Farewell 2011

Garry and I have celebrated the end of another remarkable year by joining hundreds of thousands, if not a million or more, people to watch Sydney's New Years Eve fireworks.  We bought tickets to an evening of food and entertainment at the Opera Kitchen precident located in the shadows of Sydney's Opera House.  Throughout the evening we enjoyed sushi, sashimi, gourmet burgers, roasted salmon and other delights as live music, interactive drumming, fire performances, body painting, roving stilt walkers and a six piece soul/jazz band filled the hours before midnight.

The first ten minute firework extravaganza began at 9.00pm and included displays from the Sydney's highest buildings, the harbour bridge and a chain of barges moored mid-harbour. A parade of lighted boats then proceeded to tour the harbour before everyone settled in for a 12-minute pyrotechnic display at midnight. It didn't take long to see why Sydney's celebration is the envy of the world.  What a show it was! Fireworks began exploding from every direction, in all manner of colours, shapes and sizes, culminating in a display that saw the Harbour Bridge transformed into a waterfall of colour, as exploding stars and flares lit up the entire harbour.

I'll leave you with photos of the evening, including highlights from the A$6.5 million fireworks spectacular. You can also watch a video of the display here, which includes the official soundtrack broadcast on a local FM station, along with some dazzling aerial footage. Happy New Year everyone!

Wisemans Ferry

Wisemans Ferry is possibly the best known ferry crossing on the Hawkesbury River, 75kms north of central Sydney. It’s a picturesque location, steeped in early-European convict history. A ferry service was established here in 1827 to transport provisions to convicts building the Great North Road between Sydney and the Newcastle region. For many years the route served as one of the main roads north out of the Sydney basin. Vehicles would travel north to the river, cross to the opposite bank then continue up the scenic, verdant MacDonald River valley. The route declined in popularity once Peats Ferry Bridge at Brooklyn opened in 1945.

We took advantage of today’s sunny weather by driving along the Hawkesbury River from Brooklyn, via Monsoon Creek, to Wisemans Ferry. Our leisurely circular route covered more than 250kms, taking in the traffic-choked Pacific Highway, the sweeping freeway curving through Kuring-gai Chase National Park and the winding, empty roads of the Northern Hawkesbury River.

We initially joined the aptly named Wisemans Ferry Road, 13kms north of Peats Ridge where a tranquil country lane follows meandering tributaries towards Monsoon Creek.The creek itself is a broad sweeping river that ultimately joins the Hawkesbury River near the small village of Spencer. It was here that we stopped for lunch, enjoying a classic Australian hamburger at the local country store. The store sits opposite a short, wooden plank jetty where we watched boats regularly coming and going, often stopping to collect their own dose fast food, or the odd case of beer.

The road then turned west and wound its way along the northern bank of the broad and somewhat majestic Hawkesbury. As we soaked in the tree-clad water views, birds could be heard calling over sound of the Saab’s purring engine. By accident we found ourselves driving up the MacDonald valley as far as St Albans.

This quaint rural settlement is best known for its nineteenth century pioneer pub, built from local sandstone. The impressive structure was originally built as a stopover for Cobb and Co. stagecoaches traveling between Sydney and Newcastle. Today it’s a popular watering hole for tourists who gather on picnic tables under the shade of towering eucalyptus gum trees. Several miles down river we stumbled across the town's original graveyard located on a quiet bend in the road.

We retraced our route back down the valley towards the Webb Creek ferry, where a five-minute crossing saw us deposited safely on the Hawkesbury’s southern bank. From here the road climbs abruptly to a scenic outlook over the river valley. We stopped briefly to admire the lush green scene before continuing back to Sydney and the bustle of urban life.

Our day finished on another high note when I received a response to an ad I'd placed online this morning. Last week we ended up with a spare ticket to the New Years Eve fireworks at the Opera House. Our English friend Martin had planned to fly in from London to join us until his mother was unexpected hospitalized. However, we've been able to off-load our spare ticket at roughly half its face value. This was my first attempt at online selling so it was a pleasant surprise to discover how swiftly and effortlessly the transaction occurred.

