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…
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has had its share of gentrification since I started visiting in the mid 90’s. The row of traditional take-aways have been replaced by a swish condo/cafe complex.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.
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.
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?
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!
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.
Shellharbour on a Saturday
Picnickers
Fisherpeople
Loungers on the pub-restaurant deck
Children fossicking the rockpools
Weekend drivers
Bikini-clad maidens
All enjoying the blue on blue
The breeze
The last rays of summer sun
A drive down the coast and a lazy lunch by the sea to wind up summer.
A lazy Sunday morning by the river.
The forecast was for 29C on Saturday, but at 10am it certainly didn’t feel like it at Bonnie Vale. It was overcast and there was even drizzle. I really wanted a swim since I hadn’t had one for a few weeks due to the cooler weather. Bonnie Vale isn’t as nice as the other 3 spots I mentioned before, but it’s the most accessible of the lot. No walking, bar a 30 metre waddle from the car to the water. I waited patiently, and thankfully after an hour the clouds cleared, the sun shone bright and hot, and I was able to take a paddle in the cool water.
Static and Silence 