinks behind him.
Afterwards, we walked back to the Quay, said goodbye to Dana, and boarded a bus back to Neutral Bay. Hayley and I rushed off the post office to mail out a package, which is probably still there due to postal strikes. Afterward, we shopped for groceries and prepared for the Carols in the Domain concert. We left at 3:30 pm and arrived to a completely packed event. We found a small patch of grass in the far back section between two other parties, and setup camp for the evening.
Our view… note the bats going mad in the top left corner.
The event featured the winners from both Australian Idol and Australia’s Got Talent, the full Wicked cast in costume, the Wiggles, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Kate Soprano. While none of these people interest me in the least (except maybe the Wicked cast), we were looking forward to Ronan Keating’s performance since his version of “When You Say Nothing At All” was the song we chose for our first dance at our wedding. Unfortunately his performance was recorded “live” from somewhere far away and projected on all the video screens around the venue. To make matters worse, it was a duet with Kate Soprano who was there at the venue, which made for a pretty awkward performance. We had a great time though!
Sunday morning I went surfing with Freddy and the Sydney Surf Group at Freshwater. Surprisingly we got a few good waves. We surfed an hour and a half and topped it off with breakfast at a nearby café. Thanks for the wrap, Freddy!
It was an hour or so later that I started feeling sick. For the last few days, I’ve been taking it easy. I’m eating Zicam Rapid Melts like candy in the hopes that I’ll squash this bug quickly so we can enjoy our holiday to the fullest.
Which is exactly what I wish for you- a full and happy holiday that is. And do something grand for New Years, will you‽
* Forgot to mention that I created a new, extremely simple theme for my website, http://mswebby.com.
December 18, 2009 at 9:35 pm
This post features pictures from my new Hanukah toy, complements of Hayley, Lauren, Andy, Jackie, Mom and Dad. Thank you for this amazing gift! Two months ago, the shutter in my Canon Digital Rebel 300D died (embarrassingly this was the last photo). Thanks to the users of the slickdeals.net forums, I found an incredible deal on a Canon 450D. I’ve taken it on several outings over the last week.
Last saturday morning, we walked down to Primrose Park. It was a nice little morning stroll, and I took my first photo with the 450D by the water.
The harbour is always so calm in the morning.
Freddy arrived with his surf buddy Hanna an hour early, so Hayley and I quickly packed the beach gear into the car and we drove out to Mona Vale. While we surfed, Hayley was awesome and took photos of us surfing.
I’m on a nice little wave here while Freddy’s being a champ and leaving it wide open for me.
Afterward, Hayley and I had lunch and relaxed at home for a few hours before heading downtown. P&O Cruises was hosting a party for their new ship, the Pacific Jewel, so we thought we’d go check it out. We arrived early, and so we spent most of the afternoon browsing the arts and crafts of the Rocks street market. Still too early for the cruise party, we walked around Circular Quay to the Opera House, which is absolutely stunning and really never gets old. We finally walked back to the cruise party, but it was a complete bust so we left after five minutes.
Hayley relaxing on the empty Opera House steps.
The next day, we walked from our house down to Cremorne Point Reserve and hiked around Cremorne Point to Mosman Wharf. We saw another Kookaburra on the way!
Mr. Kookaburra, eating something delicious.
Yesterday, I attended the ABC holiday party at the Officer’s Mess in Watsons Bay. After the standard presentations and speeches, we kicked back, drank beer and played trivia. The venue is set next to “The Gap”, a beautiful vista point overlooking the Pacific ocean.
The Officer’s Mess in Watsons Bay.
Afterward, a few of us walked down to the Watsons Bay Hotel for dinner and drinks. While the food is pricey, between $20 and $30 per plate, the drinks are reasonable and the views are spectacular.
The pátio restaurant and bar at the Watsons Bay Hotel.
We watched the sunset, then picked up a cab just as a thunderstorm rolled in. What a start to the weekend!
Sunset over downtown Sydney from Watsons Bay.
September 6, 2009 at 12:57 am
We arrived in Sydney on Wednesday night at 10 PM. The cab driver charged us nine dollars (Australian $, from now on) to drive one kilometer to the Ibis Airport Hotel where we showered in an alien looking dome bathroom and slept for the night.
We’re staying in Kings Cross, which is the official party area of Sydney. We are within walking distance of public transportation and have all the conveniences nearby that one could ask for, including restaurants right next door and across the street.
Aside from the odd shopping mall here and there, yesterday was our first full day exploring the city. First, we hopped on a CityRail train to Circular Quay, the main tourist public transportation hub in Sydney. The doors of the train open to one of the most stunning views in the world, a panorama including the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, with hundreds of ferries and sail boats cruising up and down the harbor.
Hayley posing in front of the Sydney Harbor Bridge
We walked around Circular Quay to the Opera House. It was pretty cool to see it in person; as it is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. We took our share of photos at every possible angle, and walked around the building as far as was permitted. Directly opposite the Opera House is the Harbor Bridge, which is equally as spectacular. This is where they shoot off the New Years Eve fireworks.
The Sydney Opera House doing its best to look like a spaceship.
The Sydney Opera House from a commuter ferry.
After soaking in the view, we walked up the nearby steps to the Royal Botanical Gardens. The park combines the large grass parks similar to London, with the climate of San Diego.
Beautiful flowers await you in the botanical gardens.
The gardens are also home to some of the coolest birds that I’ve ever seen. Many different types of parrots are as common as pigeons in the United States. Bats hang from the trees! It’s pretty amazing, not what you’d expect from the surroundings.
A parrot in the park.
Ever seen a bat at noon? How about one looking directly at you?!?
Look closely and you’ll see over a hundred bats in this tree.
We walked back to Circular Quay and rode out to Watson’s Bay on a ferry. This trip is the most breathtaking commute you could imagine, with sail boats everywhere and beautiful homes packed into the surrounding coastline.
One of the marinas in Sydney Harbor.
A docked boat on the beach at Watson’s Bay.
After four quick stops we were in a park overlooking beautiful Watson’s Bay filled with marinas and crystal clear water. We walked up to the open ocean, only a short five minute walk from the bay and watched the waves crash against the huge stone cliffs, then we walked down to the gelato shop for tasty refreshments. The ride back was equally as breathtaking the second time around.
The cliffs opposite Watson’s Bay, and the ocean crashing into them.
Watson’s Bay and the Sydney Harbor. On the left are the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
After a quick dinner, we boarded the CityRail down to Ryan’s Bar to watch the South Africa vs. Australia rugby game. We picked Ryan’s after receiving an annonymous tip that it was the South African rugby safe-house. At the door we were each given a copy of Sabona magazine, “The mag for Southern Africans living in Oz.” We purchased some drinks, sat down with a group of South Africans and watched the match. Despite the outcome of the game (SA lost), the night was a blast.
Today we took a ride down to Bondi Beach and watched surfers tear up the waist-high waves. The sand in Bondi is like nothing I’ve ever seen, very fine and soft. Easy to sleep on.
Now we’re back in our apartment and I’ve finally finished uploading all our pictures from South Africa. If you’re bored or would like to view them, please click the Pictures link if you are reading this on my website, or go to my Flickr page at http://flickr.com/mswebersd.
Thanks for reading.