Another sunrise....

Whilst this is, yet another sunrise shot from Mrs Macquarie's Chair, it was so beautiful today....

I think I should start to take my real camera, Canon 6D, into my work day...

Hoo roo for now...

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Some more 'iPhonography' whilst working - Sydney Harbour!

So, with my current working schedule, I am normally stopping first at Seaforth on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. Its a nice spot, and I visit just near The Spit Bridge.

But today, this stop was not required, and I had a little bit of extra time up my sleeve, so I ventured to somewhere more familiar, my old work at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. More over, Mrs Macquaries Chair, which has spectacular views of both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and The Opera House! I managed to get here just on sunrise this morning, and there was some glorious light; I just wished I had my actual camera instead of my trusty, if not old, iPhone 7PLUS!!

I was actually here several weeks back, and even though I was in my fully marked work car, with the engine running, an overzealous Ranger started to book my as I hadn't used the parking meter. When I got out and said I am here, and the car is running, we had a quick chat and later went on my way! haha

Also here, is a small garden, and a most impressive Xanthorrhoea... Isn't she lovely with the CBD as a backdrop??

After that, the day got very 'boring' and routine, heading to Darlinghurst, then the Inner West before heading back to the Lab. In my drive from the Lab up to Galston however, in these times of Coronavirus (COVID-19) where at a funeral only 10 people are permitted to attend, I managed to get to see a very dear friend in Melbourne, preside over his mothers funeral in Tasmania over a live stream, and whilst I was driving, I was more listening to it as opposed to watching, as I wanted to remain safe on the road. You did a wonderful job and held it together in a very testing time DW, I know mum would be proud...

No time for any sort of gardening in the courtyard today though, but the beds will all get a water tomorrow, and maybe a light trim of the Vibernum screen just to keep it in check, but we will see!!!

Hope you've had, or have, a wonderful Wednesday!

Hoo roo for now...

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Cruising & City

So I skipped a day, but continuing with 'C'...

I have some friends from brisbane staying with me at the moment. They left just before Christmas on the Celebrity Solstice on a 12 night cruise over the Christmas/New Year period. I did photograph their departure, but the other morning, the 3am alarm went off as I was heading in to shoot the cruise liner coming into Sydney Harbour.

There was some stunning light about and I took a pic of the Sydney Skyline with the Opera House in it (the Harbour Bridge was to far to the right from this location really... haha)

Anyway, the MS Noordam (Holland America Line) entered through the heads first, and was lucky enough to sail past in this light...


This light didn't last that long though, when the Celebrity Solstice (Celebrity Cruises) sailed through...

It was a nice morning to have been out on the harbour...

Hoo roo for now...

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Busy and @bangkok lunch

Today is 'B' - Busy and @bangkok...

Well - today was a bit of another grey old day, and this morning, I had visitors... You see, Louise had made a quilt a couple of years before her passing in 2009. This quilt, whilst largely finished, just needed the quilting stitching done. A mates mum, who is also a quilter, is going to finish it for me.

But after they had left, I finally went and had another attempt to catch up with a mate from Canberra and his girlfriend from Geelong! I tried yesterday, but as I had just missed a train, and it was a public holiday timetable, it would have been a 2 hour train ride to them (or a 44 minute drive and then c. $40 in parking! 

So today it was it, lunch in Captiol Square @bangkok Thai Restaurant! We started with the Satay Chicken skewers (with a thick cut bread) and Em and I had the Chicken Pad See Ew. Very nice, as usual...

Later in the afternoon, after we had left, there was a fire in the lower level food court - right where we had lunch!!!

Fire crews fight Sydney building blaze

Hoo roo for now...

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Abandoned

Today I went for a bit of a drive, I really wanted it to be a 'nice day', but I got a grey and humid day that also ended up with showers... Oh well!

So I went across from Penrith to Richmond, through Agnes Banks. I thought I would have another go at going through all of the suburbs in Sydney, alphabetically. But as I had started to head north, there wasn't many with A as a start NOR was there that many, so I had a rethink!

Instead, to start with, I thought I would simply go through the alphabet, and create my own theme based on what I saw. Today, its 'A' - Abandoned...

I don't really know how I got to Freemans Reach Park, but the elevated view gave me this old, somewhat abandoned shed...


On the return towards home, through Wilberforce, I remembered that on 'Freemans Reach Rd', there was an old house, often photographed as well, so I headed up there to have a look see... It has clearly gotten a lot worse than I remembered it!!!




So thats it, 'Abandoned' is done, what a way to spend New Years Day!!! Hope you had a great New Years Eve, and a great day to start 2017!

Hoo roo for now...

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Vivid Sydney 2014

YES, its THAT time of year.... AGAIN! Its Vivid Sydney, and lots of late nights and colour!

This year though, I am doing things slightly differently. So far, I have done the Opera House sequence, and the Bridge from Blues Point. Tomorrow, hopefully, I shall try something a little different, and do a time-lapse and some of the installation in Martin Place, but for now, enjoy this little slide show!

So, expect a couple more posts from Vivid 2014!

Hoo roo for now...

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Happy New Year!!!

Welcome to 2014!!!