Galston Gorge

The road through Galston Gorge is one of the most unusual roadways in the Sydney region. It takes cars from the wide streets of Hornsby down a narrow winding road punctuated by numerous tight hairpin turns deep into a narrow bush-clad gorge. At the base of the gorge an old one-way wooden bridge takes you across Tunks Creek, a tributary of Berowra Creek to a second concrete-arch bridge that crosses Berowra Creek itself. On a good day a journey through the gorge takes about 20 minutes.

The road’s bends are so tight and steep that the traffic over 7.5 metres in length is banned. However, at least three vehicles annually become stuck. So far this year, two such incidents have been reported. On February 8 the Gorge road was closed for more than four hours after a trailer carrying five horses became trapped. A month later a coach, well over the length restriction, also had to be rescued. Despite these hazards an average of 5,000 vehicles traverse the road each day.

I’m fascinated why a road through the middle of nowhere was ever constructed. The original wooden bridges were built in 1891, with the bridge crossing Tunks Creek still in use today. The bridges were built before the road was completed, by hauling each wooden beam through the bush with horse teams. The road itself was finally opened in 1893.

A little research reveals that the road was the championed by Matthew Charlton, a stone-cutter and boat-builder who lived on the banks of Berowra Creek. He was seeking a timelier route to the Hornsby railway station for his goods, as were a growing number of orchardists and farmers in the nearby Dural region. Prior to the opening of the road, most produce was transported to Sydney via Berowra Creek.

Water transport often began its journey from a tidal bay along the creek called Berowra Waters. A pioneering man by the name of Jack Smith established a boat shed here in 1898. The shed still stands today. In 1900, another road of tight hairpin turns was built down to boatshed from Berowra railway station. A hand-operated punt would then take vehicles across the water to a second road winding its way up an opposing valley to Galston.

A century later, the area’s commercial heritage has been superseded by more recreational pursuits. It’s now a popular boat launching spot, offering picturesque picnic locations and a popular fish cafe. However, the ferry service remains in operation, plying the creek 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A picture perfect Christmas!

Christmas Day began with clear blue skies, plenty of sunshine and not a breath of wind. Above is the view that greeted me at 7:30am as I rose to check the weather.  What a perfect start to Christmas!  Merry Christmas everyone!

Paid in full

I am debt-free! This week I repaid the remaining balance on my share of our apartment’s mortgage. The final payment was made just a month shy of the loan’s eighth anniversary. I never imagined I’d ever be able to clear my share of the debt so swiftly. In a roller-coaster year of emotions, both high and low, reaching this milestone has been an uplifting way to end 2011.

Technically the bank still considers me indebted as Garry has yet to pay down his remaining share of the mortgage. Encouragingly, a steady rise in Sydney house prices over the last eight years means that the outstanding balance is barely a quarter of the apartment’s current value. As negative economic headlines continue to dominate the news it’s encouraging to know that our financial future is increasingly secure.

Bananas for everyone

The Summer solstice has come and gone. The longest day of the year was marked by rain, and plenty of it. The regular bouts of wet weather have been a boon for our garden. Everything is looking lush, healthy and growing like crazy. I cannot recall a time when our balcony foliage looked better.

The wet weather has also had a surprising impact on the price of fresh fruit and vegetables. Prices for most produce is well below those reported for the same period last year. It seems that the cooler, damp conditions have reduced demand for many traditional Summer fruits and vegetables. As a result, supermarkets had been purchasing only half the quantity of product at the wholesale markets, leaving the rest to sell at heavily discounted prices. Bargains abound. For example, you can buy twice as many mangoes this year compared with last Summer.

The price of bananas has also plunged in recent weeks as new crops mature following the havoc wreaked by Cyclone Yasi in February. In the wake of this disaster, the price of bananas soared, peaking around $15.00 per kilo in June. This month prices have plunged below $2.00. Bananas are once again making a weekly appearance in our fridge.

Finally, as we finalise preparations for Christmas Day, the weather bureau has confirmed that weather on the day will be dry with regular bouts of sunshine.

English weather Down Under

Tommorrow we celebrate the first anniversary of our departure from London.  I cannot believe it's been a year already.  I know everyone says that but honestly, it really does feel like only a few months have passed.

