Royal visit

My return to the UK is imminent and next month I will be arriving in England to pleasant spring weather (fingers crossed).

During my stay in Sydney I have been getting most of my grocery needs using online shopping and thus avoiding the problem of carrying heavy or bulky items. It has been a mixed experience. I mainly used Woolworth's but found that almost every delivery was late. Maybe that is less of a concern for me as I have plenty of free time and I was compensated for the inconvenience by having the delivery fee refunded.
However, eventually Woolworth's started to provide me with a credit instead of a refund and make excuses about their terms and conditions allowing late delivery.
Time for a change then. So I switched to Coles, and guess what, no more late deliveries. However, I often have a number of items that I had ordered, replaced with substituted alternatives or just plain missing. So I have to say neither company meet my needs and by returning to England I will not be having to concern my self with grocery deliveries.

I went for a walk in the Botanical Gardens recently and there was this bamboo tree.

Also a banana tree

I did see a Preying Mantis in some begonias but my camera would insist on focussing on a spiders web and not my intended subject so I did not get the picture.

A day or so later, I walked over the Harbour Bridge.

The Opera House was it's usual stunning self.

A sailing ship that they use for taking tourists around the harbour, although they only put up a scrap of sail which looks odd and unlike the sales brochure.

On my walk down Observatory Hill I saw this charming little residence, however I later learned that someone paid over a million dollars for it.

Flags in Darling Harbour, although the majority of the place is one ernomous demolition site. Even the monorail has gone.

Old and new, looking across to the increasingly horrific Barangaroo building site.

The royal visit to Sydney by William, Cate and new son George caused a buzz in Sydney. Cate (in yellow) was arriving next door at Admiralty House after a short boat trip from the Opera House.

The gates of Admiralty House.

I took a couple videos of the royals when they were in the vicinity and you can see them here.

Crossing the harbour after visiting the Opera House.

Motor cavalcade returning from a trip to the Blue Mountains.

I even got a wave from Prince William.

Being a royalist, I was happy to have them staying next door for a few days. However they never did come round to borrow a cup of sugar.

You can see their live view of Sydney Harbour here (or at least you can for the next few weeks before I take down the webcam)

Some of the police escort.

Early this morning, the sun was reflecting from this office block.

Well the royals have left Sydney now, and we have had a sunny Easter. I must make the most of my remaining time here.

Peewit

Thumbs up Panasonic TZ30, thumbs down Samsung WB850F

It has been a pleasure over the last couple of months to be able to go out and about with a camera that you know will just work when you want it to. I am talking about my new Panasonic TZ30 that is my ideal compact, travel zoom. I no longer have to plan to take a photo, knowing that with the now redundant Samsung WB850F that it would probably not start or would take out of focus photographs. During my year of using the WB850F it went back to the repairers three times and became so frustrating that I had to replace it.
So here are a few unplanned grab shots taken while visiting areas around Sydney.

Spotted overhead when I walked around Iron Cove. Iron Cove is also the place where a lot of people go for a run or cycle, being a flat path around the bay.

 

Tied up at the Overseas Passenger Terminal

 

Rabbits in Curraghbeena Park. Using zoom from my apartment window.

 

About to dismantle the mirror at the MCA.

 

Farm Cove

 

Crane at Garden Island

 

Manly ferries in Autumn sunshine.

 

Middle Head panorama.

 

Local favourite.

 

Sitting in the sun at Circular Quay.

 

The bus at North Head.

 

Fishing at Bradleys Head.

 

'Two up' on Anzac Day.

 

Cruise liners leave Port Jackson.

 

Looking towards Long Reef.

 

Steam at Sydney Central station.

 

Footplate controls.

 

Double banked for trip to Moss Vale.

 

Sails in the sunset.

 

Manly ferry.

 

You have been warned.

 

Sunbathing.

 

Footbridge.

 

Parsley Bay.

 

Vaucluse House.

 

Foggy morning.

 

The local ferry from my window.

 

At the Quarantine Station.

 

Many passengers from England came to journey's end here.

 

Strange.

 

Globes.

 

Observatory view.

 

Oh well, I have enjoyed this trip to NSW. Back to the UK next week and a british Summer I hope.
However, at the moment it is still a deal warmer in Sydney than it is in Surrey.

Peewit

A local walk

I decided to go for a local walk from Curraghbeena Point to Neutral Bay. I had not considered this walk before as it involves a little bit of pavement bashing as you approach Neutral Bay, whereas I normally prefer to stick to entirely foreshore tracks. However it was a lovely Saturday morning, on an Easter weekend, so while everyone else was heading off to the shops, I would do the walk knowing that there was a very nice cafe at my destination.

Just a few photos that I took on the day before my walk.

I thought that this lift was a little ambitious. 

 

The Manly ferry arrives at Circular Quay.

 

The AMP building.

 

Anyway, it was time for the walk. I was using a Garmin GPS unit to create a breadcrumb trail as well as my new TZ30 camera to take photos. Later I would then be able to upload the results onto the Everytrail website to create a record and route for my walk.

The walk started outside my apartment block at Curraghbeena Point.

 

Head up Raglan Street.

 

Cross over a footpath until you descend to Mosman Bay.

 

Lots of boats moored up here.

 

As you walk around the head of the bay, you can see some of lovely houses in this area.

 

Have just picked up the path to Cremorne Point.

 

Looking down the bay.

 

The footpath is tarmac all the way.

 

You pass the Old Cremorne ferry wharf.

 

The harbour is in the distance.

 

Tree lined route.

 

As you approach Cremorne Point the headland narrows and you can see across to the city.

 

I continued on right to the tip of the headland and looked back.

 

Sky-writing. It is Easter.

 

A bench with a view.

 

Back to the path.

 

Eventually when you have completed the walk around Cremorne Point you need to walk on roads but they are pleasant suburban locations.

 

The walk took just over an hour at a gentle stroll and here is the Thelma and Louise cafe at Neutral Bay. I found time for a coffee and croissant here.

 

A small beach at Neutral Bay.

 

Having completed my walk, I caught a ferry to Circular Quay. As you left Neutral Bay you could get a glimpse of the harbour bridge.

 

I had a sit down at Circular Quay while waiting for a ferry to take me back to South Mosman.

 

This busker was good and helped make the time sat in warm sunshine with a great view just fly by.

 

I am glad that I made the effort to do the walk.

Peewit