Friday 26th October 2012
This is our last full day in Sydney, and although it is a little overcast, we have decided to take the train and bus to Bondi Beach for the day. The pictures of the jaunt are especially for Howard's mate Simmi, a Bohemian arty surfer from way back!
So after another excessive breakfast, we got away after 9:30 am and took the CityRail to Bondi Junction. We didn't have a good map to see how far it was to the beach from there and had contemplated walking, but we were soon glad that we took a bus instead from the rail station as it was quite a distance!
The beach was spectacular, and the day soon became warm and a little humid, despite the breeze. We had decided to take the coastal walkway to Tamarama Bay and on to Bronte Beach (a few kilometres), and it just so happened that there was a sculpture exhibition on for a few weeks, just opened, called "Sculptures By the Sea".
All along the pathway, on a domain above the cliffs, and on Tamarama beach were over a hundred sculptures - installations, or whatever you might call them. Many were traditional, some were weird, but all were quite clever, especially when you tried to tie them in with the artists' title for the pieces.
I took some pictures - not of all of them - and none of the more 'anatomically interpretive' ones. We didn't bother buying a catalogue. We'll try and caption some of the photos from memory.
Again, the pictures can tell the story.
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| View toward North Bondi |
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| The main beach |
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| The start of the coastal walkway, past the Icebergs Swimming Club |
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| Paper Hats |
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| Chilly |
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| We didn't mean to do it |
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| Knot Standing |
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| Our strength is in reaching and pulling |
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| Where do the children play? |
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| Talking bamboo (walk through sounded like didgeridoos) |
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| Although we are different, we are the same (2 of 3) |
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| The Optimist |
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| Egg of the sea |
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| Elevated bridge |
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| Inspired by Handel's Water Music Suite |
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| The embrace |
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| Curved wall |
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| Broken tradition |
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| Leaning forward - three figures |
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| View of the sea (toward Bronte) |
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| Balance in motion |
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| Bird boat |
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| Bird of the sea |
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| The travellers have arrived |
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| Room with a view |
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| perspective |
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| casting around |
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| Tamarama Bay |
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| Stopping the glare |
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| Dump |
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| "Poom" - made of rolled new garments in a domed frame, will later be given to the refugees and boat people, badge messages inside, e.g. 'Australia is big, welcome!' |
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| see above... |
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| Surprise! |
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| Bamboo wave |
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| Punk frog. (Pedalling, powered by solar charged battery) |
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| Looking down on Tamarama Bay; Foreground 'Illumination' |
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| Foreground - Left: Sumos, right: Spinal Column |
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| Bronte Beach |
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| Pink Penguins |
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| "Love, Cherish, Remember" |
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| The surfers were jumping off the rocks to get into these breaks |
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| The midden |
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| Close-up of the last picture |
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| The net ghost crocodile |
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| Pools of the Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club, est 1929 |
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| The Bondi Pavillion - we had a late lunch at a cafe here. |
We got back to Kings Cross late in the afternoon, and after freshening up, went again to the Fountain Cafe, where we had some other choices from the menu, and I had a beer or two.
The later evening was taken up with packing, and writing the previous blog post.
Saturday 27th October, 2012.
This is our departure day, and we got a small airport shuttle bus, which took us on another local tour of backstreets and alleyways, dropping and picking up folk, before getting us to the airport in plenty of time for our 11:30 am flight.
We spent most our our remaining Aussie dollars, and I was sorely tempted to buy an IPad2 at duty free on special at $249, but Reason (otherwise known as Rosemary) prevailed.
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| Beautiful day at Sydney Airport after a smooth check-in. |
We had a comfortable trip back to Auckland on the AirNZ Airbus, had a snack at Auckland Domestic Terminal after clearing customs, and arrived at Palmerston North at 7:45 pm. So pleased to find Neil at the airport to meet us, as I had ordered a taxi on-line but they never acknowledged the booking, and there was no taxi driver waiting for us.
Got home with a short stop at the supermarket for bread and milk, and after a late dinner, we set about the business of unpacking. I went to bed and slept. Rose stayed up for some time, as, regardless of my snoring, she was "enjoying" the music of neighbours' parties on each side of our place!
There has to be some benefit in being deaf, eh?
Which brings me to the end of the blog. Hope you enjoyed it.
