Adventures in Sydney: Australian Botanic Garden

A few years ago, I discovered that Western Australia is known for its wildflower display which spans between the months of June to November. I will visit one day. One day. But until then, a visit to the Australian Botanic Garden at Mount Annan would have to suffice.

Adventures in Sydney: Kurnell

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I headed down south to Kurnell. Kurnell is where Captain Cook first landed in 1770 and thus triggered the whole process of European settlement. Despite it being such an important place, I had never visited! The general areas is a bit odd; Botany Bay houses Sydney's (very small) port and Kurnell is also home to Caltex's giant oil refinery.

Another weekend, another picnic.

Made a little friend - as always don't feed the wildlife.

Warragamba Dam & Knapsack Viaduct

I always find it interesting to return to a place that I have previously visited. To reflect on how I have and my life has changed compared to my previous visit. Although I must admit it is something I am reluctant to do; the whole 'there is so much to do and so little time' mentality does kick in a fair bit.

Earlier last year, I made a visit to Warragamba Dam in the south-west of Sydney. Fast forward to almost 18 months later and I made another visit.






It was a fairly chilly Saturday morning despite the supposed high of 22 degrees. We had arrived close to midday and I was surprised by the lack of families / people at the dam.

Adventures in Sydney: Bradley's Head

I have lived in Sydney for almost my entire life and there are times when I think that I have been everywhere that is even remotely interesting. However I know that is definitely not the case and I like to actively search for things to do. And also because I get restless. I used to joke to an ex* with, 'do you even Sydney?' The context to the joke was that he lived his entire life in Sydney and yet didn't know ... well a whole lot at all. Except for trendy brunch places. I actually find that to be a common occurrence and need to clarify when I ask people for things to do that I don't mean where to eat for brunch. Major digression.

I recently visited Bradley Head to watch the sunset. To save the $8 parking fee, we walked down the road (2km one way) to the water's edge.





On the walk down we passed Bradley's Head Fortification. There is one cannon (there are three pits) and the trenches are still accessible.

Vivid Sydney 2017

Another year, another Vivid Sydney! Admittedly, I only attend the light installations, however I think Vivid has become less exciting as the years go by. Instead of a photo dump, I decided to make a video of Vivid using my Samsung S8. I picked the wrong day for a visit as it started to pour halfway through the night and I decided to just head home.

The best thing I saw from Vivid which wasn't even an installation [it projected onto the Opera House] 

If you are interested, I have blogged about it in previous years - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. Looking back at those posts has reminded me a) that I have had this blog so many years! and b) I did take some pretty awesome shots with my point and shoot.

Celebratory Day

I made another attempt to look for pączki however was also unsuccessful. I thought the deli / bakery was separate to the Polish Club however it was in the same location and it wasn't open when I visited. I think I am officially giving up now. I ended up walking from Ashfield to Strathfield for two reasons: (1) It was a beautiful day and (2) I really wanted the exercise.

The Smelly Cheesecake Shop -  mocha and matcha cheesecake

I met up with S later in the day to celebrate my new job! We watched The Lego Batman Movie. Although it was a decent watch, I felt it was trying a little too hard at times to be funny.

Searching for Pączki

There is sometimes no rhyme or reason as to why I do the things that I do. Conversely, there are times where I do things for random reasons and this was one of those occasions. I randomly stumbled upon a Youtube channel called Gone to the Snow Dogs [essentially a channel about a couple in northern Michigan and their three huskies. Completely random] a few years ago and they mentioned Fat Tuesday and pączki. Pączki are essentially the Polish version of filled donuts. And so my mission began to the other side of Sydney.

Prior to this trip, I hadn't realised that there was such a large Indian community in Liverpool. There were so many stores selling saris and a giant Indian supermarket. Naturally I popped in for a visit, admired their henna and picked up a guava drink as well.

Sadly my trip for pączki was not successful. The first cafe no longer existed and the second one had a 'We Are Open' sign in the window however I couldn't find the door ....