It seems Garry and I returned just as a La Nina weather cycle began sweeping across Australia. La Nina typically brings a greater chance of clouds, rain and humidity which has certainly been our experience. Since January we’ve seen Brisbane stuck by record floods and the nation's largest cyclone in memory strike Queensland.  Meanwhile, Sydney has been regularly doust by rain and cooler than average temperatures.

Last week Sydney recorded its coldest start to Summer in half a century. For the first seven days of December temperatures struggled to rise above 20°C. December 7 proved the warmest day when temperatures peaked at 22°C. The city's long-term average maximum for this time of year is 25°C. It was 1960 the last time Sydney was this cold.  It's hard not to compare this experience with London which recently enjoyed its warmest October on record.

UPDATE: December 23, 2011
The wet start to Summer has had a noticable impact on one iconic measure of tlocal weather conditions.  Today's news was filled with reports that water levels at Warragamba Dam, Sydney's primary water source, have exceeded 80 per cent for the first time since June 2002.  Dam levels fell as low as 33 per cent as recently as February 2007.  According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the last time dams in the Sydney region were technically full was 1998.

'Tis the season

The festive season is upon us. Our Christmas tree went up today as we countdown the final three weeks to Christmas. Trimming the tree bought back plenty of memories. I discovered box after box of ornaments that I'd forgotten we'd bought while in the UK. The final results looks stunning.

We also have a friend visiting from London over the Christmas/New Year period.  Martin's been asking to see the city's famous New Year's Eve fireworks up close and personal. It's been some time since we last witness the annual spectacle up close so we're keen to grant to his wish.  However, almost a million people line the shores of the harbour every year making for an unpleasant crowd-crushing experience. 

Photo © Ilya Genkin

As a result, Garry and I have spent a week searching the web for less gruelling options. The fireworks watching events on offer are impressive; from private yacht in the harbour, a gala dinner at the Opera House (only $900 a head), an outdoor picnic in the grounds of the Botanic Gardens (much cheaper at $325) and a ten-course degustation menu in a five-star hotel (an eye-watering $1,000 per person).  After hours of searching we think we've found the perfect solution at a reasonable price.

With a little luck we'll be standing on the bridge-facing forecourt of the Opera House, with a spectacular ring-side view of the fireworks.  I called the venue last night and was told they still had tickets available, at a reasonable price.  Best of all, we'll have some shelter if the current bout of rain persists into the New Year.  Stay tuned for some spectacular photos!

UPDATE:  December 5
Hooray! Our tickets have been confirmed for the Opera House forecourt.

An historic milestone approaches

I've finally posted the last update on our recent US road trip. Click here to read more about Tombstone, Arizona; the town too tough to die.  Our next overseas adventure has already been booked.  We're off to Wellington, New Zealand for a long weekend at the end of January.  Qantas launched a massive sale on flights last week in a bid to entice customers following months of industrial unrest. Garry and I decided that return flights to Wellington for less than A$330 was too tempting to ignore.

This will be Garry's first trip to New Zealand's capital city and my first return visit since the late 1980s.  I was briefly in transit at the airport a few years ago enroute to Melbourne which really doesn't count.  We're looking forward to seeing the new national museum on Wellington's waterfront and soaking up the city's cosmopolitan urban vibe.  I'm curious to see what I remember, and just how much the city has changed.

Our visit will coincide with a unique personal milestone.  At some point in January 2012 I'll have lived more of my life beyond New Zealand than within its borders. I left its shores for the last time as a permenant resident in February 1990.  Since then I've roamed the global calling both Sydney and London home at one time or another.  Ironically, I'll be travelling to Wellington on a new Australian passport.  I submitted an application yesterday for my third such passport.  How swiftly time flies.

More travel is also planned for next year.  I'll be accompanying my parents on a trip to China in May, taking in the sights of Shanghai, Xian and Beijing.  Then in June Garry and I will be heading to Port Douglas for a family wedding.  However, this Christmas will be travel-free for the first time in six years.  We're planning to stay put in Sydney and enjoy a series of day trips to the surrounding area.  We're hoping to see Wiseman's Ferry, Berowa Waters, Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury River and other scenic spots in between seasonal festivities.  Finally, we're hoping to spend a weekend in Canberra around Easter with my brother and sister-in-law who're planning a long weekend in Sydney.

