Sundays in My City - Sydney Aquarium

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We had a slow start today, a late brunch and kids who didn't really want to leave the house. Adam persuaded us into dragging ourselves out to the car and off to the city despite the grey skies and rain. It's kind of handy that I married him, if we had to rely on me for family outings we'd probably never go anywhere.

We settled on going to Sydney Aquarium

where it turned out they had a Lego exhibition happening

along with plenty of fish

more Lego

turtles

scary Lego

slightly tacky Lego

completely adorable dugongs

and of course, sharks of various kinds

Across the other side of Darling Harbour is the National Maritime Museum which is currently home to the replica of The Endeavour, on which Adam is booked to sail as a crew member on one of the legs of its upcoming circumnavigation of Australia. Adam will join the ship in Brisbane in May and sail with them to Gladstone.

The Endeavour

I gather there will be hammocks and being on watch and having to learn the ropes involved. If there is any climbing of rigging I do not want to know about it.

Don't forget to visit Unknown Mami's place for a glimpse of Sundays all over the world!

Sundays in My City - Last day of the summer holidays

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We started off with a lazy morning and a very late brunch, Adam cooked onion and bacon omelette with grilled tomato and mushrooms. Then we did a little bit of tidying up and hung two loads of washing out in the sunshine.

Next up was a game of Munchkin, I won (woohoo!) and lorded it over the others in true Munchkin style. I reckon that's the first game I've won in years, I usually spend the whole game failing to collect any useful cards and languishing on a level so low that most of the interesting monsters won't even bother to chase me.

After I'd finished gloating I took Tom to enroll in his drama classes and have put my own name down for the new adult drama classes that his teacher will be running this term. I blame the internet, it told me to do it.

Tom and I came home, changed into swimmers and the whole family piled into the car and headed for the beach.

We all went in for a swim and got thoroughly worn out fighting the slightly dump-y surf before retreating to the deep trough of calmer water closer to shore, then Adam went to get the camera while I stayed in with the kids.

Avalon beach

Me with the kids in the calmer water.

Me again!

Tom, having inflated his rash vest by blowing into it.

Bonus video with lots of wind noise.

Then we had fish and chips for dinner, followed by ice cream, and came home, tired, sandy, salty and happy.

To see what else people have been getting up to on their Sunday in cities all over the world click on over to Unknown Mami's place and explore the linked up posts!

Sundays in My City - Happy birthday Adam!

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Today was Adam's 42nd birthday. The day began with the obligatory breakfast and presents in bed and then on to some slight silliness with Christmas tree decorating. Caitlin asked Adam to put an angel on the top of the tree. So he did.

The Angel on top of our tree

He doesn't look too pleased!

The middle part of the day was less than wonderful, but we'll skip over that, other than to mention that Adam had to go to his mum's place (who was oblivious to it being his birthday) and fix her toilet.

By late afternoon we had regained some equanimity, and Adam and Tom had made 12 bottles of ginger beer and 6 bottles of lemonade for our Christmas party next weekend. Then we headed off to Darling Harbour for dinner at Jordon's - the plan being to indulge in a seafood platter and a bottle of sav blanc. The order was duly placed, along with a few extras, and we began playing with Adam's new toy - a Canon Powershot S95. Most of the following photos were taken from our table in the restaurant.

The Christmas tree at Darling Harbour

Caitlin

Me with my very indulgent cosmopolitan

Tom

Darling Harbour, looking towards Pyrmont Bridge - the world's oldest surviving electrically operated swingspan bridge.

.

Darling Harbour looking towards the Imax theatre.

People gathering to watch the street theatre and carols.

We were too busy eating to think of photographing the food until after we were fed. At which point fun was had with the crab shells.

The seafood platters on their tall stands were very tempting to the local seagull population. Several chips and scraps of fish were liberated from people's platters around us. One couple were given a water pistol by a waiter to defend their meal with! Our kids wanted to be armed as well but we were left alone by the birds for some reason, I think they knew we were watching them.

My dessert defeated me in the end, I couldn't finish the last few bites. But I did drink the muscat!

The birthday boy

The sun set as we sipped our coffee and the city lights came up

Time to go home!

(Arachnophobes beware, the last two photos, which come after this shot of the Christmas tree, are of a huntsman spider.)

There was an unwelcome visitor waiting for us when we got home, eviction duties fall to me in these cases.

Only a little specimen this time.

And there you have it, my Sunday in my city.

Head on over to Unknown Mami's place to visit more Sunday in My City bloggers!

