Sydney

We've just spent five days in Sydney with Connie and co. We arrived early Saturday morning and went to see Connie play soccer.  So cute - little 2 and 3 year olds running around in maroon and white uniforms. I was impressed with their ball skills and their ability to follow directions.  Next year I think Connie will have all the ball skills to play a game.

We brunched at the little corner coffee shop where the cooks and staff know everyone by name and their order.  Poached eggs and toast with Baby Chino for Connie please.  They make the best vege burger I know.!!

We stayed at a place  in the countryside just outside Kiami - about two hours drive from Sydney.  I must admit I enjoyed the ride down driving through Woollongong and along the coast.  Kiami was a coastal town - a bit bigger than we first realised.   We wandered around the  lighthouse, blow holes, markets (great pies), bouncy castle and swings.

Great choice of a weekend bach Becks.  Foxground Road about 30 minutes drive from Kiami.  The house didn't look much from the outside but inside it was close to a mansion - plenty of space and rooms and a fire (yes we lit the fire in October in Sydney). Almost every kitchen appliance you could ask for - and we didn't use one!!  We arrived to a number of kangaroos greeting us and in the morning New South Wales cockatoos chirped hello.  Connie loved her little green dinosaur that Helen had knitted - what a special creative friend.    I went for a wander up one of the side roads in the evening. It was rather a steep walk - similar to the start of Khandallah Bridle path but much much longer.  It was an interesting walk, signs said 'No Dogs, No Cats, No Tresspassers'.  Barbed wire followed the road - houses hid behind trees and iron gates (didn't get the impression they were mansions).  I stopped going up hill when I found some rather frisky cows grazing and playing close to the only house that wasn't hidden behind wire and iron.

 On the way back we drove through some typical Aussie countryside and stopped at a historical town called Berry for lunch and play while a 3 way skype call for work and failed rather dismally.

On Tuesday and we thought we would hang out with Connie but Connie had other thoughts.  About 10 minutes after Mum and Dad left she was sitting on her bike waiting to go to Daycare.  So, off we went.  After dropping Connie off we wandered around the harbour on a warm sunny day, enjoyed the new architecture, the Bangaroo seaside park, ate fish and chips beside the opera house before going to see My Fair Lady.  Great venue - acoustics fantastic - even the clapping sounded better.  Show was well worth seeing, though I felt rather under dressed in my casual clothes.  In the evening we watched the team prepare for the annual dance at the awards ceremony and then looked after Connie while mum and dad and went out for a well earned relaxing dinner.  Gradconnection won an award later on that week.  We played games with Connie (Old MacDonalds Farm lotto) before heading off to bed.

The next day Connie was happier to spend the morning with us.  So we took a trip to Darling Harbour, played on the flying fox and slides, experimenting at the water park and then Mike arrived to have lunch with us.

After dropping Connie off we had a wander to the Chinese Garden - I always love the oasis set amongst the sky scrapers of a city.  This garden was particularly well presented and cared for.  Then it was time to go back to the airport.  Another fantastic time in Sydney.  We love you all.

The week went fast at work (it was after all only 2 days).  We did some more work on the garden - Harry went and got trailer loads of dirt and I shovelled it into the garden.  We planted the feijoa tree bought for us a couple of years ago that had not been enjoying being in a pot, and I talked to the boysenberry and blueberry plants to encourage them to grow - it seems to be working!!

This week has been windy and wet in Wellington - it has lived up to its name.  We went to Pilates to try and get our muscles over the shock of all the weekend work and I said goodbye to an umbrella.

Question of the week:  Why does Tabby insist on sitting on one particular chair in our lounge?   It doesn't matter whose lap it is, and what is on that lap (eg knitting or laptop), she wants that chair!!  If there is no lap - then the couch is preferred.  That's cats for you!!

 It has been a quiet couple of weekends due to me managing to get my umpteenth bug this winter.  However, we did manage to get to the stage show Sister Act and Beyond the Barricade - both very enjoyable.  We managed a few walks in the botancial gardens - spring has sprung!! and also around the harbour.

 It is local body election time.  The wharves have painted hearts on them, encouraging people to feel positive about our little city - how could one not - and of course to vote.  Boy, is the single transferable voting thing hard to get your head around (not the process it is just ranking 8-12 candidates for 4 different bodies etc very time consuming). I am not surprised the turnout is low.

I diverge - its all about the hearts.  On them are little sayings that only Wellingtonians get.  Someone had a great deal of fun creating sayings.  Others from outside our city would ponder over and come up with different conclusions!!  Not sure they will encourage people to vote, but it did create some fun.