Maquarie Park

I had a small surgery planned at Maq Park on Firday. It was also the last friday I was going to be working from the city office. I had a meeting scheduled with the new recruit replacing me. I treid to be as enthusiastic as I could. But the weather was just melancholic.

I love it when it rains because I feel this sad joy that is indescribable. Its like the rain washes the sadness from my soul.. but its there to remind me that I am sad in the first place.

I just love the fogged up windows of buses or trains when it is raining outside. This is the view from the company bus to the city at Huntley's point from the bridge. I think it was the most beautiful thing I'd seen all week:


I was quite upbeat about the knowledge transfer to the new guy because a wicked part of me knew how not-so-best suited this guy was for the role. I had interviewed him myself so I knew his ability. Just made me smile to myself more as I was trying to teach him the way I did things and saw from his body language that it was a clear bouncer over his head.

==== update 29/03/2015 =====
(I met up with the colleagues this Tuesday just for a quick cuppa and saw the exasperated dying-under-load look on his face confirming my initial assessment about his ability to take up the job.. I'm almost always right with my initial assessments.. call it judgmental.. or intuition ;)
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I had to leave by lunch time as I couldn't get a later appointment from the doctor (not happy about losing half-day pay.. curse the life of a contractor! ..well.. it was going to be over soon anyway).

I got there earlier than I needed to so I took a detour at the Maq Park shopping center and got myself my fav. Boost smoothie and was strolling over to the clinic when I saw my dark knight on the pavement reminding me, YNWA.


The surgery was a terrible ordeal that has no place to be described on a travel blog so I"ll skip that part. But after it.. I didn't want to go home so I watched the movie 'The Seventh Son' in 3D which was awesome.. its funny the scar left on my forearm looks like a witch's initiatation. was the movie just a coincidence.. or synchronicity? ...lol

Google maps said that there was no way back to my house from there! I hadn't driven to there because I knew I was going to have a numb left hand and my sexy car has a shift stick. I could've gotten a taxi.. but I wanted to feel the comfort of having some human company even though its weird strangers.. so I opted for the train. It was a ridiculous loop around the world from Maq park to the city and then from the city to Lidcombe and then the usual connecting train to my place. I think I must've been on the train for over an hour.. I was lost in my thought.. plus the fact that it was raining was a great relief.

I got home.. looked at the numb hand and the dressing and just had to get outta the house... which I did.. and got myself chocolate and nuts icecream in a cone (I think  they're called drumsticks here which is a disgusting name for icecream anything) for dinner.

The day ended with a pleasant surprise when a real superhero in his humanly alter ego, Clark Kent, decided to pay me a visit. That was the best part of the day.. heck the week.. no.. the year.. or actually my whole life!

Port Maquarie

On Day 4 of receiving my sexy beast of a car and one day before the Christmas Eve, I set out on a Road trip.. Obviously, I had no set destination.... so it was s coin toss between the Great Ocean Road and Brisbane. I had half a mind of going back to the Great Ocean Road... because I knew how beautiful it is... there wasn't much alluring about QLD, but at the same, I'd never ventured further up north than Port Stephens so discovering new land didn't seem such a bad idea... besides Byron bay was on the way... and that is supposed to be wonderful.. Brisbane won the toss and I set out early in the morning with Coco with just a couple of shorts and not enough spare clothes (the plan was to use the opportunity to do Boxing Day shopping in Brisbane).


The car is extremely sexy and although I have no idea if her mileage is good or bad, I feel she just can go forever without taking a break. I arrived at Port Maquarie in about 4.5 hours without any break wearing a Santa hat all the way! As soon as I checked into the hostel, I cuddled up with Coco and we both fell sound asleep. Woke up in a couple of hours and it was well past lunch time.. so instead of eating something first, I set out to the Lighthouse. I choose most of my destinations based on whether or not they have a lighthouse.. so I was pretty excited to go check this one out.

When I got to the lighthouse.. and I must say, the car's GPS system is sooo handy. I didn;t have to rely on my dodgy navigation skills at all... The lighthouse was ... well... not what I expected... it was tiny:


After that I headed to the main street in the town had a greek wrap and chatted with the owner of the greek eatery who was Indian while his wife and presumably her sisters made fun of me showing too much skin and how they'd never dream of wearing anything like that in public (yes.. I do understand Hindi and a bit of Punjabi, ladies!).. I asked the owner what the best beach was and he said there were many if I wanted to take a walk along the beach line.. but if he was to pick just one, it would be the Shelley beach.

Over there I saw an interesting sculpture of a man sitting calmly on a throne with dragons/monitor lizards trying to climb up to his high grounds.


The place was supposed to have goannas there but I didn't spot any.. instead I saw these funny turkeys gobbling away happily and running around with little kids chasing them.. It was a nice family beach.


I lied on the rocks with little Coco for a long time until a couple of annoying men came to disturb our peace and tried to chat up with me. At which point I decided I'd just make my way back to the car than engage in any forced socialization with these encroachers.


