View from above – Sydney

sydney harbour

Somedays, things work out and the day I flew over Sydney was one of them, perfect weather, Sydney waking up on a Sunday morning, beautiful beaches, beautiful surf, awesome harbour. Viewing Sydney from above makes you realise how special the city is and why we live here.

sydney harbour

Balmoral is the perfect for young kids, families, beautiful food at the Balmoral boat shed. I love the spot for stand up paddle boarding going to Chinaman’s beach or Clontarf.
sydney balmoral

sydney harbour

Ferries racing around Fort Denison
sydney harbour

South Manly and the walk path to Shelly beach, a great snorkelling spot and also excellent for standup paddle boarding
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Sydney aerial harbour bridge opera house

Walking in the Blue Mountains – Wentworth Falls, Sydney

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls is a historic town in the Blue Mountains, about 1.5 hours by car from Sydney. It is a good one-day trip to experience and see Australia’s unique bushland with a number of well-maintained bushland paths and tracks suitable for walking, climbing, abseiling, canyoning and hiking.

The photos taken from this day trip, were from the National Pass trail a medium grade bush walk that can take up to 3 hours. It is very popular so it’s best to go early to beat the crowds and heat and enjoy the spectacular views. The highlight of this pass, is the gorgeous Wentworth Falls – make sure to pack a picnic lunch, plenty of water, snacks, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. It’s probably a good idea to bring a light long sleeve shirt or top as it can be quite cool beneath the tree top but incredibly hot when above!

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Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

Wentworth Falls

The Grounds by the Sea, Sydney

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The Grounds of Alexandria have set up a pop-up restaurant to cater to the crowds visiting Sculpture by the Sea. Plenty of breakfast and lunch options, all set in a beach shack location with a little sandpit for the kids. The decor and ambiance is amazing! Located in Marks Park, which has some the best views between Bondi and Tamarama it’s opened from 7am to 7pm throughout Sculpture by the Sea, which runs from October 23 to November 9. We think they should stay for the summer!

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We enjoyed a fantastic pain au chocolat, acai super bowl with fresh banana, strawberries, blueberries, granola and coconut as well as a ‘high-tide mango mulch’ and ‘berried at sea’ smoothie. The chunks of fresh fruit served with the smoothies were a nice touch. We didn’t try the burgers or grilled cheese but both looked delicious.

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Sculpture by the Sea 2014, Sydney

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Every year, the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk is transformed into a 2km long temporary sculpture park called ‘Sculpture By The Sea‘ which features over 100 sculptures by artists from Australia and across the world. Below are just a few of the featured artists in this year’s exhibition. If you’re in Sydney, it’s definitely worth a visit. Sculpture By The Sea is open from 23 October to 9 November 2014.

This year, the 2014 Macquarie Group Sculpture Prize was awarded to Peter Lundberg (USA), for his work ‘ring (2013)‘ – see below.

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‘Sea Anemone’ by Rebecca Rose.

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‘Evidence Based Research’ by Julie Collins and Derek John

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‘Permanent Sunrise’ by Alejandro Propato

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‘we’ by Andrew Hankin

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‘Coastal Totem’ by Carter Williamson Architects

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‘The Figure in the Landscape’ by John Petrie

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‘House of Mirrors’ by NEON

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‘Stone Baskets’ by Greger Ståhlgren

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‘The Last Resort’ by Frank Veldze & Suzanne Donisthorpe

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‘The Folly’ by Stephen King

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‘My House is Your Home’ by Ken Unsworth

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‘Overconsumption’ by Kerrie Argent

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Details of the many bottle caps that were collected and used in ‘Overconsumption’

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‘The Boot Pool’ by Ian Smith

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‘Look Who’ by Janaki Lele

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‘Morning Star’ by Ayako Saito

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‘Dark Night Shine’ by Takahiro Hirata

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‘To Take Care Of’ by Hannah Streefkerk

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‘The Chase’ by Elaine Sykes-Smith

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‘Tidal Pools’ by Elaine Miles

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Permanent Sunrise with the lifesavers in the background.

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Bon Weekend – Jervis Bay, South Coast NSW

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Jervis Bay’s famous white-sand beaches and clear turquoise waters are amongst the most beautiful in the world. The many bay and ocean beaches, lagoons, secret coves and hidden creeks are perfect for swimming, kayaking, boating, fishing, standup paddle boarding and surfing and the coastal, marine and hinterland National Parks offer fantastic bushwalking, cycling tracks, Indigenous culture, camping spots, cliff-top lookouts and maritime heritage.

Jervis Bay is central to all the South Coast has to offer and country villages like Kangaroo Valley, Berry and Ulladulla offer a great range of local produce markets, boutique shops, art galleries, cafes, restaurants, pubs and wine bars.