NOW, apologies for not being a regular blogger towards the end of last year, but with being forced to take a 'voluntary redundancy' I have been sort of busy and also lost my 'mojo'...

I also hope that you've had a wonderful Christmas and a brilliant New Years Eve, and wishing you the best for the year ahead!

I wanted to do this post last night, but I have had difficulty in getting my head around the editing processes needed. You see, I got a GoPro camera for Christmas, and this is the first video (series) out of it. BUT, it is also a compilation! There are two time-lapse videos either side of a video, which is why it was hard to edit, but I got there in the end!

Hoo roo for now...
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Hoo roo for now...

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Wordless Wednesday No. 83 - Vivid Sydney Colouful!

Sydney Harbour Bridge - Vivid Sydney

Sydney Opera House - Vivid Sydney

Sydney Opera House - Vivid Sydney

Sydney Opera House - Vivid Sydney

Sydney Opera House - Vivid Sydney

Pacific Pearl - Vivid Sydney

Pacific Pearl - Vivid Sydney

Sydney harbour Bridge - Vivid Sydney

Hoo roo for now...

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Sydney - by air!

today, I finally got to do a hell-flight over the CBD of Sydney, but it almost didn't eventuate!! A little thing called FOG had set in! It was early, it was think and it hung around!

BUT, I arrived out at Bankstown, and we had to wait a little bit, and constantly checking the webcams for the area. The aircraft, an R44, would be going out at max MTOW as there was four onboard; Pilot flying (training), Pilot Trainer, another learner (who'd later do his first solo) and little ole me!

The planned routing would be departing Bankstown, turning right at Rosehill, then following the Parramatta River, flying over the Southern Pylon of the Sydney harbour Bridge. then onwards to Goat Island near Rose Bay, U turn and back to Bankstown. Along the way, there was some pretty amazing sites, even with the remaining fog about the place!

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney

Sydney Opera House and CBD

'Carnival Spirit' in Circular Quay

Gladesville Bridge

ANZ Stadium - Home of the Sydney 2000 Olympics

I am SO grateful for being given the opportunity of doing this flight, it was a b'day present, and for the pilot flying, who was finishing his endorsement on the day… I had a BALL of a time!

Hoo roo for now...

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Vivid Sydney's back in town!!

Well folks, its THAT time again, when VIVID SYDNEY is back in town, which can only mean one thing.... A WET opening night!! Yes, on Friday night when Vivid opened and turned on the lights, the heavens also opened!

We drove into town and we parked (fairly easily) around near pier one. This is about a 2-3 minute walk around to Dawes Point, right opposite the Sydney Opera House! But, as we were getting out of the car (the camera bags didn't even make it out) it hammered down rain, and I mean HAMMERED! So, we jumped back in, and opted for a short drive up to Observatory Hill and the safety of a rotunda up there! Unfortunately though, we also shared it with a half dozen or so young girls (I won't use the word 'ladies' as not even on a tough building site, have I heard language these 'girls' were using)!

We set up our gear, and got a few shots... Some with clear skies...

Sydney Harbour Bridge - Observatory Hill

Sydney Harbour Bridge - Observatory Hill

And some with the rain falling...

Sydney Harbour Bridge - Observatory Hill

On the Saturday, after moving furniture all day with a mate, we ventured back in for some more photography; this time though, from the Cahill Expressway across Circular Quay. There was a P&O cruise ship there (Pacific Pearl) and this was used as a backdrop - VERY cool!!

We then we ventured further along the pathway and started crossing the Harbour Bridge for Milsons Point. We stopped just past the Southern Pylon, which gave us a pretty nice view of the Opera House. Here is a short video of the Opera House shots I took...

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

I will be going in again during the week, with a mate here in Sydney, a German friend coming back to Sydney (currently in Byron Bay) and who ever wants to go, drop me a comment, email or an SMS and we'll meet up!!

Hoo roo for now...

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Wordless Wednesday No. 82 Afternoon Moon

Afternoon Moon

Hoo roo for now...

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Wordless Wednesday No. 80 - Cooks River Sunset

Cooks River Sunset - Sydney

Hoo roo for now...

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11 Tunnels - Playing With a Car & Darkness

Last night, for something a little 'different' I/we went out to play in the dark, with a camera in, well on a tripod, JAMMED in-between the split fold rear seat for stability...

Whilst I thought I had the setup pretty much 'ok', how wrong was I!! It wasn't that far off, but my tripod just didn't cut it stability wise!! We then headed for the M5, a toll road in Sydney that on any given occasion, is normally a carpark! If someone so much as farts, it backs up for kilometres!!!

So, why '11 Tunnels' I hear you ask?? Well here is a list of the tunnels we used... M5, Cooks River, Airport... Airport, Cooks River... Cooks River, Airport... Airport, Cooks River! Then, Airport, Cooks River and finally M5 home! Oh, hang on, that's 12!!!!

We had used two spots to look at the results, change settings and timings for the next run, and so on... Now, whilst 'happy' with the results, another car, with softer suspension than mine (also a longer wheelbase as well) would be better to remove the vibration that's evident in the photos, but, it was something new, and I had fun at least!!!

Hoo roo for now...

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