I stopped on the main street again and had a super-choc drumstick and a salad takeaway for dinner where one of the people staying at the hostel who was there struck up a conversation with me.. I was too much loving the chocolate to be all snarly at him.. so I exchanged some pleasantries and walked back to the car.. The wind was starting to pick up.

The hostel was quiet with most people enjoying their dinner in solitude and on their PCs or phones.. I sat across this dude who was eating something obviously too spicy because there were no other free benches... He wasn't a bad conversationalist.. he was German with a strong accent and poor grammar. I finished my lunch and excused myself saying I was going to go check where the music is coming from.. he said he'd like to come along too.. so we walked together.. and found that just a couple blocks away there was a sort of fair/show with all the rides and things.. the types you see in small towns and it was mostly empty. So we walked back to the hostel.

The next morning on Dec 24th, I set out early towards Brisbane... this part of the journey was longer than Sydney to Brisbane.

Ferry to Manly

So this weekend wasn't all that happening in terms of going out. But the closest I got to exploring in or near the city was take a ferry to Manly. My visits to Manly have been of a tragic story. The first time I got there was like a year and a half ago, all I did was take a ferry to Manly, get to the wharf, have a Gellato and just take the  next ferry back to the city. The next time I got there was during the Vivid this year and. I did have progress.. I walked to the beach but it was night time so I didn't really get a good view of the beach. But I did walk on the pipes for a bit which sounds dangerous.. but was extremely fun to do when it was absolutely dark and i couldn't see anybody close in sight. So this Saturday was my third visit beause I was going to see someone there. The ferry ride was awesome! Here's a panorama photo from the back of the ferry:


Its a shame that the weather wasn't that great in the morning as I was getting to there. But it did light up in the afternoon on my way back. And the best part, I did get to see the beach in daylight. I couldn't linger around too long because I had to get back to the city for a friend's birthday party. But the sight of the beach was totally worth the visit.

The Bondi Beach

I didn't really want to go very far this weekend but didn't want to not go anywhere either. I hadn't been to the Bondi Beach ever but didn't think I'd like it much anyway thinking it's always very crowded. I was in for a huge surprise.

When I got to the Bondi Beach on the 380 bus, I looked at the beach, saw all the people in it and just walked into the San Churro's overlooking the beach. I asked for a dark hot chocolate and she asked me if I'd like marshmellows with it.. I didn;t really wanted to.. but said I'd try it anyway.. The dark choc arrived with a huge dollop of whipped cream on top with marshmellows.. damn.. that was just way more sweetnezz than I could handle!

Just off the beach there's this heart shaped pool and skating area which is kinda cool.


I walked to the end of the beach near the rockpool. I couldn't really get to the rock pool from the place on the beach I was at but it was an amzing view of the big waves crashing in on the shore from there. Besides I stood on the rocks at the end and there was no wind so I could comfortably stand for a long time there.

I loved the beach. I was there till way after dark. It wasn't crowded where I was at all. It was like being surrounded by a lot of people and yet in absolute solitude with nothing but the sound of the waves all around me. Right in the heart of the crowded urbanland but still so close to the raw power of nature. I don't have any words to describe the serene beauty of the experience. Its definitely scratched the barrier in my head of being able to enjoy being at a beach closer to the city.

Cruwee Cove

The last week I was at the Congwong Bay I'd actually intended to get to the Cruwee Cove. But I got there too late.. and I had to return. I came back to the City from the skydive at 11ish, had a long brunch with my friend in Chinatown and said laterz to her at 12:00. I didn't have much else to do because the laundry (which is a giant chore) was already done on yesterday. So I decided to just go back to the Cruwee cove and finish what I'd started. I got off a stop before the last stop and walked to the golf course. The Beach at the Cruwee Cove is very rocky so you can't really get in the water, but it is very scenic. I'm not a huge fan of gettin in the water anyway. Its very cold and windy and all I want is to go places this winter so I may return to them some other time and hopefully the photos will encourage others to explore these not so touristy places as well.

     
It was really windy. I sat near the rocks for a while. It was very peaceful I"d have sat there all day if the wind wasn't blowing my brains away. The waves there are very powerful and I could just sit there watchign the giant splashes all day. The mist from the splatters actually even made rainbows. see if you can spot the rainbow in the shot below.


I walked around a bit before gettin back. The Henry's head is an awesome spot for watching the sunset. Coco and I sat there watching the sun set in the land and planes come to and from the Botany Bay while a industrial chimney kept spewing flames in the backdrop of beautiful blue skies.


I got back to the Congwong bay beach from that hidden bushtrail the father and daughters had unknowingly shown me the last time. The beach is really beautiful and I always wanted to write something in the sand.. I couldn't really think of anything so just drew Miss U =)


I may have put my curiosity to rest by visitin all the places I could walk to at the Cruwee Cove.. But I think I really like the beach and would like going back there with anyone that doesn't mind a bit of a heart pumping walk and a lot of wind and cold.

