Spending Easter at Jamberoo Abbey in a couple of weeks. And walking down this road at dawn again.
All posts by Sandra Graham
Remembering Summer
Temperatures haven’t quite dropped as yet but it has been noticeably cooler at night. Scenes like this at Wattamolla will be only a memory in a couple of weeks time.
Friday Lunching
Another visit to Bungalow8. This time I had the fish pie, whose presentation seemed to have improved since last time.
My friends meanwhile had the lamb rump, which looked quite scrumptuous indeed.
High on a Hill
Saturday started off pretty crap weather-wise, but luckily it cleared up (mostly) to make a visit to the Illawarra Fly Tree Top Walk worth it.
It’s basically a walkway suspended 20m above the ground, so you are literally among the trees.
While there are similar walkways around Australia it was interesting to be up so high among such familiar landscape. The views are similar to what can be had for free at Saddleback Mountain, but I think it worth doing once.
FF and Doctor Who
I’ve been listening to Franz Ferdinand’s latest album for over two months straight, and one of my faves is still the addictive No You Girls, so what a surprise it is to find this!
It’s a mini Glaswegian party! But seriously, Tennant and Kapranos on the same stage? Thud! Tennant can join FF anytime…
Changes
The only constant is change, so the saying goes. It’s definitely the case where Austinmer’s concerned. The beachfront has had its share of gentrification since I started visiting in the mid 90’s. The row of traditional take-aways have been replaced by a swish condo/cafe complex. Gone are the days when lunch consisted of a good old-fashioned burger (Aussie-style, with beetroot) and a bucket-load of hot chips wrapped in newspaper eaten on the beach. Well, I’m sure the modern cafe has burger and chips on its menu, but sometimes nothing beats an old-fashioned take-away burger and chips after a refreshing dip in the ocean.
Surfing
An early morning drive on Sunday took me down to the village of Austinmer. I arrived so early that the lifesavers hadn’t yet set-up shop and the locals were still doing laps of the rockpool. I eventually joined them but not before taking a squizz at the beach where a few surfers were still in the water. The waves weren’t particularly big, but still decent enough for them to get a ride or two.
Give Me Some Water – Part 5
It’s autumn now but the weather was still perfectly warm on the weekend. I went further afield for this installment, down past Wollongong, past Shellharbour, to Bass Point and the intriguingly named Bushrangers Bay.
I was introduced to this place by a friend in-the-know. It’s a secluded, sheltered little granite cove that’s a favourite among divers and snorkellers. The water is clear and even though I didn’t have proper snorkelling gear I still saw a few fish and coral. Unsurprisingly, the bay is an aquatic reserve.
I arrived early before the families came, and the place was very quiet – so quiet that I felt as if I’d stumbled on a secret pirate’s hideout. Maybe there is some truth in the name after all?
Folk Song
The children have struck again with a rendition off one of my favourite albums from my youth by The Sundays of Folk Song. Good thing their teacher is a musical Anglophile!
Intricate Details
Amazing what good craftspeople (and a whole load of money) can do. Well, Nan Tien Temple isn’t a place that gets built every day.
Static and Silence 