Taking a short break - Rosedale, NSW South Coast

What on earth?

This structure has me totally mystified. It looks a bit like an aerial disguised as an orange palm tree...

Spotted it on the way to the gym this morning and just HAD to get out and investigate. I came away none the wiser.

The curve of the bridge

Well, the curve of the approach here. A different perspective is Grace Cossington Smith's painting The Curve of the Bridge.

Sydney Harbour 8pm

Had dinner last night with a Canadian friend at a pub in The Rocks. Afterwards we wandered around by the harbour for a while. On Tuesday night the Opera House was bathed in pink light, apparently, for Breast Cancer Awareness Week, but it was back to plain light on Wednesday.

Late afternoon shadows, Woodford Bay, Longueville

A tranquil spot on the Lane Cove River, on Sydney's Lower North Shore. Mellow in the golden glow of the late afternoon.

Mark Foys, Juanita Nielsen and Abe Saffron - a Sydney story

Former family owned department store, now The Downing Centre, Sydney's biggest law courts complex.

There's a rather interesting story involving the name Mark Foys. A really nasty character called Abe Safffron, one of Sydney's chief gangsters died last week (so you can now say anything you like about him - no defamation) . Many believe that he was responsible in 1975 for organising the disappearance / death - her body has never been found - of the Mark Foys heiress, a woman called Juanita Nielsen. This is a notorious uncolved Sydney crime. Nielsen published a local newspaper and was campaigning against property developments and vice and corruption.

Hey! That looks interesting!

The baby seems fascinated as s/he watches these Falun Gong practioners at Darling Harbour on Sunday.

Outlawed in China, Falun Gong - also called Falun Dafa - "comes out of the Chinese tradition of qigong, a system of cultivating one's inner energy and thoughts through exercises and meditation. The Falun Gong version comes from Li Hongzhi, known to his followers as Master Li. It is an exercise system based around a wheel, or falun, placed by Master Li into his followers' abdomens, and there is a morality system based around the central components of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance" [ABC Radio National story about the Chinese Government and Falun Gong believers]

So, harmless belief system, or dangerous cult?

Never too young to play air guitar

Scene in Pitt St, lunchtime, Saturday 23 September. This kid was really groovin' !!

The Hungry Mile

B ig controversy about the naming of this part of Sydney Harbour. It is part of the end of Sydney harbour as a working port - the last remaining port facilities are being moved south to Port Botany and Port Kembla (near Wollongong).

This area, currently referred to as "East Darling Harbour" is to be redeveloped. Here's all the "concept' guff.

A competition has been announced to rename the area. There is quite a campaign lobbying for one name already ruled out: The Hungry Mile. This is the wharves and port area where men during the Great Depression walked searching for work as wharf labourers (wharfies in Australian parlance) on a day hire basis. Sometimes they were lucky, many times not. Conditions those 'lucky ' enough to work under were atrocious.

You can read more about the Hungry Mile Name Campaign here.

The current Labor government has ruled out this name - maybe it is too embarassing a legacy in these days when their largest political donors are property developers, who tend to prefer much more anodyne and "naicer" names than something which recalls hard times and political struggle?

Postscript 27/9/06: The government has announced that Hickson Road, along which the men walked will be renamed The Hungry Mile, and that there will be history markers. Story here.

Luna Park

Quick quiz: which famous New York City building are the "towers" flanking the Luna Park entrance face modelled?

Luna Park opened in 1935, and still provides entertainment for (mainly) children.

McIvers Baths - Women Only

McIvers Baths is under a cliff face, on a rock platform between Coogee Beach and Wylies Baths. The baths have magnificent oceans views and are relatively well screened from the surrounding area. (I took the shot from inside.)

The baths were built in 1886, but according to the National Trust it has been a popular swimming spot for women since before 1876.

This pool (entrance donation 20 cents) is popular with nuns, Muslim women, lesbians, and elderly women (well women of all ages, really). In 1995, after a challenge in the courts, it was granted an exemption under the Anti-Discrimination Act to continue operating as women-only.

Lots more photos to be seen here.

After lunch

Yesterday I had lunch at one of my favourite cafes in Surry Hills. I took just this one snap after all the tables had been cleared and my friend and I (look carefully and you can just spot us) were lingering over a cup of coffee before going back to clear the avalanche of emails that inevitably appears as soon as you leave your desk. I looked up and loved the mish-mash of colours in this tiny establishment where the woman owner/cook manages to conjure up the most reasonably priced, totally fresh, made from scratch French/European fare every day. We both had chicken- and-pork-stuffed yellow capsicum with polenta on the side.

Remembrance of things past

This is a metropolitan waste and recycling centre in Sydney. They are re-living the Olympic spirit from September - October 2000. Much of the Olympic accoutrements ended up as scrap. It's kind of nice they decided to keep these rings rather than stick 'em in the muncher-scruncher.

One victory away from the Grand Final

Local Rugby League team, the St George Illawarra Dragons have to win one more game next Saturday (the Preliminary Final) to ensure themselves a place in this year's Grand Final.

The Dragons merchandise area at the local sports store should be moving well, though things were fairly quiet when I was in there yesterday.

Captain Cook

Statue of that doughty Yorkshireman erected in Hyde Park by public subscription assisted by a grant of the NSW government, 1879. The plinth he's standing on is made from granodiorite from Moruya. The same stone was used in the pylons of the Sydney Harbour bridge.

The statue itself is cast in bronze and is 13 feet (about 4 metres) high.
Designer Thomas Woolner, cast in London

Here's some great images of the statue when it was being new and being unveiled. About 60 000 people attended the unveiling. Read all about it here.

Loyal companions

Builders, plumbers, electricians - tradespeople - frequently drive white vans. And many like to take their dogs with them to their jobs.

These two fellas are waiting patiently for their mate, and were happy to pose as I walked by.

My homage to swimming

At 6.01 am most weekday mornings, I am the first to slip into the pool at the gym. I swim 1.5 kms, which takes about 38 minutes...(which means I won't be challenging Grant Hackett, the current short course - 25 m pool - world record holder's 14:10:10 or his long course - 50m - record at 14:34:56 any time soon!)

Some mid-winter mornings I've had the pool to myself the entire time. Now it's light at that time, a few more lappers arrive as well, though I still generally get the first few minutes to myself...I love that solitude - just me and the water.

I love the silky feel of the water as I glide through it, and it's a great way to start the day. I prefer the lane second from the left (for some reason I can't explain). I can't imagine my life without swimming. I remember teaching myself to swim at about age 4, and it's been my preferred form of physical activity for the past 45 years.

Driving to get fit

"They drove what to go where????"

I reckon one day, in Futurama World, archaeologists, sociologists and historians will be gobsmacked in wonderment at the concept of all these overweight and body-conscious people getting in their cars and driving to expensive franchised Emporiums Of Fitness in an attempt to counteract the effects of the car-based society they had created in the first place!

This is my gym at 6.57 am; the car park is packed, and as the "first shift" is leaving, the next is cruising for places to park.

Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park

I know I post a fair few pictures of Hyde Park; I often walk there at lunchtime, and there's always so much of interest, especially when the sun comes out again!

Archibald Fountain - more info.

Monday morning, back to work

... and the downpours continue.

Sunday in Bondi - latte and hot chocolate

This is a bit of a photo essay, so follow the links as they occur for the "full picture".

It's been windy and rainy in Sydney for four days now. Not to be deterred, however, we set off for Bondi to have a look at the annual kite festival, the Festival of The Winds. Unfortunately, it was too windy (not to mention too wet), and there wasn't an awful lot happening in the sky.

Nothing for it but to repair to the Lamrock Cafe, a cafe with a great view of the beach, and a bit of a Bondi institution, for lattes and hot chocolates, chicken burger for the kid and tapas for the mature (the grilled baby octopus were superb, I'm pleased to report).

Fortunately, as the rain was as coming down both inside and outside, we found a snug corner to settle in for some respite.

Not the usual image of sunny Bondi! On Thursday Sydney exceeded the September average rainfall (av Sep rainfall = 68.7 mm; Thursday 07 = 107.2 mm. But no-one's complaining - we really need rain)

Corner, Surry Hills

It's been pouring rain in Sydney the past two days. At lunchtime yesterday the clouds parted long enough for me to be able to go for a quick walk near my office. This corner building intrigues me.

Does anyone know what the Chinese script says?

The Mexican navy was in town

These two representatives of the Mexican navy were engaged in lively conversation in central Sydney. I love the stripey shirt of the one on the right.

Suburban houses

This neat row of approx 1930s/40s houses makes a pretty uniform streetscape, despite the individual touches evident. Pretty typical suburban houses of the era, found in the middle ring suburbs about 10 to 25 kms from the city centre. The dark brick is fairly distinctively Sydney - you will see lots of it. Typically these will be 2 or 3 bedroom, be set on about 400-500 sq m of land, and nowadays in this suburb (Tempe) I estimate would cost about $600 000. In trendier suburbs, expect to pay quite a bit more.

Fig tree

Roots of a fig tree in Hyde Park.

Clovelly Bowling Club

As lawn bowling clubs are disappearing (read more here) , the land usually being developed for medium density housing, Clovelly Bowling and Recreation Club hangs on to its prime position overlooking the sea.

You can hire the club and greens for birthday party or wedding, take part in a casual game of bowls, under the instruction of members ($10 per person), or in the words of the club, have a great corporate good time:

"The Clovelly Bowling Club makes it easy for you to organise your company's off-site. Forget the new age mumbo jumbo, nothing good comes from building a tower out of scrunched up newspaper blindfold. Real team bonding comes naturally from a little sunshine, a few cool bevies, a well cooked snag and some healthy competition. "

The shop on the corner of my street

This little shop packs a powerful punch! A little bit of everything, including deliciously plump dried apricots, and out the back, a surprising range of fresh fruit and vegies.

The Illustrated Man

This is for Andreea over on Brussels Daily Photo, who posted a tattoo parlour entrance on 01 September.

This parlour in Surry Hills is probably Sydney's most famous. Here's their website.

Car park, St George Hospital, Kogarah

These colourful panels make the car park outside St George Hospital at Kogarah quite a local landmark.

Wattle Day

September 1 is Wattle Day. Here's a lovely example from my local area.

Wattle (acacia) is the Australian national floral emblem.

Another Newtown doorway

Today is Daily Photoblogger's Theme Day : Doorways. I like the texture of the peeling paper in my chosen photo.

44 Daily Photo sites are participating in the 1st September theme.

Please use the links to below to visit them.

Due to time zone differences and other factors, the theme photo may not be displayed until later if you are viewing early in the day.

If you view after the date then you may find the theme no longer accessible on some sites, but the majority will be available in archives.

1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9 -10 -11 -12 -13 -14 -15 -16 -17 -18 -19 -20 -21 -22 -23 -24 -25 -26 -27 -28 -29 -30-31 -32 -33 -34 -35 -36 -37 -38 -39 -40 -41 -42-43-44