Sky Dive at Wollongong

I was at a sketch club meetup a week ago and this new friend of mine says 'I'm turning 30 next weekend' and she wanted to do something memorable.. like a skydive or a bungee jump but didn't have a partner. I said I"m up for it. She wasn't sure I was joking.. but over the week, we chatted on whatsapp and I ended up booking our jump on Sunday. and that was that.. it was decided... we were jumping out of a plane just for the heck of it.. oh the things people do after they're 30!

I've been asked if it was freaky, what the scariest part was, etc.. but its just that there is no time to be scared, everything happens so fast.

You jump on a very small plane. Gotta say.. even getting in the plane is an awesome experience by itself! The rotor thingie is so fast you're almost blown off while getting in the plane on a metal step ladder. I was the first to get in so the last to jump out. But my friend was the last one so she got to be the first one to jump out. Down here you can see the photos of me with my skydive instructor and someone just before and after jumping out of the plane.. so much fun!


The plane took off and started spiraling upwards to gain altitude. This was a 14,000ft jump. Through out the climb the plane was at a very high angle and the view below was absolutely surreal. The diving instructor I was doing the jump in tandem with, John, was very experienced. He knew exactly how to calm the nerves. He pointed out the Sydney side and the beach while we were in the plane. I'm very lucky that it was a glorious day with clear blue skies.


I can't tell exactly how long the dive lasted.. but it was such an awesome experience.. So worth everything! Everything from getting on the bus in Sydney to the Wollongong jump site in Wilton from watching one by one all the people in the plane jump out to jumping out youorself.. the gush of wind so fierce.. not knowing which way is up or down.. just free falling.. and then the parachute deploying.. and the calm peace of being so high up above the ground.. having a certainty that you're not going to die.. not right now at least.. the amazing view with no glass windows.. just you, the earth miles below and the wise skydive instructor allowing you to just soak in the moment. And then you see the landing circle.. And before you know it your feet touch the land.. you don't really land on you bum like the instructor said you would.. And there you have it.. a skydive.


After I got to Sydney it wasn't too late.. just about 11ish in the morning.. I had a full day ahead of me. A very sunny clear blue skies day. I said to my friend that it didn't feel like much.. just that the part of our brains that would've been afraid of jumping out of planes has completely been erased..

Congwong Bay

It was 3ish on a Sunday afternoon and it didn't really seem like I was going to get out much but I thought I'd go out just for the sake of adding another post to my blog.. I'd initially intended to actually go to Cruwee Cove.. I think I"m beginning to see a pattern of the places that appeal to me here.. not hard to miss. I completely misread Google Maps in my over confidence of knowing the city.. it said stand C comething and I immediately assumed it to be some other bus station I was quite familiar with... I kinda like this.. the feeling of actually 'knowing' the places and names.. When I arrived here every place was just alien name to me... but I guess I'm beginning to get a hang of a very limited few places here... Could be from my Google maps surfings to pick destinations over the last few weeks too.. who knows.. if I could I'd like to make this 'my' city.

Anyhowz.. I goofed up the bus station and missed the L94 or something which is every half hour.. so I waited at the bus station patiently.. actually passing time was quite a pleasure with the company of good music. Took the 3:38 bus that would arrive at the place around 4:30. I wasn't thrilled of arriving at the place at almost sunset.. but heck I was at the bus station.. I"d come too far to just go back to my desolate room in the house. The 391 goes almost till the end of the Botany Bay. The last stop is called La Perouse.

I got off there and considered walking to the Bare Island. There was an exhibition there with an entry fee onto the island of $2. Here's a photo of the Bare Island taken from near the bus stop:


It was so insanely cold and windy that I just couldn't have been able to stay there anymore so I decided to take a walk to the beach and go where I'd intended to go - The Cruwee Cove. I walked to the end of the Congwong beach and a dad and his two daughters kinda disappeared on a bush trail while I was taking pictures of this steam. I was almost tempted to dip my hand in the water from the stream flowing into the ocean to see if it was sweet (not salty sea water) when I realized it came from a pipe.. ewww!! The pattern in the stream looked really pretty here's a photo of the stream flowing into the sea.


When I got back from there I watched a movie called Gallowalkers where Wesley Snipes rips peoples' heads and spines out. Looking back to the photo after the movie.. the pattern in the water kinda looks like a spine..

It was so obscure I wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't for them. The trail was not an official path and very rugged. I climbed to the top and considered walking another half hour towards my chosen destination but it was sunset already and I was a little nervous (terrified!) of venturing further on the bush trail. I took another photo of the Bare Island from the bush trail to the Henry point and walked back to the bus stop.


Coco and I waited for a long time for the bus to arrive.. We watched many aeroplanes land on the Sydney airport. I think Cocstar really enjoyed himself on this visit. It was still very cold and he didn't really get much chance to venture out.


The sound of the sea was amazing and very calming. If it wasn't so cold I'd have liked to sit on one of the boulders there watching the waves wash over the sandy rocky shore.