After my failed attempt, I met up with S. and had my favourite chips and a chai latte from Max Brenner. I was quite disappointed as Max Brenner had previously provided a pot of the chai latte instead of just the cup.

Despite my failed attempt, I did successfully walk away with 500gram of henna! I try to henna my hair once a month. I normally purchase henna online for around $15 / 250mg, so at $7.50 for the bag, this was quite the bargain. Hopefully the quality is good!

I wasn't exaggerating when I said I headed to the other side of Sydney for this. Ha

Tatsuo Miyajima - Connect with Everything

I am generally not a fan of art galleries or anything of that sort; truth be told, I have a very short attention span and find myself bored quite easily. I have been to my fair share of galleries and exhibitions, predominately during my travels in Europe, but have slowly steered clear due to lack of interest and appreciation for the works. However when I heard about Tatsuo Miyajima's exhibition at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), I thought it might be something I would be interested in. Tatsuo Miyajima is a Japanese contemporary artist who works with light installations and digital counters. It has been in Sydney for a while now and is on its last month at MCA.

'Tatsuo Miyajima embraces the materials and substance of life in order to explore the nature of being. Numbers and counting sequences are central to this process, revealing time’s relentless, cyclical nature. They also serve to remind us that whilst our time on this planet is brief, our lives have beauty and purpose, for we are one with the cosmos that exists within and outside us.’
Source

For Miyajima, the numbers 9-1 reflect a human scale, showing life on a singular level as well as a wider, communal one. The gap between counting cycles – the zero – represents a pause or breath, the “space of death” before life begins once more. Within this cycle, death is simply a state like life: “it is just a question of if it is visible or not.”
Source

Arrow of Time (Unfinished Life)

Arrow of Time, refers to the astronomical concept of time’s irreversibility – that it cannot rewind itself and ‘come back’ again. For Miyajima, this is reflective of life itself and the fact that a particular moment in time cannot be re-made.

‘In everyday life, we tend to forget this reality so I would like to communicate that we live in moments that cannot be recovered.’ Creating a situation where ‘those moments are raining from the universe’, he chose red LEDs to express caution and urgency in relation to our brief but significant moment on this planet.
Source

This was my favourite installation. There were some mats that you could lie down on and look up to see the ticking counters. It was both a little uncomfortable (due to the count down) but largely quite soothing with the red light and the methodical change of numbers.









Mega Death

Wrapping around three walls, it is a vast, glittering enclosure of blue counter gadgets that periodically switch off in unison, plunging viewers into temporary darkness before the counting cycle begins again. It is impossible to predict when, or for exactly how many seconds, the counter gadgets will switch off. This element of unpredictability is central to the artist’s work and serves as a metaphor for life itself.

Mega Death represents a memorial to death on an industrial scale over the past century, recalling the Second World War, Hiroshima and Auschwitz. It is also a powerful statement about humanity’s capacity to heal and begin again.
Source

This was intentionally quite an uncomfortable installation due to a sensory overload with the bright / jarring blue lights and the walls filled with little counters.

Time Train to the Holocaust and Counter Coal.



I think this is a worthwhile exhibition and an apt reminder of the cyclical - and inevitable- nature of life. Tatsuo Miyajima: Connect with Everything is at the MCA until March 5, 2017.

Christmas Tree Hunting

There is something magical about seeing those giant Christmas trees in Europe or North America. Alas, there are Christmas trees here in Sydney but they are all fake and honestly, they don't feel as special. But here is a post dedicated to the Christmas trees in Sydney CBD.

QVB Swarovksi Christmas Tree
Every year, a giant Christmas tree adorned with Swarovksi crystals is set up in the centre of the QVB. It fits snuggly in the gap between the floors and it is not possible to take a photo of the entirety of the tree.




George Street Christmas Tree
This identical tree popped up last year on George Street. Almost the entire street has been blocked off for over a year now for the light rail project that ... well hasn't started . Yet, the council has placed a Christmas tree up instead.



Martin Place Christmas Tree
For the past 4 years, the same Christmas tree has been put up in Martin Place. You can text a message to a number and the message will appear on the electronic banner around the Christmas tree.





Custom House Christmas Tree

Adventures in Sydney: Hornsby Blue Gum Walk

It is finally Spring here in Sydney and I am loving it. Interspersed between the warm days, there are still cool days. I am not a fan of summer and the stifling heat is unbearable. This is also the best time to go on hikes as the days are getting longer and you don't end up a sweaty mess. I have plans to do two day hikes at the Royal National Park in the coming few months so to get back into the swing of things I decided to complete the relatively easy Blue Gum Walk at Hornsby.

At a 6.7km circuit, it isn't the most strenuous hike in my opinion, despite it being rated as a 4 on Wild Walks. There was a bit of uphill but nothing too horrible.

Bike Riding at Bicentennial Park

Hi - I am Natalie and up until a few weeks ago, I had not ridden a bike in the last decade. Excluding the time when I was on a pedal bike at Centennial Park as mentioned here [but in all honesty, that really isn't a bike], the last time I rode a bike was when I was at a school camp. When it was suggested that we go bike riding at Bicentennial Park I was game. Although I was a little hesitant and worried that the notion that you never forget how to ride a bike may not hold true for me. Quite wobbly and unsure initially, I was the tail and followed my boyfriend who was having the time of his life.



At some point I did tell him to just keep riding and I would get there ... at some point. I also had, at the back of my mind, the thought that I may actually crash into his bike. Ha.








I was not game enough to ride under the fountain.

It was nice riding around the park for 2 hours and per usual, it was a beautiful Spring day! I am starting to miss the "cold" weather, but I am quite excited about spring and the possibilities of spending weekends in the great outdoors!

Cronulla & La Perouse

Another weekend, another day spent chilling by the ocean. I started off my day having brunch at a new cafe in Cronulla. I hadn't actually been to Cronulla since .... forever. I think I might have visited back when I was in primary school, however I am not certain. It reminded me of Manly in some senses, except Manly is a lot bigger. I guess it's the very laid back vibe of the place, unlike the super crowded and busy Bondi Beach.

I ended up also heading to La Perouse in the eastern suburbs. Bare Island is a military fort built in the 19th century to protect against Russian invaders. However, the concrete was inferior and it was decommissioned around 30 years after it was built.

Another sunny day in Sydney, however I feel like it sometimes becomes a little bit of a cliché. Although the sun is setting earlier and earlier now which makes me a little sad. This was never something that bothered me, but for some reason, seeing the days become shorter and shorter is affeecting me a little. I also can't believe that we are in the middle of March. Where has the time gone?! I will leave on my roadtrip in two weekend's time. Crazy!

D'VineRipe Longest Tomato Lunch

The Tomato Festival 2016 was held at the Botanic Garden and I had booked two seats at 70m long table for the longest tomato lunch.

This was an event that I randomly stumbled upon and as a fan of tomatoes, why not? I have a funny story about tomatoes actually. When I was a child, I loved tomatoes and I must have pestered my mum about being hungry. So she gave me a tomato to eat just like an apple. After that tomato, I really didn't like tomatoes for quite a while. But the dislike eventually passed and I found myself at the tomato festival!















The weather was pretty miserable on my way to the lunch but luckily it cleared up momentarily during the lunch. However it started bucketing shortly after I left.
There was so much food, almost too much in fact. There were 6 different items and in generous servings! My favourite were: the chutney with the cheese (I love cheese), the caramel tiramisu and the 65 degree salmon fillet (not pictured).




A slightly too dry and too salty focaccia. 

By the end of it, I was pretty sick of tomatoes and really full! It was a very lovely experience and a lot of fun. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon and of course, there was an amazing view, with good food and great company!