Arizona remembered

I've prepared a series of posts on our second week in Arizona in late-September.  Click on the links below to learn more about:

• The stunning sight of fossilized trees scattered across The Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert.
• A trip down memory lane as we visit Route 66 in Winslow and a spectacular hole in the ground called Meteor Crater.
• Getting up close with a Titan II missile, a deadly Cold War relic south of Tucson.
• The disappointment of Biosphere 2, a unique ecological experiment in the foothills north of Tucson.

Please check back again soon for additional posts. Highlights yet to come include:

• The Pima Air and Space Museum, which included a fascinating bus tour of America's largest aircraft bone yard.
• Tombstone, Arizona.  The world's original wild west town, complete with dusty boardwalks and the odd random bullet hole.
• The classic sights and sounds from Garry's first proper tour of Los Angeles.

Faster than the speed of sound

The internet is a wonderful tool for pursuing one’s passions and interests, no matter how obscure or eclectic the subject matter. I vividly recall experiencing this capability for perhaps the first time in 1997. At the time ThrustSSC, a British built and funded venture, was attempting to break the land speed record. I logged on almost daily to follow its record breaking efforts at Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA. The SSC suffix stands for Supersonic Car, as its designer, Richard Noble, had set his sights on creating the first land vehicle to break the sound barrier.

On October 14, 1997, the jet-powered vehicle set a new land speed record, averaging a speed of 1,228 km/h or 763 mph. It also became the first car to officially break the sound barrier, a feat that it ultimately repeated twice. The 16.5 metre long car certainly looked the part, powered by two massive jet engines that sat on either side of the driver’s cockpit. The entire assembly weighed in a hefty 10.5 tons.

It came as no surprise to learn that the car’s engines had come from a Royal Air Force F-4 Phantom jet fighter. It was also surprise that its driver, Andy Green, was also a former RAF pilot. Incredibly the entire venture was the dream, Richard Noble, who at the time was also the current land speed record holder. He’d set his own record in 1983 in a car he’d designed called Thrust 2. This earlier vehicle was powered by only one jet engine, but still was able to reach a bone-jarring speed of 1,019.468 km/h or 633.468 mph. That’s right, fourteen years on, ThrustSSC broke the land speed record by more than 200 km/h.

Today, both record-breaking vehicles are on display in the Coventry Transport Museum, located just over an hour north of London. The museum’s location reflects the fact that Coventry was once home to Britain’s car industry. At one time almost every British motoring brand including Jaguar, Mini and Leyland was based here. It was also home to Sir Frank Wittle, a British jet engine pioneer whose acheivement include the invention of the rotary engine.  His statue stands gaxing skyward in the town centre.  Sadly, most of Coventry's assembly plants have long since closed, making thousands unemployed over several decades. The city is still strugging to recover from the swift deapture of its primary industry.

Last Saturday, I made a spontaneous decision to catch a train to Coventry and see ThrustSSC and Thrust 2 for myself. The journey north was relatively straight forward. The express train from Euston Station made only one stop before arriving in Coventry. Stepping out of the station it was immediately clear that I’d left London far behind and was now in the nation’s industrial heartland. The inner city’s architecture was rather austere and just a little dilapidated. I later learnt that it was heavy bombed during the war and thus reflected the limitations of a struggling post-war economy.

In fact, in the centre of town lie the ruins of Coventry’s once magnificent cathedral. On the night of 14 November 1940, the city was devastated by bombs dropped by the Luftwaffe. The 14th Century Cathedral burned along with the city, having been hit by several incendiary devices. Today, only it stone walls and the restored bell tower remain standing. The ruins stretch 425 feet from end to end, while bell tower’s spire rises an impressive 294 feet into the air.

Despite, its destruction the site is still inspiring, if only because it offers a unique sense an average cathedral’s massive scale. The scale is typically is lost in a complete building because the interior is always interrupted by internal pillars and walls. At Coventry, these impediments are missing and thus the building entire surface area is clearly visible. With your line of sight uninterrupted it’s hard not to stand in awe of the medieval builders responsible for its design and construction.

Should I confess I was almost more impressed by the cathedral’s ruins than by finally seeing Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC?