My Trove

Watson's Bay

2012-02-17T00:24:00.000Z

Sue's wonderful tour of Palm Beach and the Northern Beaches

2012-02-17T00:10:00.002Z

Penrith Whitewater

2012-02-12T22:04:00.000Z

I went on a camera club outing to Penrith with Susan and Jack to photograph a whitewater canoeing contest. The contest took place in a man-made set of rapids that was built for the 2000 Olympics. We spent a fun morning taking photos. I was delighted to discover there is a Spur in Penrith so we relived my childhood by stopping there on the way home for a Hawaiian Burger and Pecan nut Sundae. Yum!!

Playing with Picasa's movie maker

2012-02-11T06:03:00.001Z

It automatically identifies photos of you and creates a movie all in two minutes flat. Very cool.

The Myburghian Leap catches on!

2012-02-11T05:29:00.001Z

Thanks to Russell's marketing efforts, the Myburghian Leap is taking off amongst the Geocaching Community in Cape Town. There is even a Myburghian Leap Event coming up to co-incide with this month's leap year! Well done, Rusty. If I'm ever immortalised, it will be all due to you!

Clontarf beach with Roger

2012-02-09T19:47:00.001Z

Matthew's party

2012-02-05T18:44:00.002Z

Mack in his Xmas outfit

2012-01-22T05:20:00.005Z

Needless to say, this was Liza's purchase, not mine. But Mack didn't mind wearing it on Xmas morning as it got him lots of extra treats and attentions.

I love this song

2012-01-05T09:33:00.001Z

OK, so it's corny and cheesy as anything. And been around for ever. And played to death on the radio when it first came out. But I love it! Listened to it over and over on my trip to the Blue Mountains. It's the first time since I found out who sang it. And got my own personal copy. Now it's on the blog for all posterity! Please don't judge me on my music taste! But admit it, it's one hell of a catchy tune.

What do you think?

2012-01-04T07:29:00.011Z

OK, so I know it's not the most essential issue facing the world this year. It's not going to solve world hunger. Or determine whether the euro survives or not. But it may directly effect my sex life in 2012. So your opinion is of tremendous value and respectfully requested in this most sensitive matter.

.

.

Happy New Year, everybody!

2012-01-03T22:42:00.001Z

For the midnight fireworks, I walked to the Balls Head nature reserve. There were lots of people jostling for position at the more obvious vantage spots, but luckily I knew of a small, tucked away cove right on the water's edge where I was one of only a few. There was tons of space to laze out and chat with other revellers and it was a fantastic spot for the show with simultaneous views of all three sets of fireworks (over Harbour Bridge, city and Darling Harbour.) The most difficult decision was which set of fireworks to photograph! When all was over, I walked home past the Waverton station and it was pandemonium! Hundreds of people queued up waiting for the train. I feel very fortunate to live where I do, and have all this right on my doorstep.

9 pm fireworks over Sydney (New Year's Eve)

2012-01-02T21:30:00.000Z

I arrived at Larkin Street (2 minutes walk from home) at ten to 9 after having had a drink with my wonderful neighbour, James. It was very crowded up the top but I managed to find some free space in some high grass perched atop a high cliff. Scared of heights, I wasn't too comfortable at first (though it was safe enough) but once the show started, I forgot all about it. So much so, that I had to remind myself of my precarious position when it all stopped!

Bothings at Cape Point for New Year's Eve

2012-01-02T00:33:00.001Z

Photographing waterfalls in The Blue Mountains

2012-01-01T07:02:00.012Z

.
Valley of a Thousand Waters

The Valley of a Thousand Waters (a wonderfully evocative name) is a circular hike that starts at Wentworth Falls and descends extremely steeply into the valley, through beautiful rainforest, and then crisscrosses rivers and streams and waterfalls as you follow the valley, before a gruelling steep climb back up. It's a stunning 5 hour walk, one of my favourites in Australia, and I will never grow tired of the amazing colours of the rocks.

Victoria Falls

Wow, what an undiscovered gem of a place this is. A steep 340 metre descent into the valley brings you to a beautiful set of cascades. Then down some more steps to the top of Victoria Falls with stunning views over the rainforest. Then some more descent to the base of the falls and a plethora of smaller waterfalls and eddies which are all extremely photogenic. I put my new ballhead tripod through its paces to get some different angles. And the best thing is there were almost no people at all on the trail, despite it being New Year's eve. It's right off the beaten track. I'll definitely be coming back here. It's also a great way to get down to the Blue Gum forrest, less steep than the way I took last year. All in all, a great find.

For info on how to get to Victoria Falls

Blue Mountains

2012-01-01T00:01:00.014Z

.
The National Pass, a famous part of the hike at Wentworth's Falls. Not for those scared of heights.

The cable car at Scenic World, Katoomba

The distinctive blue horizon of the Blue Mountains. Where does the blue come from? Well, The Blue Mountains is densely populated by oil bearing Eucalyptus trees. The atmosphere is filled with finely dispersed droplets of oil, which, in combination with dust particles and water vapour, scatter short-wave length rays of light which are predominantly blue in colour. So now you know! Consider yourself enlightened!

Abandoned Shale Mine, Glen Davis

2011-12-31T23:08:00.011Z

I felt a lot like I was Indiana Jones when exploring the abandoned shale mine in Glen Davis. For several reasons.

Firstly was the nature of the ruins themselves. They were only abandoned 60 years ago, but the remaining rows of pillars and soaring brickfaced walls and arches make them look a bit like ancient classical ruins, like Ephesus in Turkey or Pompeii in Italy.

Secondly, nature has done a remarkable job of reclaiming many of the ruins, with huge trees growing inside the old walls and monstrous, thorny weeds, the size of small trees, just as you'd find in an Indiana Jones movie.

Third was the marvellous natural setting of the ruins. Set right in the heart of the Capertee Valley with sandstone cliffs on either side. Not quite like Petra in "Indiana and the Last Crusade", but beautiful nevertheless.

Fourth, I had to do my explorations in secret. The mine is only open to the public on Saturday afternoons at 2 pm for an hour, so I had to slip over the fence and creep in quietly, and I faced the constant threat of discovery and capture.

And finally, but most importantly, there were snakes!!! Not pitfulls of snakes like Indiana faced in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but I did see two large black ones in the space of just two minutes! And as I had snubbed my toe the day before, I was wearing open sandals, so totally vulnerable to poisonous bites!

So all in all, it was a marvellous adventure. Of course, I was not there to find priceless relics, but to take photos and this I managed to do without capture or being bitten, so mission accomplished. I think Indiana himself would have been impressed, except for the girlie squeal I made when I nearly stepped on the first snake.

Scenes from Glen Davis in Capertee Valley

2011-12-31T07:23:00.009Z

Glen Davis is a tiny town situated in the Capertee Valley. The valley forms a canyon that is apparently (according to Wikipedia, so it must be correct!) the second largest canyon in the world. Only the Grand Canyon is larger.

From 1938, the town became the centre of an oil shale industry and housed over 2000 people at it's height. However, the township was almost completely abandoned in 1952 because shale oil was not viable in a non-war, non-government supported economic environment. After the closure of the oil shale mine, the skeleton of a town survived in the form of some properties, a post office (that is now closed) and a shop or two that survived intermittently. Now the shops are closed too.

The creation of the Wollemi National Park has brought a degree of tourism to the area, especially attracting birders like me who can see an unusually high number of species here. That's what attracted me here in 2007 but this time I was on a mission to photograph the old, abandoned shale mine.

Fortune finally knocked at the door...

2011-12-30T06:21:00.001Z

...but alas, they had given up and gone long ago...

It might not be much, but it's MINE !

2011-12-29T05:07:00.001Z

Old truck

2011-12-28T03:30:00.002Z

This derelict, old car on the way through the Blue Mountains has seen better days and will almost certainly never drive again, but she still manages to keep an aura of dignity about her. I love photographing old cars. Like old buildings, they have great stories to tell if only they could speak...

Boxing day with Doug and Claudia and Lucus and Eric

2011-12-26T08:45:00.006Z

Speeches at Gran and Gramp's 50th wedding anniversary

2011-12-25T22:03:00.011Z

I've been wanting to put these speeches online for a long time now, and I've finally worked out how to do it. So here they are for posterity. Go here for transcripts and more photos.

Introduction by Gramps
.

Grace
.

My Speech
.

Gramp's Speech
.

Gran's Speech
.

Xmas in Cape Town

2011-12-25T20:33:00.001Z

Fantastic photos, thanks Jo!

Xmas eve with Brendan and Eva

2011-12-25T03:54:00.006Z

Season's Greetings

2011-12-24T02:00:00.005Z

I wanted to send some sort of holiday greeting to my friends and colleagues, but it is difficult in today's world to know exactly what to say without offending someone, especially here in politically correct Australia. So I met with my lawyer yesterday, and on advice I wish to say the following :

Please accept with no obligation , implied or implicit , my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the summer solstice holiday practiced with the most enjoyable traditions of religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice with respect for the religious / secular persuasions and / or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all .

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2012, but not without due respect for the calendar of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make our country great ( not to imply that Australia is necessarily greater than any other country ) and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms :

This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her / him or others and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. The wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher .

Best Regards ( without prejudice )

Name withheld ( Privacy Act )

2011 Highlights

2011-12-23T10:26:00.018Z

Teaching, photographing Sydney and trips to the New South Wales Central Coast and The Great Ocean Road

Best images 2011

Best family photos 2011

Trips

Without doubt, the biggest highlight of 2011 was my two week road trip in October to The Great Ocean Road. What an amazing place it is - not just the spectacular rock formations of The 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge, but also the gorgeous waterfalls and lush forests of The Great Otway National Park, the old lighthouses along the coast and some very quaint, historic villages. I was also delighted to see wild koalas, something which is on my life list. All in all, an amazing trip and imagine my delight when I sold two of my images which paid for my holiday.

In June, I went on a one week trip to the New South Wales Central Coast (with Mack) including Gosford, Terrigal, Forresters and Sheathers Warf. This was my second visit to the amazing Forresters Beach with it's fantastic sculptured rocks which Mack very obligingly posed on.

In December, I made a trip to Glen Davis to photograph the abandoned shale mine there. What an adventure it was!

Photographing Sydney

This year, I decided to make the most of the beautiful city I live in and photograph her well known and lesser known places.

Photographic highlights included Cockatoo Island with it's huge sheds and rusty old cranes and the incredible graffiti in the old abandoned tram sheds in Glebe and the abandoned Dunlop Factory in Alexandria. Other lesser known places I photographed were the enormous Rookwood Cemetary and the old mental asylum of Callum Park.

Better known photo destinations included West Head, the Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout, Watson's Bay, the Anzac Bridge and Le Perouse.

I also attended several of Sydney's events like the street art festival at Cockatoo Island, the Sydney Vivid Lights festival which seems to get bigger and better every year and The Bondi Sculptures by the Sea. I was very disappointed when my camera gave up the ghost at the 2011 Mardis Gras so I didn't get great photos, but I did manage to take some at the earlier Mardis Gras Fair.

I also did some exploring of the beautiful nooks and crannies around where I live and took photos at Berry Island, Larkin outlook and Ball's Head.

Earlier in the year, I went on an outing with the Mosman Camera Club to the Taralga Rodeo where I got some great action shots and luckily my camera survived the intense dust clouds caused by bucking bulls.

Hiking

I did some wonderful hikes this year. In January, I hiked in the Blue Mountains. Hanging Rock was the highlight, a huge sandstone rock that is over 150 metres high and has become detached from the main cliff. So beautiful, it's not surprising it has featured in many calendars and climbing photos. I spent New Year's eve in the blue gum forests of Govett's Leap and I also hiked The Canyon. Other hikes during the year included hikes to waterfalls in the Great Otway National Park, a hike to Flint and Steel Beach in the Kuring Gai National Park and Two Creeks Hike in the Garigal National Park. Then, I finished off the year with more hiking in The Blue Mountains, when I went in search of waterfalls.

Sanjay comes to visit

In January, my good friend Sanjay visited Sydney from the UK. We had a fantastic time. Highlights included a rainy hike in the Blue Mountains and having a dinner party for Lizzy and Kelly. Sanjay proved to be an excellent cook and showed me how to prepare some delicious Indian dishes.

Learning new things

This year, I did two courses. Early in the year, I did a cooking course, where each week we made different dishes from all over the world. Having a sweet tooth, I focussed especially hard on the desserts and became known as the dessert king. It was great fun with wonderful people and the undoubted highlight was getting to eat our handiwork at the end of the evening.

Later in the year, I did a massage course which is something I've always wanted to do. I learned the art of effleurage and kneading and cupping and enjoyed it a lot, especially being practised on.

Family

I didn't get to see the family this year and missed them a lot. Sam turned turned 11 this year and Matt turned 8. Sam did extremely well in her exams at the end of the year and we are all very proud of her. Jo, Ant and the family went on a nice holiday in Durban and went to Bloemfontein twice. Mum and Mike moved house which was a stressful time, but they love their new place. I'm so looking forward to seeing them in February next year. Mike travelled to Amsterdam this year to see his family and mum and Mike visited the Kruger National Park which they really enjoyed.

Friends

Brendan and Eva had a tumultuous year, what with a new baby and building a new home. They look exhausted but their new home is wonderful and I am sure they will be very happy there.

The Schneiders are also very happy with their new home and they built a wonderful deck this year. I visited them several times this year, including an Easter lunch and at Clontarf Beach. I also did a photo shoot for them late in the year which was fun but challenging making the kiddies smile at the same time.

I went camping with Doug and Claudia at Lake St Clair early in the year.

I got new house mates this year after Craig left. A lovely couple, Sue is from Peru and Alex is from Liechtenstein. They are staying in my old bedroom and I moved upstairs which is nice and private.

Early in the year, I spent a lot of time with Lizzy watching lots of movie and plays and picnics. We also did a fun kayak tour in the harbour.

I also attended a doggie party down at the park where Mack tucked into a big birthday cake made just for dogs!

Teaching

I continued to do teaching this year. The highlight was our Kaplan Murder mystery Xmas party where we all got to act and dress up in costumes. A lot of fun and laughs. As was the annual Melbourne Cup event. But the highlight were my two desk buddies, Steve and Rachel, who I got on really well with and got to share lots of teaching ideas and lesson plans.

Blogging

Amazing to think I've been blogging now for close to 8 years. My blog has taken on a life of its own, an enormous scrapbook to look back on when I'm old. This year, I redesigned my blog with a new look and feel. The most important change was making the photos larger. It was a time consuming process to go through all 1350 posts and enlarge the photos, but worth it I feel. I also migrated all my comments back to blogger which entailed copying and pasting over 1000 comments. Lastly, I categorised my posts so that, for example, you can see all my posts to do with fun, travel or adventure.

I also created a blog for my wonderful friend, Susan, to which I uploaded all her best travel photos. It's a private blog so not available for viewing, but she was absolutely delighted with it, and may have friends who want one too. I've created a site to market my services in this regard.

Best films watched this year

Limitless (2011)
Source Code (2011)
The Black Swan (2010)

Index of Links (2011)

Family

Matt's evolution as an artist (Nov)
Sam's evolution as an artist (Nov)
Matthew The Mouse (Nov)
Photos of Sam and Jo (Sept)
Mum and Mike go to the Kruger National Park
School hockey outing (August)
Botings on holiday in Durban
Photos of Mack
Mike's birthday (August)
Matt at rugby party (June)
Cape Town family in Bloemfontein (May)
Sam's 11th birthday (April)
Beautiful photos of the family (April)
Matt's 8th birthday (Jan)

Hiking

Great Otway National Park (October)
Two Creeks Hike (Garigal National Park) (July)
Hike to Flint and Steel Beach (Kuring Gai National Park) (July)
Boulder hopping to Canyon X in Narrabeen (July)
Hiking in the Blue Mountains including Hanging Rock, Govett's Leap, The Canyon and The Three Sisters. (Jan)

Photography Outings

Sculptures by the Sea (Nov)
Street Art festival at Cockatoo Island (Nov)
Bondi Graffiti (Nov)
The Great Ocean Road (October)
Abandoned Dunlop Factory (July)
Focus on photographing Sydney (ongoing)
Rookwood Cemetary (July)
West Head view point (July)
Pylon Lookout (Sydney Harbour Bridge) (July)
Trip to NSW Central Coast (with Mack) including Gosford, Terrigal, Forresters and Sheathers Warf. (June)
Local areas around Waverton (Berry Island, Larkin outlook, Ball's Head) (June)
Photography outing to Callum Park
Sydney Vivid Lights festival (May)
Le Perouse (May)
Anzac Bridge from Bicentennial Park (May)
Watson's Bay (May)
Catching the ferry to Cockatoo Island (May)
Old Tram shed in Glebe (May)
Circus Performers at Darling Harbour (April)
Presentation on Viveza to the Mosman Photography Club (Jan)
Mardis Gras 2011 (March)
Mardis Gras Fair (March)
Taralga Rodeo (Jan)

Teaching

Melbourne Cup hats parade (Nov)
Pre-Intermediate Class (May)
Elementary Class (March)
Pre-Intermediate Class (Feb)
Amazing facts about Australian animals (Feb)
One on one teaching with Merry (March)
Teaching Business and Intensive Writing (Mar, Apr, May)

Social

Seeing Brendan and Eva's new home.
Brendan and Eva's new baby (August)
1st year anniversary of Liza coming into Mack's life (June)
New house mates move in (June)
Moving upstairs (June)
Portraits of me by James (June)
Clontarf Beach with the Schneiders (June)
Massage course (May)
Kayak tour in the harbour (May)
Chiefy's birthday party at the park (April)
Easter with the Schneiders (April)
Good times with Lizzy
"Dinner Parties" cooking course (Mar)
Camping at Lake St Clair with Doug and Claudia (Jan)
Fun with Sanjay in The Blue Mountains (Jan)

Best family photos (2011)

2011-12-23T03:16:00.001Z

East Africa slide show

2011-12-21T10:05:00.000Z

I created this slide show for my good friend, Sue. I want to experiment more with more multi-media on this site, and Sue had some lovely images to experiment with. I used Mango Groove as the background music as this is one of Sue favourite bands. Good taste! I was in love with Claire Johnston back in the day, a real blast from the past.

Some favourite images (2011)

2011-12-21T09:21:00.003Z

12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road

Razorback, Great Ocean Road

moon setting over 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road

Great Ocean Road from the air

12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road

Lighthouses, Great Ocean Road

waterfalls, Great Ocean Road

wild Koala, Great Ocean Road

Taralga Rodeo

Vivid Festival, Sydney

Sculptures by the Sea, Bondi

Sebastian and Ana

Cockatoo Island

Cockatoo Island Street Art festival

Abandoned Glebe Trams Sheds

Mack and Gem

Blue Mountains

Abandoned Dunlop Factory

Forrester Beach, Central Coast

Insects, Blue Mountains

Kaplan Murder Mystery

Mack at the Central Coast

Eva and Jodie

View from Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon

Brighton Beach, Melbourne

Fields of yellow, Sydney to Melbourne

Hanging Rock, Blue Mountains

Trees, Blue Mountains

Blue Gum Forest, Blue Mountains

Sydney Mardis Gras

Watson's Bay, Sydney

Night lights

Sea gulls, Le Perouse, Sydney

Is this little girl photogenic or what!

2011-12-18T12:05:00.004Z

I went over to see Brendan and Eva's new house which is absolutely fantastic. I was even more excited when I discovered that Jodie is not shy of the camera. I'll make the most of it while it lasts. She's absolutely beautiful, I'm sure you'll agree.

And of course, Ella is as wonderful as ever, always full of fun.

Matt and Sam in Kimberley

2011-12-16T17:33:00.006Z

Lovely photos, thanks Jo

The many faces of Russell

2011-12-10T12:09:00.000Z

Russell's got some cool software on Skype that lets him create fun faces for himself on his video image. Here are some of the faces I got to speak to tonight...

Christmas creations

2011-12-08T17:36:00.001Z

Jo has just completed a very intricate, hand sewn advent calendar. Looks beautiful.

Matt at a party

2011-12-08T17:31:00.000Z

Tug of war

Matt with his teacher

Brendan and Eva's new house going in

2011-12-03T00:21:00.008Z

Brendan and Eva have just moved into their new house. The house was built in Melbourne, believe it or not, and then transported to Sydney in four pieces which were then craned into their plot in Mosman with microscopic precision so that all the pieces joined up. Absolutely amazing. There are some great pics below.

Photos and commentary by Eva:

What a surreal day, this is my kitchen driving past me down the road, I could see the taps and the splashbacks! The most difficult part was getting the trucks reversed into the very narrow driveway so that the crane could lift the modules between the neighbours house and the power lines on the street.

It was nerve-wracking, we were diverting the cars and even the buses, how to irritate the neighbourhood before you even move in. The crane was enormous! You could see it from Spit junction (for those who have been here) or so our neighbours told us. Phew what a day!

You can see from the photo below how high the house was in the air!

The final module being lowered into place onto the bottom three, they had 40mm clearance on one side and 10mm on the other and honestly it went in like a piece of lego, amazing!!!

The final piece going in from the pool side of the house.

One of the downstairs bathrooms, I kid you not this is how it arrived, I couldn’t believe that even the vanity was already suspended in place!

Well done, Sam!

2011-11-29T17:13:00.010Z

From Jo,

I am so proud of Sammy. She was in the top 8 students in grade 5, receiving 80% or more for all 8 of her subjects (including maths, Afrikaans and French!!!) She got a gold medal for geography, a bronze for both science and history meaning she came first and third in her grade (92 students).

Congratulations Sam, we're all very proud of your wonderful achievement!

Me and the King of Pop

2011-11-28T08:13:00.005Z

When I uploaded the photo below to Facebook, the face tagging software went into panic stricken overdrive, asking me to please identify and tag each and every face on the poster. You'd think someone would tell Facebook who The King of Pop is!

I wonder how Google's Picasa's new face recognition software would fare? Would it know all the faces belonged to the same person? That might be a challenge. Not sure if allowance for plastic surgery is built into its complex algorithms.

I tested Picasa's face recognition the other day with my face and was absolutely bowled over by it's brilliance. I simply identified myself in one photo and the software retrieved and identified hundreds of photos of me from my photo collection, some going back 25 years!!! And in some of the photos, I was just a small speck in a crowd!! I would have had trouble recognising myself in some of the photos! It really was uncanny.

How long before CCTV cameras auto detect our whereabouts by matching us with our traffic licence photos and report them back to Big Brother? Minority Report, here we come!

Moments that have made me smile

2011-11-27T23:23:00.007Z

"Its not easy to stay sane in a world that offers such a wonderful choice of madness." Ashleigh Brilliant

I've created a link to all the fun posts on this blog that make me smile when I look at them.

Check out fun posts and click "older posts" when you get to the end to see more.

Kaplan Murder Mystery

2011-11-26T01:46:00.005Z

All the Kaplan staff had a tremendously fun time last night acting out a murder mystery during a delicious three course dinner. We all had to come in costume as our character. The setting was a train in France in 1940. I played the part of a posh, well travelled business person who is at home in the best restaurants and hotels who is actually a British double agent. Then there was a duke and a princess, a journalist and a novelist, a gangster and an RAF pilot and various other juicy characters. Needless to say, we all acted with gusto and really got into our roles. There was a lot of laughter and joviality, helped by copious amounts of free wine. What a fun evening!

Matthew's Work 2011

2011-11-25T02:17:00.011Z

Sam's Art (Various)

2011-11-23T17:57:00.004Z

Sam's Art (2011)

2011-11-23T17:50:00.002Z

Matt (Pre-School Art)

2011-11-23T17:47:00.004Z

Matt's Art (2008 & 2009)

2011-11-23T08:14:00.002Z

Sam's Art (2009)

2011-11-23T07:57:00.001Z

Matt's Art (2010)

2011-11-23T07:49:00.001Z

Sam's Art (2010)

2011-11-23T07:45:00.001Z

Matt's Art (2011)

2011-11-23T07:42:00.002Z

Fun on the trampoline

2011-11-20T07:50:00.007Z

The Schneiders have bought a trampoline. The kids love it! If it gets the same amount of use as the Boting trampoline, it will be one of the best investments they ever make...

The Schneiders Family

2011-11-20T07:25:00.004Z

I took some photos of Andreas and Ingrid and the family. It's amazing how fast the kids are growing up. They are both as gorgeous as ever, although getting both to smile at exactly the same time was a bit of a challenge!

A labour of love...

2011-11-19T10:49:00.009Z

When I first started my blog on Blogger over 8 years ago, I was unhappy with the way they handled comments. So being a high tech wizard at the time, I integrated a 3rd party's comments system onto my blog. Since then, my wonderful friends and family have left over 1500 comments on the blog and they are a much beloved part of it; as important to me as my memories and photos.

Imagine my absolute horror and dismay then, when I discovered that the company who ran the comments system were no longer supporting it and were not providing a way for me to transfer the comments into any other system. All those cherished comments sitting on a legacy system that was going to die.

Then, being the low tech wizard I am these days with no ability to program, I had a moment of inspiration: copy and paste!!!

So I have basically spent the whole day, over 12 hours, copying the comments from my old system and pasting them into the new system.

It's been a labour of love because it's been a wonderful opportunity and excuse to go back and read all the old comments from family and friends.

So thank you to you all for leaving comments on G-Trove since I started blogging. You've inspired me to keep it going through the years and now it has a life of it's own - an electronic scrap book brimming with memories for my old age.

I'd like to especially thank Mum, Jo, Russell, Robyn, Kerry, Carleen, Ingrid, Eva, Nicola and Ana. You've been particularly prolific commenters and I really appreciate it...

Bondi Sculptures by the Sea 2011

2011-11-13T02:30:00.014Z

I went to Sculptures by the Sea today and it was great, even better than last year and 2008, although there were no saucy boulders this time around. I went very early and it was a good call. The weather started dark and overcast and unfriendly for photographs, but it cleared up nicely after a while. As usual, there were some really quirky sculptures like a skeleton up a ladder!

Cute little critters

Street Art Festival at Cockatoo Island

2011-11-12T12:13:00.002Z

Bondi graffiti

2011-11-11T04:32:00.000Z

I discovered some murals at Bondi, one a tad disturbing (see ice cream guzzling kid below!) I looked for the hot bikini lass mural that Russell photographed but alas couldn't find it. Maybe she's been painted over.

Matt's evolution as an artist (2007 - 2009)

2011-11-07T09:17:00.005Z

Sam's evolution as an artist

2011-11-07T09:13:00.005Z

Matthew as a mouse in his latest school play

2011-11-05T11:53:00.003Z

Melbourne Cup

2011-11-01T06:53:00.006Z

It was Melbourne Cup today and the annual hat competition attracted some interesting entries as always. It was a great race this year, probably the closest finish in the history of the cup. If it were not for cameras and photo-finishes, no-one would have been able to determine the winner.

Julie, our wonderful principal, was the belle of the ball in her own very colourful creation...

And here we have the winners...

Phi looking fascinating in his fascinator...

Matt and Matt respectively

Jo in a pretty number

Students in their hats

Fellow teachers at the pub, namely Rachel, Sam, Melissa, Kim, Phi and Steve...

Special Agent Myburgh with his gangster sidekick

2011-10-27T04:35:00.005Z

The Great Ocean Road

2011-10-21T04:28:00.032Z

It has been a dream of mine to explore The Great Ocean Road in Victoria for a long time and it did not disappoint. It's absolutely magnificent - not just the spectacular iconic landmarks like The 12 Apostles, London Arch, Loch Ard Gorge, Martyr's Bay, Bay of Islands, The Arch, The Grotto and Gibson's Steps but also the many beautiful secluded coves and bays off the beaten track.

There is also the gorgeous Great Otway National Park with it's many cascading waterfalls and shady ferns, not to mention old lighthouses and quaint, historical villages and the sight of wild koalas along the way.

The Great Ocean Road hugs the Victorian coastline for much of its 300 kilometres. The road was built by returned servicemen between 1919 and 1932 as a World War 1 memorial. It is in effect, the largest memorial in the world.

I spent 10 wonderful days exploring all the area had to offer, making some great friends along the way. This is definitely a part of the world I want to come back to over and over again.

The 12 Apostles

2011-10-20T11:35:00.018Z

One of the most impressive and anticipated views of the Great Ocean Road is that of the towering rock formations of The 12 Apostles set against 70 metre cliffs. From sunrise to dusk the changing light enhances the beauty of this awe inspiring vista. I visited the sight several times to try to capture the different moods. A huge highlight for me was seeing the stacks from the air in a tiny helicopter.

My hero, David Attenborough, discusses the formation of The 12 Apostles in this short video segment. Worth watching...

Helicopter flight

2011-10-20T11:34:00.004Z

Here is the little helicopter that flew me over The Great Ocean Road. It was a truly amazing experience. And to make matters better, I only paid $75 for a $350 flight as there was a seat going at the last minute.

The Sentinal

2011-10-20T10:55:00.006Z

This is the highest rock stack along the coast, viewed from the helicopter...

Loch Ard Gorge

2011-10-20T08:26:00.015Z

The Gorge

The Island Arch

Muttonbird Island

The Razorback

Gibson's Steps

2011-10-20T07:47:00.012Z

London Arch

2011-10-20T06:59:00.005Z

As you can see below, London Arch used to be called London Bridge and it had an arch connecting it to the mainland. On the evening of 15 January 1990, this arch cracked and fell into the sea, leaving two very shocked tourists stranded on the outer section. A helicopter was called to rescue them.

A sign that doesn't mince words...

2011-10-20T06:41:00.003Z

Chinders Cove and surrounds

2011-10-20T06:34:00.003Z

Bay of Islands

2011-10-20T06:27:00.002Z

Bay of Martyrs

2011-10-20T06:12:00.006Z

The Grotto

2011-10-20T05:50:00.005Z

The Arch

2011-10-20T05:40:00.004Z

King Parrots

2011-10-20T05:30:00.006Z

These are my favourite Australian parrots. They are large and the male is very red. The more drab one is the female. I saw many of them along The Great Ocean Road.

Lighthouses along The Great Ocean Road

2011-10-20T05:19:00.014Z

The shore along The Great Ocean Road was called the Shipwreck Coast because many ships came unstuck here in the past. It is not surprising therefore that there are several lighthouses at strategic places along the rocky shoreline, most built in the 1800's.

Today, modern technology like satellites, computers and radio has made lighthouses redundant and the "era of light" is over. However, lighthouses still evoke (for me at any rate) a special feeling, a reminder of a time when travel was often perilous and lives were saved by these beacons.

For thousands of immigrants travelling to the Australian goldfields in the 1850's, lighthouses were often the first sign of civilisation after a long voyage.

Cape Otway Lighthouse

Port Fairy

Cape Nelson (Portland)

Airey's Inlet

My first sight of koalas in the wild

2011-10-20T03:59:00.006Z

I have always wanted to see a koala in the wild. In fact, it's on my life list. So I was very excited when I saw one for the first time. And, I think you'll agree, these little fellows are very photogenic. Koalas are quite common at Kennett River and on the road to the Cape Otway Lighthouse.

If you look carefully in the photo below, you can see a baby koala.

Great Otway National Park

2011-10-20T00:46:00.019Z

Lush rainforest and cascading waterfalls abound in the Great Otway National Park. It is a very tranquil and beautiful place and I did lots of walking here. Much of the time, it rained, but the overcast skies were perfect for waterfall shots. A highlight for me was walking in the Melba Gully late at night and seeing thousands of glow worms.

Erskine Falls

Triplet Falls

Beauchamp Falls

Hopetoun Falls

Maits Rest

Here you can see an old photo of tourists visiting the Erskine Falls in the 1800's. Just look at those bonnets!!

Port Fairy

2011-10-20T00:44:00.007Z

Port Fairy is a quaint village full of old cottages dating back from the 1800's when the town was one of the busiest ports in Victoria. More than 50 buildings in the town are classified by The National Trust. I watched the rugby world cup semi finals in Victoria's oldest pub - The All Blacks thrashed the Aussies. Serves them right for beating the Springboks!

A beautifully renovated old cottage

This cottage had seen better days

Boats moored on the Moyne River

Another National Trust building

Portland and surrounds

2011-10-20T00:44:00.006Z

An old farm cottage on the way to Portland

I love derelict, old buildings. They are often photogenic and it's evocative to think of their pasts and the "memories" they must have. Don't think this one would have had much of a mortgage though, even in its heyday.

Beach at Cape Bridgewater

Blowhole

Petrified forest

It is thought this was created after a forest of Moonah trees was smothered by sand. Water seeping through the sand created a crust on the tree trunks. When they decayed, the petrified forest remained.

Walk up highest sea cliffs in Victoria

I did this walk to see a seal colony. However, the view from 130 metres up was a bit distant and there weren't many seals; they were all out fishing. Still, a nice walk and the colour of the ocean was beautiful.

Cape Nelson's historic lighthouse

A picture for you, mum!

2011-10-20T00:43:00.005Z

Friends I made along the way...

2011-10-20T00:42:00.003Z

While I was photographing sunset at Gibson's Steps, a rather distraught girl came up to ask if I had found any keys on the beach. She (Miso) had driven from Sydney to spend just a couple of days at the Great Ocean Road with her friends, John and Sam. John lost his car keys while they were cavorting on the beach and they were totally and utterly stuck!

I drove them back to my hostel to spend the night. John then organised for his brother to fly out from Sydney with the spare keys. I drove them to pick him up from a nearby town the next day. They were very happy to be mobile again.

They were a really great bunch of guys and we had some good laughs about their predicament.

Happily reunited with their car...

John's brother unexpectedly got to see The 12 Apostles!

Fields of yellow

2011-10-20T00:30:00.002Z

What some people will do for a view

2011-10-19T23:58:00.004Z

It's a good thing that Australia doesn't get earthquakes...

Brighton Beach, Melbourne

2011-10-19T11:11:00.005Z

Seafood feast with Doug and Claudia

2011-10-03T01:07:00.004Z

Sam looking very grown up!

2011-09-18T01:02:00.004Z

Sam and Jo

2011-09-18T00:57:00.007Z

Photos of Jo

2011-09-18T00:54:00.004Z

Looking sexy, Jo!

Eva and Brendan's new baby, Jodie

2011-08-27T08:26:00.006Z

Here we go, at last, Jo! She's so adorable, I'm sure you'll agree it was worth the wait...

Mum and Mike go to the Kruger National Park

2011-08-24T20:33:00.011Z

Mike's birthday

2011-08-22T05:28:00.003Z

This photo was taken with mum's super duper new camera. A lovely photo. Note the lemon for a birthday cake! It was the only thing that mum could stick candles into...

Mack in his favourite bed

2011-08-21T03:21:00.004Z