Sydney’s summer in the suburbs

We recently spent a week in Sydney, house-sitting for Paul’s brother, Martin and his wife Kris.

Paul’s mother is 96 years old this week, so it was a wonderful opportunity for Paul to spend some time with her every day.

Martin and Kris live in a leafy suburb, with many trees, colourful flowers and cool green lawns. Sydney gets a much higher rainfall than Canberra, so we are always somewhat blinded by this bright sunny green city.

We soon found a walking track with a notice saying, “A Blue Gum High Forest in your Backyard”

Some thoughtful planners have managed to preserve land in the suburb to keep a small amount of Blue Gum forest. There is a path through the forest, and it is a bonus for suburban dwellers to have this small forest within reach of walking every day.

The Blue Gum High Forest only occurs in Northern Sydney. It gets its name from the tall Eucalyptus saligna, or Sydney Blue Gum with its distinctive smooth bark and trunk.

The timber of the Blue Gum high forest was valuable to Sydney’s early settlement, and ongoing clearing, farming, development and weed invasion meant that less than 5% of the original forest remains in the world.

Needless to say, all the birds love the Blue Gums, and cockatoos gather amongst the trees every day. ( a mixed blessing).

Paul and I have also been inspired by the wonderful garden Kris has made…

When we arrived the Flowering Pink Gum tree had just started to flower…

and the day we were leaving the beautiful Flowering Gum put on a show for us, and the Rainbow Lorikeets did the same!

We are back in Canberra now, after an enjoyable week in Sydney.

We are so impressed with Kris’s Flowering Gum Tree, we are going to try growing one ourselves.

Many thanks for reading my blog post today, and best wishes to everyone, especially friends and relatives in New Zealand who have been battling the elements for some time.

Copyright Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved.

Bondi: Sculpture by the Sea

Those of you who are regular followers of my blog, will know that I occasionally write about places and events in Sydney as we are frequent visitors to this beautiful city, and have many family members living in Sydney.

I have written about my brother’s daily walks and swims at Bondi beach, with a group of friends. Amongst the group is photographer Tim Read, who takes wonderful photos, and has been featured in my blog posts occasionally.

This year he has some splendid photos of an annual event in Sydney called Sculpture by the Sea.

Every year (except during the pandemic) artists from all over the world enter their work to be chosen to exhibit along the Bondi to Tamarama Beach coastal walk.

Artist: Joel Adler Sculpture: Lens

Sculpture at the Sea runs for three weeks, and during that time it features more than one hundred sculptures by artists from Australia and across the world.

Artist: April Pine Sculpture: Tidal Body

I don’t have the name of the wooden sculpture, however the sculpture in the distance is called “Folly Interstice” by Tony Davis.

Artist: Tom Buckland Sculpture: Bruce The Lobster.
Artist: Paul Caporn: Sculpture “Heads It is”
Artist: Merle Davis ”Sea Anomalies 3″

Unfortunately I don’t have the name of two of the photos below, but each sculpture tells a story..

Artist: Keizo Ushio Sculpture: Infinity.

This sculpture was described as “two rings of Spanish black granite with different surfaces and are twisted five times to form one large ring.”

Artist: Bruno Catalano “Benoit” Sculpture: The Crossroads of different temporal moments

Congratulations to the artist Bruno Catalano who received the prize for the People’s Choice Award. I’m not surprised it is so popular, as it is eye catching!

Artist: Tony Davis Sculpture: Folly Interstice

Congratulations to Tony Davis who received the Aqualand Sculpture Award for his sculpture called “Folly Interstice” This is a difficult sculpture to describe as it needs to be experienced. Here is a link to Tony’s explanation of the sculpture…a short but very interesting insight into his sculpture.

https://sculpturebythesea.com/interview-aqualand-award-recipient-tony-davis

Artist: Nikita Zigura Climate change

These two cherries have the countries of the globe sketched onto them. As the exhibition was packing up, Tim took one last photo of this sculpture and wrote that, according to the program, the red spots on the cherries represent the areas of the globe where global warming is more prominent.

He said, “the accompanying sunrise made it hard to resist”

Many thanks to Tim Read for his generosity in sharing his photos. The sculptures, the blue skies and the light at dawn… a wonderful peaceful experience during these turbulent times.

Photo Copyright Tim Read: All Rights Reserved.

David Miller, Artist from South Australia.

In my previous post I wrote about Australia Day 2022. I was lucky enough to have two lovely photos of the Opera House on that day, thanks to photographer Tim Read.

The Opera House at dawn. Photo: Tim Read: All Rights Reserved

The second photo shows the artwork of artist David Miller, senior Pipalyatjara man, from South Australia.

Sydney Opera House: artwork by David Miller. Photo Tim Reid.

At sunset on Australia day, another piece of David’s artwork was displayed. However, I have been unable to purchase/find a photo of this display, and perhaps it is no longer available.

Suffice to say, it was an equally striking piece of artwork, and although I cannot show you the painting, I can tell you the story behind the painting

it was a Dreaming story of the songline of the Wati Ngintaka (the giant perentie lizard man) as he searches for a special grindstone, creating water holes and food sources on his travels.

And here is a photo of the Perentie lizard, the largest lizard (goanna)in Australia.

David Miller lives in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, in the North Western Desert of South Australia.

As a young man he lived and worked on Curtin Springs Station in the Northern Territory.

Ninuka Arts

He became a member of the original Tujunga Playa Art centre and he is now the chair of Ninuku Arts.

Tjingu Playa Arts Centre

David has been painting since 2005, and has a portfolio of collaborative and personal work which is displayed nationally and internationally. (he recently had an exhibition at the Royal Museum of Belgium.)

Many of his paintings depict important tracks of his region, overlaid with the physical and spiritual geographies associated with them.

this photo is the centre piece of the painting projected onto the first photo.

In David Miller’s own words

”The painting tells the story of my father’s country. I’m very pleased my father’s Dreaming was displayed on the Opera House.

I’m very proud and honoured.”

The Sydney Harbour is a very busy, and exciting place on Australia Day. After the early morning ceremonies, the Australian and Aboriginal Flags were then raised to the top of the Harbour Bridge and will remain there permanently.

This seems a wonderfully positive sign of respect and celebration, during a time of much unrest in the world. ..and a big congratulations to David Miller!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, and best wishes during this extremely windy, and rainy February. (for Canberra)

I never thought I’d ever say it….. I’ve had enough of rain!

Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved.

The Sydney Opera House on Australia Day 2022

My blog is intended to highlight Canberra, and green spaces, but every now and then, Sydney, this beautiful city, takes over, especially on Australia Day!

Recently I featured two of Tim Read’s photos of Bondi Beach, and this morning Tim was up before dawn to take these lovely photos.

The Sydney Opera House Copyright Tim Read: All Rights Reserved.

The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney Harbour and is made up of a series of gleaming white sailed-shaped shells as its roof structure. Not surprisingly, it is one of the most photographed buildings in Australia, and especially beautiful at dawn and dusk.

The Dawn Projection and much of the Sydney program this year is guided by First Nations representatives and features many of the First Nations artists showcasing their stunning artistic works on the Opera House.

What a wonderful start to Australia Day!

As my blog is about green spaces, I marvel that early urban planners in Sydney, have managed to save so much greenery, especially around the beautiful Opera House. You can only imagine how developers these days would love to build on these green spaces!

Hyde Park

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today, and many thanks to Tim for getting up before dawn to take such lovely photos of the Sydney Opera House.

Happy Australia Day!

Sydney: The Royal Botanic garden, the Harbour, and the North Head Quarantine station

Early morning at Balmoral beach

We recently spent a couple of days celebrating our anniversary in a beachside area of Sydney.

Sydney on a summer’s day is full of sunshine, colour and birds. I had fun taking photos of the suburban gardens and our ferry trip into the city..

Frangipani
Red flowering eucalyptus Corymbia ‘Summer Red’ It is a hybrid between two different Western Australian species (C.ficifolia and C.ptychocarpa

This small tree is one of the most widely planted ornamental eucalyptus trees in Australia. It only grows about 5 metres tall so is suitable for gardens in Sydney. It has a pretty cluster of flowers dripping with nectar for the birds…..a win/win for any garden.

Purple Fountain Grass Pennisetum species advena Rubrum

This grassy ever green (and purple) plant is used in many gardens in Australia. (alas not Canberra as it is not suitable for cold winters.)The wispy feathery grass is also often seen in public parks and gardens or embankments, but I have rarely seen one so healthy and well placed. It was tempting to run my hands along it every time we passed by…

Relatively speaking Sydney did not have many COVID cases or lockdowns during this last year, however the lack of tourists and people moving around the city was very obvious. Only three people boarded the ferry with us, and we chose to sit outside…absolute bliss on a sunny day!

After the ferry ride, we went to an art exhibition, had a quick lunch, and then a stroll through the Australian native section of the Royal Botanic gardens .

Canna Lilies ”Yellow Giant”
Spider Lily Hymenocallis
Grevillea ”Molly” Proteaceae
Kangaroo Paw The common name for a number of species. (Haemodoraceae) They are unique, bird attracting flowers
Banksia robur (swamp banksia).

Banksias are well suited to Australian conditions, not only do they provide food for birds, but they can re-sprout after fire! A fellow gardener told me that after the Canberra fires, a Banksia in her garden, quickly re-grew, and two or three gardens in the street also found they had new Banksias in their gardens too!

A glimpse of the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge

The Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney spreads from the city centre to the edge of the harbour.

How very enlightened were the city planners to save this slice of heaven for all to enjoy!

Once we were back at Balmoral beach we stopped off at a small restaurant, and had some lovely fresh fish and dessert.

This photo was taken from the restaurant window. The Manly ferry rocking and rolling into the Harbour.

When I showed Paul the photo he pointed out that I had also taken a photo of the old quarantine station.

North Head is known as Car-rang-gel by the Gayamagal People and was once used for spiritual ceremonies and rituals. This land was part of the setting for the earliest interaction between Aboriginal people and early European settlers and explorers.

here is an aerial view of North Head coastline in Sydney, and the longest operating quarantine station.

This quarantine station was in operation from August 1832 to February 1984. It was established to regulate the risk of disease, with the arrival of free and convict Europeans and the merchant trading ships.

1920s. Mrs N. Skinner, 11/31 Wycombe Rd, Neutral Bay

The practise of quarantine began in the 14th century in an effort to protect coastal cities from plagues and epidemics. The word quarantine was derived from the Italian words ”quaranta giorni” which meant ”forty days” Ships arriving in Venice from infected parts were required to sit at anchor for 40 days before offloading on shore…at least the ships coming to Australia did not have to wait quite so long!

During the period 1910-1950 the facilities increased and improved and in 1918-19 the centre held the maximum number of people following the influenza epidemic.

Despite our beautiful surroundings it was a timely reminder of the epidemics of the past and the fragility of the world we live in.

sun rising over the headlands of Sydney
Are you talking to me?Cockatoos rising above it all….as usual!

Thank you for visiting my blog today, and I hope your days are filled with sunshine and gardening, and perhaps some left-over chocolate from Easter.

Geraldine Mackey Copyright: All Rights Reserved

Sydney: The Harbour Bridge and suburban garden design..

In my last post we visited Barangaroo in Sydney. As I was writing that post, I noticed that I had quite a few photos of the surrounding area…. and this is the stroll we took around the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2018.

Many of the old harbour wharves have been made into a mixture of restaurants, cafes, a theatre, and some apartments.
It is always interesting to see the Harbour Bridge from the under side.
The Harbour Bridge offer Bridge Climbs, and you can just see people walking along the edge of the pylons
On a beautiful day the view is stunning. Photo : TripAdvisor
It is just possible to see a group of people climbing up to the top of the bridges… Photo TripAdvisor

Paul and our daughter Jessica have climbed the Harbour Bridge (not for me, I’d be terrified). The bridge climbs are so popular bookings have to be made months in advance (pre CV 19). There are very specific preparations and instructions given by the group guide before the climb begins. Everyone wears the same overalls, no one is allowed to carry personal items of any kind, all photos are taken by the guides.

Both Paul and Jessica said it was an experience of a life-time.

For those of us who prefer something a little more sedate, a ferry ride around the harbour is easy, and a lovely way to spend a summer’s morning.

On this visit, in late June, we spent some time with my brother and sister-in-law, who live in one of the many coastal suburbs around the dramatic cliff-faces of Sydney.

No matter what time of the year we visit Sydney, there is always colour, movement, and usually sunshine. Sydney’s climate is subtropical, shifting from mild to cool in winter, to warm and hot and humid in summer. A gardener’s paradise I should think.

During our many visits I am always delighted by the local landscapes.

Even on the verge of some gardens there are interesting and thoughtful designs and planting, for the passer-by to enjoy.

The succulents in this garden are particularly striking.

These succulents have been so carefully planted, I wonder how difficult it is to maintain this almost perfect design…

Sydney is always a treat to visit, and I’ll end with the exotic bougainvillea which almost grows wild in Sydney, and reminds me of my childhood in Africa where it seemed to take over every garden!

Many thanks for taking the time to read my blog, and may your days be filled with sunshine and warmth!

Copyright Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved

Sydney harbour and Barangaroo Reserve

Has anyone told Sydney it is the middle of winter in Australia?

Paul and I have come to visit my brother and sister-in-law in Sydney. It is mid-winter in Australia, and we left our home in Canberra very early in the morning, frost melting on the grass. Four hours later, here we are sitting in Barangaroo Reserve, peeling off jackets and coats, and reaching for hats and sun cream, and looking at Sydney harbour.

Paul and I sat on a bench eating our lunch looking at this view…..

It is always a miracle when a prime piece of real estate is partly given over to parkland and public use, and this beautiful, relatively new piece of green space in Sydney, is one such miracle.

The former Prime Minister, Paul Keating, a long term resident of Sydney, was an early advocate for a public reserve. His vision was to return the area, known as Miller’s Point, to a ”naturalistic park”.

One of Sydney’s oldest industrial sites on the Harbour has now been transformed into a six hectare headland of open spaces. The planting and landscape is designed to replicate the vegetation before European settlement, making it as natural as possible.

Views of the harbour, on this glorious winter’s day.

Huge blocks of sandstone re-create the original harbour foreshore, and the sandstone is weathering and changing with time.

Over 76,000 plants and native trees, palms and tree ferns, native shrubs, small trees, native ground covers, grasses and ferns, have been planted in the last few years. Needless to say the native birds love this natural habitat.

The Barangaroo Reserve stands on the land of the Gadigal clan. Barangaroo is named after an indigenous woman who was married to Bennelong. She was a spokesperson between indigenous Australians and the new British penal colony… and was, from all accounts, proud of her culture, and a feisty character at a time when she needed to be so!

The Rainbow Lorikeets feeding from the Banksia bushes

Many years ago I lived in Sydney, near Balls Head Reserve, and Paul has taken a photo of me with a view of my old ”stomping ground” in the background.

Happy memories!

As you can see around this area, there is plenty of construction work going on with apartments, hotels, restaurants, being built on the right hand side of the harbour.

Buildings around the harbour with the distinctive Crown Sydney Casino looking very like The Shard in London.

The walking and cycling pathways take us to the edge of the city, not far from The Rocks (where you can see some of the original houses of early Sydney.) It is possible to walk to well known parts of the city, from here, for example, Darling Harbour and The Rocks and Circular Quay.

We chose to take the steps to the top of the Reserve, and have one last view of Sydney Harbour.

Salute to Paul Keating and many others who persisted in this vision, we now have a wonderful reserve for everyone to share.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today, and may your day be as bright as a winter Sydney day!

Copyright Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved.

Sydney: Neutral Bay and a trip down memory lane..

Sydney in summer…beautiful one day, and gorgeous the next!

The day I took these photos a sea mist was coming in, consequently the photos are slightly hazy.

National Geographic tells me that a sea mist can form when warm air from land suddenly encounters cool air over the ocean.

We overheard some early morning joggers say that this usually means a hot steamy day ahead…and that was true.

Sydney is about a four hour drive from our home in Canberra, and it is a trip we do often because we have many relatives and friends living in this beautiful city.

Neutral Bay

The aerial  photo below shows Sydney’s inlets and bays, and those who are lucky enough to live around the bays, can take a ferry into the city.

We stayed in Neutral Bay on the right in the photo below..

Sydney Routes and Tours Maps Big Bus Tours

This is a trip down memory lane for me because I began my teaching career in Sydney, and l lived in a shared house in Neutral Bay….

Isn’t it grand? I shared the ground floor of this house with three other people, and a couple lived upstairs.

it seems amazing to think, in the ’70s, there were many large houses, (I lived in two) that were relatively cheap to rent…this is now one of the most expensive suburbs in Sydney.

The name Neutral Bay comes from the early colonial period of Australia when Governor Arthur Phillip declared this bay as a neutral bay where foreign ships could anchor and take on water and supplies, but far enough away from the settlement to avoid trouble!

We did a family walk back to my lovely rented accommodation, but it is now surrounded by high walls and is hardly recognisable.

Never mind, I have wonderful memories of sitting on the ferry to go to work, and there is no better way to de-stress from a noisy class than to come home on a ferry in the afternoon and feel the cool breeze from the harbour.

the sea mist across Sydney..

We went for plenty of early morning walks and I was reminded of how important trees are in  all cities, but especially those with long hot summers.

In summer Sydney is full of incidental colour, plants love the climate..

Hibiscus

 

Bougainvillea

 

Penstemon

 

Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad living in a unit (apartment) if you looked out on these tranquil gardens..

We passed this Uniting Church every day. They had a flourishing vegetable garden

and this little  Internet garden with free Wi-Fi and two comfy chairs… so thoughtful!

In some ways the suburb hasn’t changed since my relaxed days living here.

It still has a village feel, with locals enjoying the warm night air, sitting outside small restaurants eating good food and drinking wine and craft beers. (well, we were anyway)

The Uniting church street library.

Since our trip to Sydney the weather has deteriorated, and we are now experiencing a heatwave across the country.

….so I hope you are keeping cool or warm where ever you are in the world..

Thanks for going down memory lane with me!

Copyright Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens: summer display called Pollination

There are so many reasons to visit Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens in summer…

….watching irreverent Sulphur Crested Cockatoos drinking from elegant water fountains on statues would be one …

However, the reason we have come on this warm and sunny day,  is to see the beautiful floral display called Pollination at the Calyx at the Gardens.

This vertical wall is the largest of its kind in Australia, and shows the diverse way a collection of plants and flowers can be arranged, and also how they achieve pollination..

To the left of the white flowers is the Giant Chin Cactus from Argentina., said to be pollinated by bees and flowers

This display concentrates on the plants pollinated by bees, bats, birds, butterflies and moths..

To my surprise I learnt that bees can’t see red, they see red flowers as unappealing black.

However, they are attracted to flowers of blue or lavender tones..

Birds on the other hand are very attracted to red flowers, especially those that can provide plenty of nectar for their relatively large bodies and busy flight schedules…

Australian honey-eaters are equipped with a handy brush-tipped tongue which helps them efficiently mop up nectar from flowering plants such as Grevilleas and Banksias..

(the photos below were taken in the National Botanic Gardens in Canberra)

New Holland Honeyeater feeding from a Banksia at the National Botanic Gardens in Canberra

Grevillea

Flowers attract pollinators through different ways

colour….the colour helps advertise their pollen to be collected from the flower..

 scent, the smell indicates a food source such as nectar..

shape, for example, providing a helipad for easy landings, this flower is pollinated by beetles who are not as skilful in flying as bees and moths etc., so they need a good landing platform…

The orchids attracted everyone’s eye, I think there were more photos taken of the colourful orchids than any other part of the display!

White Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis)

The large topiary Blue Banded Bees are a highlight for children..

but not quite as striking as the real ones, with their iridescent blue bands across the abdomen..

Blue banded bees are one of a number of Australian native bees that perform a special type of pollination called buzz pollination…

http://www.bluebandedbees.com

http://www.aussiebees.com

The Pollination display is on for ten months, and the type of flowers will change according to the season.

The Royal Botanic Gardens is an oasis in the city, full of exotic plants and trees, flowers and palms, something for everyone…

How is this for a view looking from the Gardens to the city ?……… and it’s all free!

Copyright Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

Sydney, Bondi Beach and hidden treasures..

Sydney has a population of about 4 million people, and nearly as many tourists in summer. Almost everyone is looking for a beach… and Bondi Beach is the most famous.

… the best kept secret is dawn on a summer’s day on Bondi Beach………the soft sky and pearl-coloured beach make this a magical time….and so few people see it..

I came to Australia, from Central Africa  when I was 19 years old, and very briefly spent some time in Bondi with my brother before I went to University to train to be a teacher…

In those days, the beach seemed wide and empty most of the time…

One of my brothers, Neil, has lived in the Bondi area all of his adult life. Walking along the beach and swimming in this lovely Icebergs pool is a routine he has continued into retirement.

He now walks and/or swims every day  with the same group he has known for years.  They have lived through all the ups and downs of life together, and, Neil says, can almost finish each others’ sentences.

(My Dad walked with a similar group in Port Macquarie, and they called themselves ”Dad’s Army”)

Neil and his lovely wife Jo very generously lend us their house during the Christmas period.  This means our two daughters, our son-in-law, and new granddaughter have a comfortable home in Sydney for Christmas, and we can visit Paul’s big exended family.

On Christmas morning we get a smoothie inside the Bondi Pavilion. The morning is warming up and the people are gathering in swimmers and Santa Hats…

Inside the Pavilion are some wonderful old photos of Bondi beach..

and it looks as if it was always popular and crowded with cars…today you need  a special permit to park here..

Paul always says Sydney has a special kind of blue sky, and here it is…

Good to see Sydney is using the sun for recycling… the small print on the rubbish bin says..” I use the sun to squash your rubbish and fit five times more in…'”

 

 

These days Bondi has suntanned locals, backpackers, European travellers escaping the winter, movie stars and celebrity chefs….Bill Granger’s restaurant in Bondi is lovely for coffee and cake.

Despite the mix, Bondi still has a kind of casual friendliness that I like…perhaps it is the combination of sun and space and colour….

The bougainvillea winds itself around garden fences as we walk back up the hill

 

Morning glory spills over the edge of the cliff and onto the footpaths that we walk on…

Our daughters look out for the Frangipani, and always remind me that my Mum used to make necklaces for them out of the flowers in their home, the equally beautiful Port Macquarie.

My neighbour often says she gets ”postcards”  (memories) from her mother…same here..

 

The sheer tenacity of some flowers blowing off the cliffs around Sydney is amazing..

Sea Hibiscus Hibiscus tiliaceus

This one has a mix of yellow and pink blossoms, and they all flower away, while weathering the blowing winds and storms that are felt in these exposed coastal parts of Sydney..

Even the beetles in Sydney are pretty cool…

Cotton Harlequin Beetle

and of course the cliffs around Bondi are a real delight..

… it is possible to walk along most of the coastline and enjoy the same views seen for centuries…without noticing the crowds in shops and on beaches…. don’t be fooled, Sydney has lots of hidden gems…

These cliffs deserve their own post, one day soon!

I hope you can visit Canberra’s Green Spaces for my next post, which is our visit to the exhibition of Pollination in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney.

Copyright Geraldine Mackey: All Rights Reserved.