Sundays in my City - A visit from Joss Whedon

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Today I took Caitlin to the Opera House to hear Joss Whedon speak about his writing and directing career - from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Dr Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog and everything in between and beyond. Joss was fascinating and brilliant and funny and wonderful and when he tackle-hugged Wil Anderson* at the end of the show I was really rather surprised Wil didn't fall over. The image of Wil with Joss Whedon's legs wrapped around his waist is one that will stay with me forever.

After the talk/interview/QandA session we retired to the bar at the back of the Concert Hall with about 100 other people for drinks, nibblies and a chance to speak to the man himself. I stood back and smiled the smile of a super proud geeky mum as Caitlin told Joss about winning first prize in the singing category at the school talent quest singing "Under Your Spell" from the Buffy musical episode, got a great big hug from Joss and then posed for this:

Ok, I'm not really showing much of the "in my City" part of the meme this week, but that is the inside of the Sydney Opera House you can see behind Caitlin and Joss there!

Don't forget to drop by Unknown Mami's place and see what's been happening in other cities round the world.

*Wil Anderson is a comedian and has been a huge fan of Joss from way back in the early days of Buffy. He was offered the job of interviewing Joss on stage at the Opera House and figured he may as well do it seeing as the seat on stage was a better one than the ticket he'd already bought for the event back in row R or something.

Sundays in my City - Cockatoo Island

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During the July school holidays my mum and I took the kids to Cockatoo Island for the day. Cockatoo Island, a former convict prison and shipyard, is the largest island in Sydney Harbour and when we went to visit it was being used as one of the venues for the 17th Biennale of Sydney to host 120 works by 56 artists. So we got history and art in the one go.

A free ferry service was provided for the Biennale and we did the stand outside and freeze while looking over the side at the water thing that one must always do when traveling on a Sydney Ferry (I'm sure there's a rule somewhere).

The backs of Dave's, Cait's and Grandma's heads.

Cold kids and a cuddly Mum.

Cockatoo Island from the ferry

Free Ferry!

From the Cockatoo Island website:

The History of Cockatoo Island

The history of Cockatoo Island is emblematic of Australia's history. Before the arrival of Europeans, it was undoubtedly used by the first Australians, the Aboriginal tribes of Sydney's coastal region. In 1839 it was chosen as the site of a new penal establishment by the Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Sir George Gipps.

Convicts were put to work building prison barracks, a military guardhouse and official residences. Not long after, the maritime history of Cockatoo Island began with the construction of the Fitzroy Dock by convicts.

For the next 50 years the island was both a place of incarceration and the site of the colony's ship repair and shipbuilding activities. During the twentieth century maritime activity grew, notably during World War I and World War II. For a time, Cockatoo Island was the largest shipbuilding yard in Australia.

When the shipyard closed in 1992, Cockatoo Island lay dormant for a decade until the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust was established and given the responsibility of revitalising this significant site. The Trust is rehabilitating the island and creating one of the most unusual places to visit in the city.

You can stay on Cockatoo Island, either in tents or in the old Federation era duplex which you can see up on the top of the cliff.

The Guardhouse was built to double as a fort. If the prisoners decided to revolt, the guards could lock themselves in here and fire out through the embrasures.

Serge Spitzer's art installation in the old Guardhouse - little steel balls apparently randomly scattered over the floor. I really liked this one but I couldn't tell you why.

Ready to repel rebellious convicts?



Tom sitting in front of the Mess Hall and Barracks.



Looking down at Sutherland Dock.

Photocollage by Jemima Wyman (I think. I should have written this post weeks ago when I could still remember!)

Cai Guo-Qiang's exploding cars



Factory buildings.



Free Overseers' Quarters which were converted to an air raid shelter in World War 2





Another view of the Federation era duplex

Looking down at The Plaza and and at "Jumping Castle War Memorial" by Brook Andrews - you had to be 16 years or over to jump on the castle. I didn't see anyone on it.

"Caution: Aggressive Birds"



Example thereof. I'm not convinced.



Grain Silo walkway



Grain silos were carved out of the sandstone by hand by convicts in the early 1800's

Once we'd found our way back down to the lower level of the island we walked through the dogleg tunnel which was built to get men, parts and equipment from one side of the island to the other more easily. It also doubled as a bomb shelter during World War II.

Map of the island (click to embiggen)

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ETA: I just realised there was an historical tidbit I forgot to put in, and it's my favourite fact about the island!

The only prisoner known to have escaped from Cockatoo Island was Frederick Ward. In 1863 he swam to the mainland where his Aboriginal mistress was waiting for him with clothes and a horse. He headed for the north-west of NSW and became the bushranger Thunderbolt, until he was shot and killed by the police in 1870.

Thunderbolt was based in the area around Uralla near Armidale which is where we went at Easter for the Dark Ages camp. There's a museum at Uralla with lots of Thunderbolt memorabilia and artifacts.